Color Changing!?

Okay in my journal post i said i had something i'd talk about in another post well here it is:
I've noticed my isopods changed from dark grey to almost what i call the leaf litter morph or simply The LLM.Its cool to notice not all changed color as well as the fact that the bigger ones where the only ones that morphed.Just thought i'd share that with you.

Isopod Culture Update I April 16th/2010

April 16th/2010-New Enclosure Day#2-I actually made the enclosure yesterday so today is day two in the new enclosure.Everything is running smoothly.I've been noticing a few cool things and i'll talk about one later in a diffrent post.So far i think one female may be gravid.She has large yellowish saclike things under here.I hope i get babies in two weeks.I hear they can have 30-50 babies!Just thought i'd shoot an update for everyone.The thing i plan to do is when the babies are bigger is doing the overfeeding challenge.
Keep you all updated!

New Enclosure:KK Enclosure Tutorial

Here is a step by step method on how i made my new kk enclosure isobin:
Step 1-
Place cardboard then coragated cardboard on the bottom repeat till there is about 8-10 layers.
Step 2-
On layer three add a piece of dog food under the cardboard this is the dry food.On layer five add some orange cube or water gel under the cardboard.This is the moisture source.Every week add a small amount of veggie scraps.
Step 3-
Moisten the cardboard.I'd only moisten one side.Allow to soak in before continuing.
Step 4-
You can either wait a week or two or you can just add the isopods in.I did the second.I'd recomend that if you have a bigger colony to wait a week or two.This allows you to moniter the conditions and makes the food ready to be eaten.
***Remember!
Remember to feed and maintain your colony.Don't forget to mist often.

Updates updates and you guessed it more updates!

I'm going to update several things:
-New enclosure tutorial
-New isopod colony update
-More stuff

Added a search.

I've added a search function to this blog.Please feel free to use it!

Forum link

Seems that in my forum post i forgot to add the link.The reason wonko3 is in the url is because i'm upgrading the forum to phbb3 instead of phbb2.
http://isopods.wonko3.myfastforum.org

Cage DownGrade

Well many would do enclosure upgrades right?Not me.Unfortanatly i relized that if i'm gonna raise wasps this year i'm gonna need my bigger kk.So i moved the isopods into a smaller kk.Setup just the same.But with one good change.No wide open spaces.They seem to like being in a close quaters.Just an update.

Isopod Forum

I've made a new isopod forum.I have the link in the link section.Its called isopod keepers.Or in the links section Isopod Forum.Its been up and running for about a week now and has:
13 members
300+ posts
We do in fact need more active members.

Something weird!

I just found out something cool a bit off-topic but i can follow my own blog.Weird!

Koolkid's Guide To Raising Isopods

For the purpose of this little guide i'll be using my flowthrough isopod bin as an example.The setup for anyother isopod bin is basicly the same.Hopefully this provides newbies with a nice guide to go by when starting up their first isopod culture.Remember that you don't have to use the bin type i am using.Please remember that the enclosure may change for diffrent types of isopods.For the purpose of this guide i'll be only talking about starting an isopod bin with Porcellio Scaber.This is my recomendation of a starter isopod.Harder and of course native to most areas.Before we begin time for a little background information on Porcellio Scaber:Porcellio Scaber is a type of sowbug that is most commonly found in gardens.These sowbugs are very varible in colors.I've seen grey isopods to basicly orange and brown like fall leaves.These are by far in my opinion the best starter isopod there is.Easy to find and one of the most and best survivors in the isopod world only two things seem to kill them:Drought and being waterlogged.Now that you have a better understanding for these guys here is the real guide:The Perfect Enclosure or isobin-The key to the perfect isobin is allowing humidity but not drowning them.If you've read my flowthrough bin post you'll know how to make one.The next thing you'll need is a hide.A piece of egg flat works great[smaller for the small isobins]Then add 1cm of dirt.Place hides over dirt.Food For isopods-Feeding isopods is easy basicly i use ready brek or weetes.Then add a little slice of carrot once a week.Add the ready brek to the substrate.Don't worry about mold.I also use dog food.Just remember if mold takes over get rid of it!Get all the isopods you can and remake a new culture if its really bad.General Maintence-Add or mist water onto the culture once every 3-4 days.Just add it to one side[the side with less food] and switch sides each time.Other maintence includes feeding.I only feed them when they are done all of the other food.Or else they ditch the food and mold takes over.Only clean cultures out once every 3-7 months,i perfer to clean mine out once every three months but in the summer i'm lazy.I only clean them in the fall.I found that i have more time and its just so much fun cleaning out an isopod bin when its raining out.Conclusion-Hope this helps out some of the people on here on how i setup and breed isopods.

The big Move!

I've moved my small isopod colony into a ten gallon kritter keeper[or as i call them kk's]This will provide perfect room for them to reproduce.In the summer i get caught up and stuff so i need a bigger setup.I've also started using ready brek as food and in a food dish.No dirt just some moist papertowels/money tubes and egg carton pieces.

Isopod Colony:Journal

April 14th/2010-Well this is gonna be a journal for my isopod culture.I have them in my flow through system which i think i made an article on.If not i'll post it soon.
Anyway this culture is very small its got three isopods.I think one may be gravid.If it is i should have double in around 1-3 weeks from now.So far my flowthrough isobin is a sucsess.To keep things easier this is how i'll spell it FTIB which clearly means:FlowThrough IsoBin.The substrate is about 1cm thick.Ontop of the soil is some ready brek or just oat bran.Then ontop of the substrate is a small piece of cardboard[namely the stuff used to make egg flats or cartons.] so they can hide under it and in the future have babies.So thats the first little update on these little guys i'll try to update once or twice a week.This journal was made so i knew when i started and how many i started with.It can be used as a refrence for others.Remember to find a method that works for you.
-Koolkid

Our Policy On Culturing Isopods

I'd like to make a new policy for this blog:We at the isopod blog do not approve of the culturing of diffrent isopod species not found in your area and then releasing the specimins.Because they aren't native they may damage the ecosystem.We are by no means saying that culturing tropical woodlice is a bad idea we are just saying that releasing them is a bad very bad idea.In a nutshell here is our policy:
We at the isopod blog do not approve of the releasing of tropical isopods.They can damage the ecosystem and may eat plants.They may even kill off other isopods native to the area.

Isobin

Well i've made a new type[Basicly i just added some features of my own to a diffrent guys method] Of isobin.This setup can be made on a small scale or even a large scale.I'm going to run you through the small way.Here are the materials needed:
-2 containers one larger then the other[i used baby food containers]
-knife
-Lighter
-wood piece small enough to fit in the small bin.[I used a piece of bark]
-cardboard
-Food[get to that in a diffrent article but i used a carrot]

Here are the steps:
Melt eight to ten holes on the bottom of smaller bin.This allows for drainage.Then place smaller bin into bigger bin.Add a few more air holes to the lid.Place down some cardboard.Then add your food.Next add the wood piece.Its that simple just water them every day or two.If you notice water in the reserver[bin 2] then don't water as much.I personally use the water in the reserver to water them the next day.Thats it its that simple.Of course if you have a larger culture make a bigger cointer size.

Welcome

Hello everyone Welcome to My Isopod Blog.This is were i'll keep all my isopod related information.
Here are the guides that i'm going to be working on:
-Care Guide
-Making an isobin
-Making the perfect isofood
-Getting a culture started
-Maintaining a culture of isopods
And much more.