Pak chong isopods (Cubaris sp) is one of the most coveted captive-bred isopods available to hobbyists, making an excellent addition to Bioactive Enclosures or habitats. Easy to keep and breed, they prefer humid environments with deep burrowing substrate. They make great companions.

What Are They?

Pak Chong cubaris are an exquisite and rare isopod species. While their hard exterior and slower breeding rates than standard cubaris make for slower reproduction rates, their stunning color patterns more than make up for that lack of breeding potential. Pleons feature orange with white fringes and black dots while males display orange face/tail markings resembling their females’. Perfect additions for any collection or Bioactive enclosure and very easy to care for; their diet includes fruits, veggies, fish food (like our Protein mix food or calcium supplements for exoskeletal support), leaves from decayed leaves to moss; while burrowing into substrate helps with breeding/molting processes as well.

Origins

Isopods are generally detritivores, though some species also feed on vegetation and filter feeders as well as predators. Isopods may live aquatically or terrestrially and often roll up into balls to conserve moisture – similar to pillbugs (Armadillididae).

Bathynomus jamesi is closely related to Armadillidium vulgare, suggesting they both evolved from an ancestral common ancestor some 366 million years ago (Mya). Furthermore, B. jamesi possesses 53 genes encoding AnxB9 protein responsible for multivesicular body formation and regulation of protein trafficking; suggesting it has evolved specialized metabolic adaptations tailored specifically to its deep-sea environment.

Best kept in a bioactive enclosure with decaying matter, wood shavings, bat guano and dried leaves from the forest floor. Provide them with organic vegetables, leaf powder, moss cuttlebones and protein-rich supplements as part of their diet in order to ensure maximum happiness and wellbeing for their animals. Check out this site postpods.co.uk/products/pak-chong to find more and more pak chong isopods online.

Habitat

These pak chong isopods thrive in humid environments and require additional care as their breeding rate may take more time than with other isopod species.

Starting off a colony of at least 10 isopods is essential, particularly when raising Cubaris, Merulanella or Armadillidium species. This allows them to reproduce quickly and form stable populations more efficiently reducing risks of collapsed colonies.

Habitat should consist of natural materials like sphagnum moss, cork bark, pieces of decaying wood and leaf litter – this will provide an essential humidity gradient necessary for isopods to thrive!

Before adding natural bark or decor into the habitat, soak it with 50/50 vinegar and water in order to kill bacteria and organisms that may harm isopods. Because isopods are nocturnal creatures, using special full spectrum lighting during the day is optional for most isopod species.

Care

Isopods are crustaceans related more closely to shrimp and crabs than insects. While their appearance might seem intimidating, these creatures are actually easy to care for and make great additions to any terrarium or vivarium!

Although pak chong isopods can be kept in small enclosures, for the best experience it is recommended that they are housed in larger cages so they have space to explore and roam free. As these creatures come from cave environments, their terrarium should have ventilation on both the side and top so no escapees get away!

These pak chong isopods are detritivores and enjoy eating various forms of debris such as leaves, mushrooms and fungus. Supplementing their diets with Creatures Isopod Banquet blocks that include pulverized vegetables, berries and complex proteins with added calcium is also recommended to strengthen exoskeletal strength.

As isopods breathe through their gills, keeping the substrate moist at all times is vitally important for their wellbeing. You can do this by providing humidity-retaining substrate such as Creature Floor or Reptibark and regularly misting their habitat.