Isopods as staples?

[lurker9090]

Could larger Isopods be used as staple feeders? I am really on the hunt to find a different staple feeder that i can make into colony for my boy but have been having trouble in canada. Isopods are so easy to breed, are they comparable to roaches?
My roach colony is having a hard time, and its so hard to find more in canada.

 

[Beman]

@jamest0o0 What do you think?

 

[nightanole]

They are a great staple. And they eat things that most staples will not, thats what makes them a great staple.

If you think about it, if all your staples get fed about the same food/gut load, its not really a good staple selection, you are just changing the shape of the feeder, not the nutritional layout.

The only thing isos are not good at are gut loading. So you dont have to worry about that. Its like trying to gut load a meal worm or a fruit fly, its going to be less than 10% of the animals weight, and mostly water. Its not going to be like a big juicy cricket or dubia thats going to pop at the first munch and send 30-40% of its body weight squirting.

 

[Raymond1412]

I haven't heard of isopods as a staple before, but It's worth a shot!! I've only used isopods in my bioactive frog enclosure, so it will be interesting to see if your chameleon likes them!!

 

[MikeyBen]

My only concern with isopods are them walking around the enclosure and possibly able to transfer parasites back to the host. Important to do fecals and keep any parasites in check. If raising isopods in a separate bin, maybe use a feeder cup.

 

[elizaann2]

My only concern with isopods are them walking around the enclosure and possibly able to transfer parasites back to the host. Important to do fecals and keep any parasites in check. If raising isopods in a separate bin, maybe use a feeder cup.

Mikey you live in Canada, what staples do you use for your chams?

 

[MikeyBen]

Mikey you live in Canada, what staples do you use for your chams?

My Staples are black soldier fly larvae, black soldier flies, silkworms when available, small hornworms and crickets for variety, a couple of waxworms and the weekend for a treat. Chams like treats too. Haven't seen my carpet cham eat an isopod.

 

[jamest0o0]

I’ve fed isopods and a lot of others have seen their Cham’s eat them in their enclosures(bio active). My concern with them being a “staple” is their ability to uptake heavy metals like lead and others in the soil. Probably a good idea to breed them separately in a bin free of anything questionable.