Isopods are the clean up crew for a bioactive terrarium, breaking down waste and leftover food so the enclosure looks after itself. They are terrestrial, so they are not for your axolotl tank, they are for the setups next to it.
Add on only. Isopods For Sale in Australia ship alongside an axolotl order rather than on their own, so add them when you buy an animal or ask us to include them in an order already placed.
4 products available, from $25 AUD. We ship across Australia, including Brisbane, Adelaide, Sydney. Also see axolotls for sale in Australia.
Add onA hardy rolling species that copes with drier conditions than most, which suits an enclosure you do not keep constantly damp. Slower to build numbers than the dairy cows but very forgiving once established. Pulled at random from our master colonies.
Add onThe collector species, named for the yellow markings on the head that give them a rubber duck look. This is a mixed lot of wild, pink and blonde forms. Slower breeding and considerably more demanding on humidity than the hardy species, which is why they cost more. Not a first isopod.
Add onStriking dark and pale patterning with a moderate breeding rate, sitting between the hardy starter species and the demanding collector ones. A good second culture once you have run dairy cows successfully. Pulled at random from our master colonies.
Add onThe best starting isopod. Fast breeding, large, hardy and tolerant of a wide range of conditions, with bold black and cream patterning. The most productive clean up crew of the species we culture. Cultures are pulled at random from our master colonies, so sizes vary.
In a bioactive enclosure, isopods and springtails do the work a filter does in an aquarium. They consume decaying plant matter, shed skin and uneaten food, converting it into something the substrate can use and stopping mould before it starts. Once a colony is established the enclosure largely maintains itself.
They are entirely terrestrial, so to be clear: these do not go in an axolotl tank. They suit terrariums and vivariums for reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates, and plenty of keepers raise them as a display species in their own right.
Porcellio laevis, dairy cow. Fast breeding, large and hardy, with bold black and cream patterning. The best starting species and the most productive clean up crew.
Cubaris, rubber ducky. The collector's species, named for the yellow markings on the head. Slower breeding and more demanding on humidity, which is why they cost more.
Armadillidium vulgare, pennypack. A hardy rolling species that tolerates drier conditions than most, which suits enclosures that are not kept damp.
Nesodillo arcangelii, samurai soldier. Striking patterning and a moderate breeding rate. A good middle ground between the hardy species and the collector ones.
A ventilated tub, a few centimetres of substrate, leaf litter, a piece of cork bark and a damp corner is the whole setup. Feed vegetable scraps and a calcium source such as cuttlebone. Cultures are pulled at random from our master colonies, so counts are approximate and sizes vary.
No. Isopods are terrestrial and will drown. They are for bioactive terrariums and vivariums, not aquariums.
Porcellio laevis, the dairy cow. They breed quickly, tolerate a wide range of conditions and are the most productive clean up crew. Cubaris are for collectors and need much more attention to humidity.
Ten is enough to establish a colony given time. Expect a few months before numbers build to the point where they are visibly doing clean up work.
Also in store: aquarium plants, tank supplies. Everything ships across Australia, to Brisbane, Adelaide, Sydney and every other mainland address.
Setting a tank up from scratch? Start with the axolotl tank setup guide, then browse axolotls for sale in Australia.
Every animal is bred in our Victoria hatchery, photographed individually and sent with a live arrival guarantee across mainland Australia.