The EASIEST PETS to keep | D colony

Summary

In this episode, the host introduces isopods as low-maintenance pets, perfect for hobbyists. They discuss their experience with different isopod species, showcasing their ease of care and benefits as 'janitors' in ant farms. The video provides a step-by-step guide on setting up an isopod enclosure with the right substrate, humidity levels, and hiding spots. It also covers their diet, emphasizing the symbiotic relationship between isopods and other pets, and the joy of handling these creatures.

Takeaways

• 🐜 The video is about showcasing the low-maintenance nature of keeping isopods as pets, alongside the narrator's experience with ant keeping.
• 📦 Isopods can be kept in microwavable containers or specially made enclosures, highlighting their adaptability to various environments.
• 🌱 The narrator has been breeding isopods for years and has recently started keeping them as pets, finding the process relaxing and enjoyable.
• 🔍 Three species of isopods are mentioned: the 'magic potion' pill bug, the 'dairy cow' isopod, and the 'cubery's murina', each with distinct characteristics.
• 👶 Isopods reproduce quickly and can surprise their keepers with the number of offspring they produce, as the narrator discovered after forgetting about them for a month.
• 🍽️ Isopods are voracious eaters and require a continuous supply of dried leaves, with occasional treats of high-protein foods like dried shrimps.
• 🏡 The setup for an isopod enclosure includes a substrate mix of soil and peat moss, calcium sources, and a balance of moist and dry areas for the isopods' comfort.
• 🌿 Hydration is crucial, with the enclosure needing a humid area covered by moss and a dry area that is never watered or misted.
• 🌳 Hides such as cork bark or driftwood are essential for the isopods to feel safe and to molt, and they also serve as a climbing structure.
• 🐛 Springtails are mentioned as beneficial companions in the enclosure, aiding in maintaining a healthy environment, though they are optional.
• 👋 Isopods can be handled and petted, offering an interactive aspect to keeping them as pets, in addition to their role as 'janitors' in cleaning setups.

Q & A

What are isopods, and why are they considered low maintenance pets?

Isopods, also known as pill bugs or woodlice, are small crustaceans that are considered low maintenance pets because they can survive for extended periods without daily care and are easy to keep in an enclosure with minimal requirements.

What is the speaker's experience with keeping isopods as pets?

The speaker has been breeding isopods for years and has started keeping them as pets a few months ago. They have experience with creating enclosures and substrates for the isopods and have found the process relaxing and enjoyable.

What are the three species of isopods mentioned in the script?

The three species of isopods mentioned are the 'magic potion' isopod, the 'dairy cow' isopod, and 'Cubery's murina'. The speaker also mentions a fourth species collected from their backyard.

How did the speaker find the isopods' ability to survive without attention for a month?

The speaker was surprised and pleased to find that the isopods had not only survived without attention for a month but had also produced many offspring during that time.

What is the role of isopods in a bioactive setup?

In a bioactive setup, isopods act as janitors, helping to clean up by consuming waste and dead insects, thus contributing to a healthy and balanced ecosystem.

What are the main components of the isopod enclosure substrate?

The substrate for isopod enclosures is a mixture of 60% soil and 40% peat moss or coco peat, with added calcium powder for the baby isopods' exoskeleton development.

Why is a combination of moist and dry areas important in an isopod enclosure?

A combination of moist and dry areas is important because it provides the isopods with the necessary environmental conditions to thrive, allowing them to choose their preferred habitat within the enclosure.

What are some of the food sources for isopods mentioned in the script?

The food sources mentioned include dried leaves, which are their main diet, as well as fish flakes, dried beans, dried fish, vegetables, feeder insects waste, and dried shrimps as a treat.

How often should the isopod enclosure be checked and maintained?

The enclosure does not need daily checks; a weekly check on food, calcium sources, and moisture levels is suggested, with occasional misting if the enclosure dries up quickly.

What is the purpose of adding springtails to the isopod enclosure?

Springtails are added to the isopod enclosure to help maintain a healthy environment by consuming mold and decaying organic matter, thus contributing to the overall cleanliness and balance of the enclosure.

How can isopods be beneficial to a fire ants vivarium?

Isopods can be beneficial to a fire ants vivarium by consuming the ants' food leftovers and waste, helping to keep the environment clean and providing a symbiotic relationship where both colonies thrive.

Outlines

00:00

🐜 Introduction to Isopod Keeping

The video script introduces the concept of keeping isopods as pets, which are described as 'the lowest maintenance pets' the narrator has ever kept. The narrator, who is an experienced ant keeper, shares their experience with these creatures, which are also known as 'janitors' in the pet-keeping community due to their role in cleaning up enclosures. The script mentions that despite forgetting about them for a month, the isopods not only survived but also thrived and produced many offspring. The narrator promises to share their research and experiences on how to keep isopods easily using household items, and introduces the three species of isopods they are currently keeping: the 'magic potion' pill bug, the 'dairy cow' isopod, and the famous 'Cubery's Murina'. The video also hints at the symbiotic relationship between isopods and the narrator's ant colonies.

05:00

🏡 Setting Up an Isopod Enclosure

This paragraph delves into the practical aspects of setting up an isopod enclosure, emphasizing the use of clean, parasite-free substrates and the importance of maintaining a balance between moist and dry areas within the enclosure. The narrator suggests a mixture of soil and peat moss or coco peat, enriched with calcium powder, crushed eggshells, and powdered charcoal for the isopods' health. The enclosure is divided into a humid area with moss and a dry area, with the use of cork bark or driftwood for hiding places. Dried leaves are provided as the main food source, and the inclusion of springtails is recommended for a healthier environment. The setup is designed to be simple yet effective, requiring minimal maintenance and allowing for the isopods to thrive.

10:00

📅 Caring for Your Isopod Colony

The final paragraph provides guidance on the care and feeding of isopod colonies. It emphasizes the low-maintenance nature of isopods, suggesting that weekly checks are sufficient for monitoring food and calcium supplies. The narrator shares their feeding routine, which includes a variety of food sources such as fish flakes, dried beans, vegetables, and dried shrimps for protein and calcium enrichment. The importance of a continuous supply of dried leaves is highlighted, and the narrator expresses their enjoyment in observing and handling the isopods. The video concludes with an invitation for viewers to share their thoughts on isopod keeping and a reminder of the benefits of this hobby, including the potential for future videos on the subject.

Keywords

💡Pets

In the context of the video, 'pets' refers to animals kept for companionship and pleasure. The video discusses the unique experience of keeping certain types of pets, specifically isopods, which are described as 'low maintenance' and 'cute.' The term is central to the theme of the video, which is about the joys and ease of pet keeping, particularly with isopods.

💡Isopods

Isopods, also known as woodlice or pill bugs, are crustaceans that are highlighted in the video as 'janitors' in pet keeping environments. They are presented as an essential part of bioactive setups, helping with cleanup. The video emphasizes their low maintenance nature and their role in creating a symbiotic relationship within a vivarium, such as with fire ants.

💡Bioactive Setups

A 'bioactive setup' refers to an enclosed ecosystem where living organisms, such as insects, interact with each other and their environment in a balanced way. The video mentions isopods as a crucial component of such setups, where they contribute to the cleanliness and health of the ecosystem by consuming waste and carcasses.

💡Enclosures

Enclosures are the physical spaces where the isopods are kept. The video describes different types of enclosures, including microwavable containers and acrylic cages, which are used to house the isopods. These enclosures are essential for creating a controlled environment that mimics their natural habitat.

💡Substrate

The 'substrate' in the video refers to the material that lines the bottom of the isopod enclosures, providing a medium for them to burrow and live in. A mixture of soil and peat moss or coco peat is recommended, along with calcium powder for the isopods' dietary needs.

💡Hydration

Hydration is a critical aspect of maintaining the health of the isopods' enclosure. The video describes the necessity of having both a moist and a dry area within the enclosure, achieved by using moss to retain moisture and maintaining a dry side for the isopods' needs.

💡Feeding

Feeding is a key aspect of caring for isopods. The video mentions various food sources such as dried leaves, fish flakes, and dried shrimps, which provide essential nutrients. The isopods' diet is vital for their growth and overall health, and the video provides examples of how to maintain a varied diet for them.

💡Molting

Molting is a natural process where isopods shed their exoskeletons to grow. The video mentions the importance of providing a suitable environment for isopods to molt, such as hiding places where they can rest and recover after shedding their old exoskeletons.

💡Symbiotic Relationship

A symbiotic relationship is a close, long-term interaction between different species where at least one benefits. In the video, the symbiotic relationship between isopods and fire ants is highlighted, with the isopods benefiting from the ants' waste and the ants having a cleaner environment.

💡DIY (Do It Yourself)

The term 'DIY' is used in the context of creating one's own isopod enclosures and setups. The video mentions using materials like acrylic cages and microwavable containers to build enclosures, which allows for customization and personalization of the pets' living spaces.

💡Vivarium

A vivarium is a type of enclosure that houses living organisms, often replicating their natural habitat. The video describes a fire ants vivarium where isopods are also present, contributing to a thriving, interactive ecosystem.

Highlights

Introduction to the low maintenance pets: isopods, which are also known as 'janitors' in pet keeping.

Isopods can survive and even breed when neglected for a month, showing their self-sustainability.

The presenter has been breeding isopods for years and has recently started keeping them as pets.

Isopods are described as relaxing to handle and can be left alone as long as their enclosure conditions are met.

Three species of isopods are kept: the 'magic potion', 'dairy cow', and 'cubery's murina'.

The 'dairy cow' isopod is noted for its fast growth and mobility.

Cubery's murina isopods are observed to coexist peacefully with fire ants in a vivarium.

A simple isopod farm setup is demonstrated using regular plastic containers.

A mixture of soil and peat moss is recommended for the isopod substrate, with added calcium for their exoskeleton development.

The importance of maintaining both moist and dry areas in the isopod enclosure for their natural behavior.

Use of moss to retain moisture and the option to cover ventilation holes to control humidity.

The necessity of providing hiding places like cork bark for the isopods' comfort and safety.

Springtails are introduced as beneficial companions to isopods in the enclosure.

Dried leaves serve as the main food source for isopods, with additional treats like dried shrimps for protein and calcium.

Isopods can be fed a variety of foods including fish flakes, dried beans, and vegetables.

The presenter's personal enjoyment in watching and handling isopods in their enclosure.

A call to action for viewers to share their thoughts on keeping isopods as pets and potential future content on the topic.

Transcripts

[Music]

good day buddies

today i will show you another side of

keeping pets where ant keeping brought

me the past

years if you're a fellow and keeper

i'm sure you've seen or maybe heard

about what i'm going to show you

on this episode lying on this enclosures

are different colonies

of cute and the lowest maintenance pets

that i've ever kept

anyway thank you buddies for coming back

and if you're new to the channel you're

also welcome

to d colony

[Music]

few months ago buddies i started keeping

this low maintenance pets

talking about how low maintenance they

are it happens i forgot about them for

one month just under a table

when i remember checking them i was too

nervous

in my mind they might all dead that time

but instead they surprised me when i saw

they have produced so many babies

okay buddies let's meet them considered

as janitors of ant keeping

and other pet keeping hobbies members of

our cleanup crew

a must have edition in our bioactive

setups

pleased to meet you the isopods

aren't they cute two buddies anyway iman

isopods breeding for years now

but only several months on keeping them

as pets

already bought and made them some

enclosures experimented on substrates

don't worry buddies cause i will share

to you on how easy to keep them without

worries

based on my research and my experiences

so far

whether for clean up crew on your setups

or keeping them as pets

we can simply keep them by only using

what's available on our homes

i kept mine on microwavable containers

when i started to collect

buy and breed isopods for my ant farms

that's when i started making bioactive

enclosures

but later on i found out that keeping

them was relaxing and enjoyable too

like what i feel on keeping my ant

colonies

so i started keeping them as pets and i

transferred them to these three

compartments enclosure

so that i can put them where my ant

tanks is located

and to also not forget about them

anymore

currently im keeping three species of

isopods buddies

i already collected my fourth specie in

my backyard but im still in the process

of trying to breed

and identify them we got this

pill bug or isopod known as magic potion

it's always relaxing to handle this guys

anytime

buddies but if you're having a busy day

don't worry about them

as long as you've provided what they

need on their enclosures

they will be fine on their own

[Music]

next let's check the other one we have

this rolly poly or isopod known as dairy

cow buddies

a larger specie of isopod compared to

the first one

bigger but faster than other isopods

species too

in terms of mobility and also in growth

rate

cause these guys grows fast in just few

weeks

this isopods are pretty voracious two

buddies

you should be checking their food supply

once in a while if ever you decided to

keep them

[Music]

and the third isopod we have may be the

most

common and the most famous of them all

named cubery's murina a smaller specie

compared to the first two

[Music]

i tried to collect some of them here for

us to have a look

buddies though most of them here are

still juveniles

if you are in the channel for a while

now you probably know that a colony of

these guys

are present on my fire ants vivarium

they're doing pretty good out there with

my ant colony

this isopod colony is also growing

massively

along with my fire ants maybe because of

the abundance of food from insects

carcasses

from the ants food leftovers and they

also consume the ants poop mountain

it's really rewarding to see your pets

living together symbiotically

and both doing well the fire ants don't

harm the isopods

the two colonies living on this vivarium

peacefully

now let me show you how easy to keep

isopods as pets

we can see here that they're having so

much babies

they definitely need more room soon so

let's set up a simple isopod farm we can

use regular plastic containers buddies

like tupperwares as long as the insides

are smooth

cause isopods can climb smooth surfaces

but since i got this smaller version of

acrylic cage

that we also use on our last diy video

so i'm using them in one

two three

anyway it's here on the i card in case

you've missed our previous video

i securely glued all the corners to

prevent leaks

next thing we need to prepare is our

substrate

not just any substrate but a clean

substrate

means free of parasites or any harmful

mites

i will put here on the icard on how i

clean my chews and substrate

once the video is uploaded i use 60

soil and 40 peat moss or coco peat in my

isopods substrate

i find this mixture great for the

isopods to borrow easily

im also adding a calcium powder to the

substrate for the manky

or baby isopods to feed on they needed

to develop their exoskeletons

for the calcium source you can offer

reptile calcium or cuttlebone from

reptile stores

but we can also use a free calcium

source i just crushed eggshells and

offer it

to my isopods i will also crush dried

hardwood leaves

this is also for the baby isopods the

powdered leaves will be easier for the

manky to devour

some charcoal and powdered charcoal

this will act as filter in the soil and

in the air

this will make the isopod farm healthier

we just need to mix all of them well

before putting it in the containers

[Music]

we need more than an inch or two for the

substrate

like our ant farms isopods farm also

needs hydration

a humid part and a dry part is necessary

for the moist area we need to put a

patch of dried or living moss

we can put it on any of the two sides

and it should be covering

20 to 30 percent of the enclosure

the moss will hold the moisture for a

longer period of time

you just need to water this side

whenever it's beginning to dry up

you can mist it weekly but it also

depends on your enclosure's ventilation

and substrate thickness in this

enclosure

i can cover this ventilation holes in

the moist side

to make evaporation slower and make the

enclosure humid for a longer time

in the second tank i'll be trying to put

a living moss that i grew on this lava

rock

and surround it with dried sphagnum moss

about the dry side of the setup we only

need to keep it dry by never watering

or misting cause the isopods need one

side dry at all times

next we need some hide for the colony

and also them

the isopods best friend springtails

they will help to make the enclosure

more healthy

but you can have them optional it's your

choice

this cork bark will be the height of our

isopods

it will make them relax and feel safe

while under it

it's better if we have hides both on the

moist and dry

side so that the isopods can always

choose where to rest and gather

they will surely gather here they will

also climb on top anytime they need to

dry out

or they need to get some air while

molting

for the hides we can use cardboard

and egg crates too but corkbark or

driftwood is still the best

aside from they looks so natural isopods

will also take a bite on them once in a

while

dried leaves this will be the main food

source of the colony

so we can't miss them on the enclosure

you can also bury some on the moist

substrate to soften the leaves

for the baby isopods to consume them

easier

we can put a thick carpet of dried

leaves

just make sure that they will not reach

the vents

to prevent the isopods from escaping at

last

we can now let the isopods take over

this land

i'll put the magic potions first i have

20 plus adults and sub-adults

and some babies i'm placing them one by

one

bodies cause i don't want to mix their

old substrate here with the new one

[Music]

then our dairy cows

sorry buddy we got also 20 plus adults

and so many babies

this guy's eats a lot no wonder why they

grow faster than the other isopods that

i keep

isopods buddies are very easy to keep

you don't need to check on them on a

daily basis

weekly maybe you can check their food

and calcium sauce on the dry

side and give them some if it needed

some refill

or weekly mist of water if their

enclosure dries up that fast

anyway we can feed them fish flakes

dried beans

dried fish vegetables your feeder

insects waste

or carcasses for them to have a variety

of food aside from their main diet of

dry leaves

to help their colony thrive

this week i'm giving them a treat of

dried shrimps

fats high in protein and calcium i also

feed this to my ant colonies anyway

we just need to add more leaves once a

month or based on how thick the leaves

you give them

and how long they will last just give

them a continuous supply of dried leaves

like my ant colonies once in a while

i also enjoy and admire watching my

isopods on their own little

world with a bonus cause we can pet

and handle them anytime we're not busy i

will be soon including this new isopods

on my future and terrarium builds

or maybe an isopod terrarium itself

after watching this episode you now

learn the basics of keeping pill bugs as

pets

and how low maintenance they are what do

you think of keeping an isopod colony as

a hobby buddies

should we make more videos about isopods

keeping

feel free to share your thoughts on the

comments

i just hope you have learned something

from this video guys

be a genie for the first time by

granting my wish in tapping the like and

share button

that would help a lot this is d colony

saying goodbye for now but hoping to see

you on my next videos