Intro to Aquatic Isopods (in your aquarium)
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- Опубліковано 26 вер 2024
- Have you ever wished that your dairy cows could swim with the fishes? (not in a murderous walk-the-plank way, more of a cute-and-they-know-it detritivore way).
Well you're in luck! Because isopods are coming to aquariums near you and they can't be stopped! #theisopod agenda is here, so BEWARE... or be digested into usable nutrients for your local ecosystem :)
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I want to thank everyone who convinced me to try and make a video about these guys. You may not know it yet, but I'm probably top 10 biggest asellidae fans on the east coat. I've been keeping and breeding these guys for about a year now and I've been pretty obsessed. I wanted to make a video to answer some basic questions / give a simple intro to those who may not familiar. But I would like to get more into the details in the future and dive into the taxonomy with latin names and all that good stuff I can barely read!
So if you're interested in that, or anything else involving freshwater aquatic isopods, cleanup crews, detritivore, meme edits, or debating star wars theology, let me know! Definitely want to make videos on other topics so keep an eye out.
Below I'll list some of the sources that informed this video and supplemented my relatively minimal experience. To the real experts; I did my best, but feel free to correct anything in the comments. It's all about learning so I won't take it personally!
Anyways this was a little bit about what's been going on in my tanks, let me know what's been going on in yours!
Okay okay, enough yapping.
Sources (I will keep updating this over time give me a lil bit):
- General info: www.frontiersi...
- Reproduction: academic.oup.c...
- Studies on the endocrinology of isopod crustaceans. Moulting in Ligia oceanica (L.): www.cambridge....
ia-oceanica-l/36ED6511D9C22F5984B4E1A0B88CF902
- Effects of submersed macrophytes on ecosystem processes: www.sciencedir...
- Freshwater Isopods (Asellidae) of North America: nepis.epa.gov/...
p.s., a lot of studies are on asellus aquaticus, which is a UK species. I believe mine is Caecidotea sp., but so far I find the information on asellus to be applicable.
Song is Aquaria Ost by the great Alec Howler, who composed the music for the game Aquaria which has one of my favorite video game soundtracks.
If you're interested in buying any pods from me, hit me up at inmytanks@gmail.com! Otherwise, check out the other people I mentioned selling them and tell them #theisopodagenda sent you :p
They deserve to me most know in the hobby, those are very strong and peaceful creatures. In my country they thrive under ice during winter and I succesfully keep them in tropical tanks also. A bunch of dead leaves and wood at the bottom of the tank will make them happy
I agree!! Which country are you from? Good point about the leaves and the wood. They love that stuff. The smaller pods will hang out on any leaves you put in there and turn them to skeletons very quickly. Apparently leaves taste good, who knew 🤔
I m from Belgium and you? Always thought those animals were endemic from northern europe, I m curious to know where else they live and if there are genetic differences that can be exploited for breeding and hybridization.
Yes they eat solid matters by chewing on them, they breakdown it easilier than shrimps does, they don't compete much with them from food
@@tigerbokken6922 I agree they don’t seem to really compete with shrimp at all!
I’m in the U.S.. species like asellus aquaticus are endemic to the UK but there are several North American species and others around the world. Here’s a map of the global distribution of freshwater isopods: www.researchgate.net/figure/Global-distribution-of-freshwater-isopod-diversity-The-areas-are-marked-as-in-Tables_fig2_226706045
I’m definitely interested in hybridization and all that so let me know if you ever experiment :)
This was pretty cool. I’m going to try and find these guys!
I've been keeping tanks for a while now and didn't know about these guys. Thank you for the information.
To be fair they are great at hiding :p
But I relate. Glad to be able to provide so useful info! #theisopodagenda 😈
honestly love everything about the vid. very calming and informative!
Wow. Thank you so much! You’re too kind.
National Geographic: tank edition?
I wish 😆 filming in my own tanks is the best I can do for now :)
National geographic wishes they could be this interesting
When i set up my tank I'll def add some of these
They're so cool
They’re the first thing I add to a new tank now. There’s something satisfying about watching the initial deployment of the pod army crawling around a fresh aquarium 😆
Thanks for this info. I'm wondering if they can help control algae growth in aquascaped tanks.
They do help with some algae’s! They’ll eat some types especially brown diatom algae. But also help with nutrient buildup.
Wow! That’s a great set up you got!
Thank you! :)
These look awesome 👀👍🏽
Now just imagine swimming in a pool full of thousands of them…. You’re treading water and suddenly they’re crawling all over your skin and in your hair while singing Norah Jones in perfect harmo-- whoops thought this was my dream diary for a second
@@inmytanks😂😂😂
@@inmytanks Probably the best skin exfoliation ever
Whilst we`re on the subject here is something I noticed that I have used successfully myself,,, terrestrial isopod manure can be used to make a great organic fertiliser for your aquatic plants.....!
@ChristopherLecky you just drop the frass in the tank?
Thanks for this video!!! I got mine like 2 or 3 weeks ago, and I love them so much. It answered a few questions i had, very informative. I have mine with a little baby bristlenose pleco, and the pleco just kinda helps keep the tank clean where the isopods can't reach. I dont know if i heard you say in the video, but how big do they usually get? I've noticed mine growing pretty quickly so far. Probably at least twice the size of when they arrived!
@@august9138 Hey there, Glad you’ve been loving them so much ^^; and thank you for the feedback on the video!
Oooh yes I just started keeping them with pleco fry & you’re right it seems like a great combo!
I would say they get about an 3/4”-1” at most. They definitely grow very fast. The males can get pretty big. I believe technically they just keep growing as long as they’re molting.
So just big enough to drag a crushed snail somewhere they can safely eat it 😆
Really great video and hope to see more videos, how many tanks do you have?
@@mrh2o81 Hey thank you I really appreciate it! Comments like this making me feel like not being lazy so I got some more videos on different topics coming this week!
I haven’t counted in awhile but I know it’s over 20 😂
Very informative
Glad it was helpful!
I need them
If you're in the U.S. and you want to order them from me I just need an email for the invoice and a physical address (send it to inmytanks@gmail.com). It's $32 after shipping USPS priority for a group of 12.
But you could also buy them from Garden of Eder (tgoeshrimp.com/isopods/), Phillipsfishworks (phillipsfishworks.com/), or Carolina biological (www.carolina.com/crustaceans/aquatic-isopods-living/142360.pr?srsltid=AfmBOopFUILGeSwF85W1ViX9WHrpnXaST4CEKPHatw4VMJ-VcnjHhWg-),
If you're in the UK asellus aquaticus is all over ebay and shipping is ez there so you're in luck!
#theisopodagenda >:)
Wouldn't they outcompete shrimp?
In my experience no. They both have comparable breeding speeds and prefer slightly different foods. In tanks where I have both, and there is a healthy growth of population from all camps. I take shrimp and pods from the same tank to my club auctions every month :)
Also, outcompete may not be the best term to describe the dynamic.
Is it possible that having something else in the tank besides just shrimp may decrease the potential for population growth of said shrimp? Yes. Will you notice the difference? Probably not unless you're intentionally breeding them and paying close attention.
One won't prevent the other from growing their population but they may keep each other in balance to a degree. What your setup in the tank is can also help influence it (leaves, wood, botanicals, plant matter, or algae's that one may prefer more than the other) and how much you're feeding them.
Another note is that shrimp can move around a lot easier than the isopods and they both can reach areas the other cannot. Isopods can't swim and fall off things pretty easily. So anything hanging out in a higher flow area may be harder for them to graze off of. Shrimp are very aerodynamic and are equipped to navigate and enjoy a higher flow. Isopods also don't have long arms with claws that are good at picking things out of hard to reach spaces. They also aren't as strong and can't pick up food and swim off with it like shrimp can.
On the other hand, the isopods are very flat, and can probably eat detritus under rocks and other tight spaces that the shrimp can't. So there is a lot of fun tradeoffs and dynamics to observe with them! How you design your tank can help ensure they both have areas specific to them that will help meet their personalized needs.
But to answer your question in summary: no I don't believe they will out-compete the shrimp. They've been good tankmates in my experience and I've been able to breed plenty of them together with no issues :)
Very interesting! However, the links in the description seem cut-off.
@@Shr3w Glad you think so and thanks for watching! Whoops. Let me try to fix them. UA-cam wanted me to upload my license to allow clickable links and I just hadn’t gotten around to it. Standby.
Hey there! Just following up to say my verification was complete so the links should work now. A few more I'll be adding over the next 12ish hours.
저 등각류에 대한 사육정보를 얻을수 있을까
Ph와 먹이 필요 용존산소량 같은것들
Pretty flexible on those things. I just have a sponge filter and my ph is 6.8-7.2. TDS usually 66-80.
But I don’t think those are the best conditions. They just seem to not care much.
I keep them room temperature which with a light and lid keeps the tank around 76 degrees Fahrenheit
@@inmytanks 감사합니다
@@파카-g8u No problem!
theyre so flat lol
What they lack in the third dimension they make up with their charming personalities 😌
Please refrain from promoting the concept of key stone species,,,,,, ,Rather than telling you why I have mentioned this, I employ you to give what I'm saying some in depth thought,,,,,!
I appreciate the input. Would love to know what your opinion is on it instead of drawing my conclusion though!
If the concept of a keystone species is harmful, then explaining why for people in the comments could be very helpful and important in informing folks.
@@inmytanks I do not want to give you a linear explanation as doing so will not improve your sight, thus I have instead given you a source of inquiry that you can expand upon yourself according to how in depth you wish to explore.....! Simply put, you will consume more information from deciphering the correct questions to ask, than me giving you an in the nut shell answer you're content with.....!
@@ChristopherLecky Okay! I shall explore away then!
@@inmytanks I do not see my perspective as being greater or lesser than yours, and if I can shape every form of interaction to ensure it can be an element able to stimulate the betterment of all I would prefer that to all else....
PRECISION OF INTENT,,,!
@@ChristopherLeckyYou could easily have explained your reason instead of basically saying “do your own research.” Be prepared to have evidence when you challenge a widely accepted and evidence-backed concept.
Cool video 👏
There are non parasitic salt water ones that look exactly like the Rolly Polly ones, didn't know these guys existed though cool vid
@@banhatlessducks yes that’s true! Thank you I’m glad you liked the video :)
I love learning about the lesser-known animals (especially inverts) in the fishkeeping hobby. Nice vid!
Happy to help shine a light on these guys. Appreciate you taking the time to watch! We're going to make sure these guys get better known over time hehe #theisopodagenda >:)
Such a cool video! Thanks for making it, will stay tuned! Love the combo of education and meme aquarium content 🙏🏼
I'm glad you like the combo cause idk if I can stop memeing 😳 I'll do my best to keep some decent content coming! #thepressureison
ive seen ya on reddit and ebay... ha. im definitely interested in some. im just waiting for the temps to cool down some before placing an order. how do you ship them?
@@savagepoet6269 Hey happy to see a fellow lurker out in the wild 😝
We ship them in 6x7x7 priority boxes wrapped / insulated with newspaper. We’ve been shipping all through the summer in the U.S. with some pretty high temps but these guys have been pretty unfazed so far (knock on wood).
Nice video, I have them in my pond and always wondered if they can be in my fish tanks. I’m just worried that if I put them in my tank they will carry desieses and stuff. Do you have any experience getting wild ones and cleaning them with some medicine or something? Btw land isopod’s actually evolved from aquatic isopods that’s why both of them have gills. Also they can even survive freezing temperatures so they are very hardy.
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it. I don't have any experience treating them for anything from the wild since I've only had tank raised ones, but I plant to collect in the future. So i'll let you know when I do that.
I would probably approach treating them like any other shrimp/similar creature that may be wild caught and potentially have parasites. I would imagine the same parasites that some of the same lifeforms that use snails/shrimp as part of their life cycle could potentially use the pods the same way.
Ahh! That's a cool fact I should've included! I wondered why the land ones had gills. Very cool.
Thank you for the testimony about the pond! I've been telling people they are very adaptable temperature wise but hadn't had personal experience keeping them outside. What zone are you in out of curiosity?
Awesome, for years my garden pond was full of these guys. I would always use the pond water for my water changes and my Congo tetras would feast on these. You wouldn't see them out in the open but once I lifted up a piece of bog wood in the tank and there was a whole colony under there! Ponds gone few a few phases since then though and I haven't seen them for years.
That sounds amazing! it's so cool seeing people comment their stories with the pods in their pond. They really are everywhere! and some fish do seem to love eating them xD
Excellent video. Thank you
@@MerbeastsFishRoom-s7e Thank you so much for the feedback! Glad you enjoyed it :)
I keep aquariums and isopods, and I had no idea that we had these guys in the hobby!!
@@exxuus6260 I relate to that feeling! They are pretty new. That’s why we’re here starting #theisopodagenda 😈 to raise awareness about the shockingly high cute factor of these guys.
Amazing, thank you sir
Anytime :) Appreciate you stopping by 🫡
Put these in my betta 10 gallon. They live in the leaf litter. I got them from one of my Summer outdoors tubs in the leaf litter that congregates at the bottom. The betta doesn't touch them. You'll find them in all outdoor vessels of water.
That's awesome!! I need to go collect some that are local to me soon.
such cute lil guys! I love watching them jump :3
@@catgirl1263 it’s the best!
I have these guys living in a small jar ecosphere en with an amano shrimp. It’s coming to be about a year but I hardly see them so I might get a few more jars soon to add to my fish tanks and other ecospheres and see how they do.
That’s pretty cool. I haven’t done them in a jar yet but I bet they’d do well.
Let me know how they do when you add them to some new places to explore!
Best documentary 😁
It's at least semi-decent
These little guys are awesome to have.
AGREED 🤝
Thanks for shedding some light on these little guys! Awesome vid, you deserve more subs.
@@BricksAquatics really appreciate the comment and encouragement :)!
Glad you liked the video. I don’t know if I deserve more subs yet 😂 but I’m sure if I make some decent videos people will come around :)!
What I do know is deserve right now is a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I went to make one and I had half the bread slice done and realize I was out of jelly. Don’t know what to do now with this other half now 😔
Cool little guys, I wish I could get me some in my country but I have never ever seem then in any local fish store, unfortunately.
@@Sinserg What country are you in? And yeah I don’t think local stores carry them anywhere. I mean, stores don’t even really carry scuds yet I don’t think. But maybe check eBay?
Subscribed 😊
Great video!
Thank you!!
Where did you get these isopods? They’re ones I see online are dark brown.
I originally bought them from Garden of Eder. Now i've been breeding and selling them myself. You can also buy them from phillipsfishworks. Some people do have different species online so the look does vary. Some places like carolina biological seem to have varying species and its not consistent. I think they collect from nature not sure.
Nice video! I love Isopods so much, they're such overlooked and important creatures
Such cuties ;3
Thank you! And I couldn't agree with you more ^^;