# Armadillidium maculatum advice?



## IslandSerpentine (Dec 25, 2015)

I recently purchased some _Armadillidium maculatum_ and i'm not having much luck, out of 6 i only have 2 left, does anyone who keeps them have any advice? 
i'm keeping them like i would with millipedes but it's obviously not working. 
one of the two i have left moulted successfully but the moult wasn't eaten, is that normal?


----------



## PeterUK (Jun 21, 2008)

IslandSerpentine said:


> i'm keeping them like i would with millipedes but it's obviously not working.


Exactly how are you keeping them ?


----------



## IslandSerpentine (Dec 25, 2015)

PeterUK said:


> Exactly how are you keeping them ?


In a plastic tub with a small amount of ventilation in the lid. 

Substrate - coco fibre underneath a layer of the soil that they came in which has leaves mixed in. I also mixed in some calcium powder. 

A few twigs on top with a piece of bark to go underneath. 

Keeping them damp but not soaking.

I have added as food fish flakes, which disappeared quite quickly, so i'm guessing they liked them, so i keep a couple of flakes in at all times, as well as tiny bits of cucumber, lettuce and carrot.

I had the tub just sat on a shelf in the reptile room, which is fine for most bugs, but after 1 died i figured they might be cold, so i put the tub in a heated vivarium i have with bug tubs in, But it didn't seem to make a difference. 

They haven't burrowed in the soil at all, so i'm doubting they are too hot.


----------



## PeterUK (Jun 21, 2008)

I would throw the complete lot away and do it again properly. 

Isopods, especially the smaller species, eat the detritus in the soil which is the result of leaves and other plants breaking down and rotting away. 
Coco-fibre has absolutely ZERO nutrients for isopods to eat which is probably why they have been dying. 

I have a thriving colony of tropical dwarf woodlice (Trichorhina tomentosa) which I periodically diminish to spread them around my tarantula tubs and it only takes a few weeks for the population to rise again. I have also used the same methods of husbandry to keep native species to good effect except that i keep them much cooler.

I use a 50/50 mix of J Arthur Bowers topsoil and organic compost, both of which can be bought for under £4 per bag. (I use the same mix for my tarantulas) I add a few pieces of flat bark (NOT corkbark) from the local woods, a handful of dead leaves that periodically need replenishing and leave them to it. 
For food they have the nutrients in the organic substrate, the rotting leaves, the slowly decaying bark, I also once a week add a sprinkling of porridge oats that i lightly mist. The porridge will quickly mould over (usually under 24hrs) but leave it as the woodlice eat the mould/fungus and also the porridge.
I tried potato peelings which didnt get eaten and various other veg with did as long as it was rotting.

a short video of my very basic but productive set up

http://vidmg.photobucket.com/albums/v223/peterUK/Tropical woodlice_zps7tzkomxo.mp4


----------



## IslandSerpentine (Dec 25, 2015)

The coco fibre was just to add another layer underneath to provide depth, as i said i used the soil they came in on top, which has rotting leaves in it. 

They came in quite a large pot of it, so there was plenty to provide enough of a layer.

The bark is from a branch in one of my aviaries. 

i know coco fibre has no nutrients, which is why i only used that underneath.

so no, that isn't the reason they have been dying.


----------



## PeterUK (Jun 21, 2008)

Well as you are such an expert of killing them, you are obviously are doing something majorly wrong. :whistling2:

Dont like the answer ? . . . . ask a different question :Na_Na_Na_Na:


----------



## IslandSerpentine (Dec 25, 2015)

you're the one who didn't read what i'd written properly in the first place.


----------



## PeterUK (Jun 21, 2008)

IslandSerpentine said:


> you're the one who didn't read what i'd written properly in the first place.


Oh really ?! :gasp:

Perhaps i read the wrong post above 



IslandSerpentine said:


> I recently purchased some _Armadillidium maculatum_ and *i'm not having much luck**, out of 6 i only have 2 left, does anyone who keeps them have any advice?
> i'm keeping them like i would with millipedes but it's obviously not working.*



Er . . . nope. i read it right :whistling2:

You have plainly stated above that you bought 6 and killed 4 and you then ask for advice because you ' are not having much luck' and then you state that you are keeping them like millipedes. but it is not working. : victory:

So i told you exactly how I *successfully keep and breed* woodlice but you seem to think that you know better but as you have proved by your own words . . . you most certainly do not :2thumb:

Carry on and enjoy the remaining 2 while they last :no1:


----------



## Metamorphosis (Feb 25, 2008)

*Isopods*

Hi, steady on you two  knowledge begins with questions and sensible answers, so handbags away please  
OK we keep this species and do very well with them, sounds like you have them a little wet, these like to dry out a little, add some pieces of cardboard ( old corrugated works well) and let the surface of the pot dry on top. If you have no success do drop us a line direct we have these in good numbers along with quite a few other species and always willing to talk you through the way we keep ours.

Regards to all

Graham & Janice


----------



## ZOO CENTRE (Apr 1, 2010)

IslandSerpentine said:


> I recently purchased some _Armadillidium maculatum_ and i'm not having much luck, out of 6 i only have 2 left, does anyone who keeps them have any advice?
> i'm keeping them like i would with millipedes but it's obviously not working.
> one of the two i have left moulted successfully but the moult wasn't eaten, is that normal?


I am sure there are too high moisture for Armadillidium maculatum.

I kept them in dry substrate with sphagnum moss on the top - it was moistened 2 times per week.
Afer a few months I had from 6 specimens more than 1000...
Once I had to go away and moistened them much more ...after a week all were dead.


----------

