Foods for woodlice cultures

[Scott]

I was thinking of starting a woodlice culture, and I noticed that a lot of the how-to guides recommend carrot/potato peelings (which is no problem) and "Ready Brek" (oat-based, high in calcium, no salt/sugar added) to feed them. Being from the States and all, most of the cereals in my cupboard don't quite fit that description (more like salt&sugar-based, no calcium, with oats added).

I like the idea of providing a balance meal before they become a balanced meal, but I'd prefer something I can just pick up at my local grocery store instead of buying it online. Basically, I'm looking for a US-available alternative to Ready Brek; does any one know of (or use) anything might be a good substitute?

I've also toyed with using cricket gut-load (for example, the brightly-colored & vitamin-fortified gel/ooze available at many pets stores) or calcium powder for lizards, but I wasn't sure how/if this would work (my guess is about the same). Has anyone tried these?

[Jennewt]

I think that the closest equivalent to Ready-Brek would be Gerber oatmeal baby cereal. But I've never used it. I use plain old Tetra fish flakes for both of my woodlice cultures. They love it, and it should have all the required vitamin/mineral supplements you would want.

[xMIDNIGHTx]

I am also a fan of fish flakes although I also like to add carrots and all types of leaves and moss. Just remember that giving them things from the good outdoors runs you the risk of introducing parasites, chemicals, toxins, etc. So if you are unsure stick to the fish flakes/carrots.

I use coco fiber/organic topsoil as substrate and several layers of large bark pieces and leaves. Just a word of caution, make sure that container always has moist spots but never soaking wet. Woodlice need water to breathe but at the same time to much water is just as bad. This goes double for the babies as they are more delicate. I like to use a cover that lets air in but still retains moist. The balance of water seems to be my only problem with culturing them.

Good Luck

Mitch

[taherman]

I split the difference and use a combination of oatmeal baby cereal and flake fish food, also seem to do great on it. Every once in a while they get vegetable scraps and some dried oak leaves as well. They seem to eat cellulose too, such as the oak leaves and corrugated cardboard.

-Tim

[AJC]

Unprinted brown corrugated cardboard - they love it! ;-)

[Michael Shrom]

It depends on what kind of wood lice. Different kinds like different food. Most like cardboard. I use egg carton, twigs, romaine, mushroom, dried leaves, and potato for food. For the dwarf white ones I use mostly egg carton (cardboard) and potato.

[Scott]

I haven't caught the woodlice yet, so I couldn't say what kind they will be... probably some combination of the more-common (non-pillbug) varieties. I haven't checked my local pet stores to see if they carry (or can order) the dwarf tropical variety, but I'm not going to get my hopes up.

Thank you all for your advice and suggestions; I will keep this all in mind when I get my culture started. I didn't realize they actually ate the cardboard... I just thought they used it for cover.

However, I am still wondering about some sort of calcium supplement though to promote exo-skeletal growth. I imagine the baby cereal contains a fair amount of calcium (I don't have any on hand, and haven't been to the store lately, so I haven't had a chance to look), but does anyone specifically address this in their food choices? Or perhaps a better question: Does it even matter?

[xMIDNIGHTx]

Its is not calcium that common (not sure about dwarf) woodlice require but rather copper (if I remember correctly) is a need if anything. Which is why I throw in carrots every once in a while. With the items given by the other members, there is really nothing left to add. Cardboard, fish food, carrots, potatoes, leaves, etc are all going to give the woodlice the proper diet it needs, no addition supplement is needed.

On a side note, some of the native woodlice with which you will most likely catch will have harder exoskeleton than others. Now you might want to use caution when feeding these to certain species. Some may have a harder time with digestion than others. Feeding young woodlice or the dwarf species Michael has might be a better option for newts/salamanders. I have not fed them to my newts but my toads love them!

Mitch

[luvmycreatures]

You can always put in a piece of cuttle bone, mine love it.

[Alejandro]

For a nice starter culture of white dwarf isopods (Trichorhina tomentosa) I recommend vivariumconcepts.com. As for calcium supplement I use finely ground egg shells.

[oceanblue]

Cardboard is fine but there is a slight health risk with egg cartons. Some chicken flocks carry salmonella and the cartons can be contaminated. I believe salmonella infection in a stock (I can't remember what species or give a reference) was thought to have been introduced by cockroaches used as food which were reared on egg cartons.

I capture woodlice from a woodpile outside. Until use they nibble damp kitchen roll in a small well sealed box in the fridge.

[Scott]

Thank you all (again) for the advice.

[newtamander]

I am using zucini peelings, dead leaves and cardboard.