Care Instructions
Quick links to specific care:
Isopods
Millipedes
Springtails
Death Feigning Beetles
Jumping Spiders
Enclosure: Isopods can be housed in any enclosure that is escape proof and can have ventilation added. This can be something as cheap and simple as a plastic sterilite shoe box up to an expensive glass enclosure.
Ventilation: Isopods require ventilation. However, the more you add the faster they'll dry out. This can be small holes poked or drilled into the side, it can be a larger hole with mesh, or it can be a hole with a pre-made or 3d printed vent inserted. To help maintain a moisture gradient, it's best to only put ventilation on one side of the enclosure. If you have a mesh lid, it's recommended to use plastic wrap or aluminum foil to wrap most of it to maintain humidity.
Moisture: Isopods REQUIRE moisture to live. They are crustaceans and breathe through gills on their undersides, without moisture they will die. They don't necessarily need humidity, they mostly just need their substrate to be moist. You can spray them, pour water directly into the substrate, or whatever works for you. It's best to keep a moisture gradient- this means only having ventilation at one end- the dry end- and adding water primarily at the opposite side. The dry side can be nearly bone dry, the moist side should be damp to the touch but not wet enough to drip if the substrate is squeezed.
Substrate: Isopods are very easy to make substrate for. Any substrate made for bioactive reptile enclosures will work, there are special blends formulated for isopods, or you could mix your own. Our mix consists of top soil, peat moss, sand, and pelletized lime (limestone, also known as gardening lime- this is only beneficial for certain species, mostly cubaris, but doesn't harm any isopods). If you mix your own, make sure to freeze materials for 48+ hours before using it- this will kill off any hitchhikers that you don't want.
Food: Isopods eat decaying matter. They will eat from their environment, so most of their diet will consist of substrate, leaf litter, and decaying wood. You can add vegetables, meat, eggs, mushrooms, etc. but be sure to remove anything 'fresh' that you add before it gets nasty and attracts other bugs.
Tank Mates: Millipedes can live with springtails, snails, worms... But it is not recommended to house them with isopods as the isopods may try to eat them while they are molting which can lead to death.
Enclosure: Millipedes spend the majority of their time burrowing. They need to burrow to molt, they burrow to cool off, they burrow to hide... They require an enclosure at LEAST 2x their length and with substrate as deep as they are long. The width should be at least their length. This means if you have a 6" millipede, you'll need an enclosure that has a floorspace of 6 inches x 12 inches and is tall enough to have at least 6 inches deep of substrate as well as space on top for them to crawl around. They'll also need ventilation but not too much as to dry out the substrate.
Moisture: Millipedes need moisture in the substrate to molt. This means saturating the deep substrate without soaking it, as they can easily drown. It should be wet enough to feel damp but not wet enough that it drips when squeezed. Millipedes drink from droplets on surfaces in their enclosures, so you will need to mist occasionally.
Substrate: Millipedes are somewhat sensitive to certain substrates. It's not recommended to use large amounts of peat moss, but they can have a healthy mixture of top soil, peat moss, sand, etc. Coco fiber (also called coco coir) is not safe for millipedes in larger quantities- it should NEVER make up more than 10% of their substrate. We don't recommend using it at all. It doesn't maintain humidity and can be abrasive on their delicate molting bodies.
Food: Millipedes are primarily detritivores. They'll eat decaying plants, wood, substrate, etc. They'll also eat fresher veggies. They will eat live plants as well.
Enclosure: Springtails can be housed in any container. They don't require ventilation as long as you remember to open their enclosure to let air in every once in a while (we open ours once a week). Ventilation mostly just creates an escape point and springtails are small enough to get through pretty much anything.
Moisture: Springtails require moisture. Depending on the substrate you use, moisture will vary.
Food: Springtails eat mold, fungus, etc. We've noticed they flock to our isopod food as well. A lot of keepers use yeast to feed them too.
Substrate: Springtails can be housed in multiple types of substrates. You could use a mixture of charcoal and water- in this, the water level can be pretty high, as long as the charcoal is above the water. For some species, including lilacs, orange, reds, etc. it is best to keep them in damp peat moss. Most species do well on calcium bearing clay, which you will need to mist regularly to maintain humidity.
Enclosure: These fun little beetles can be housed in pretty much anything. They don't need high humidity, which means they can have plenty of airflow and screens.
Substrate: Their substrate should be around 50% sand 50% soil.
Food: Death feigning beetles are detritivores, they'll eat any decaying plant you put in their enclosure. They get their hydration from their food so it's best to always have a fresh veggie in their enclosure.
Moisture: Death feigning beetles are from very dry places such as southern Arizona. They do not do well in humid environments. If their environment has too much moisture, their waxy coating that protects them from heat will wear off faster. When they are younger, this coating will regenerate, but as they age it regenerates slower. This waxy coating is what makes Blue death feigning beetles appear lighter blue.
Breeding: Death feigning beetles are known for being extremely difficult to breed in captivity. If you choose to breed them, make sure to separate grubs as soon as you find them as they are prone to cannibalism.
Enclosure: The minimum enclosure size is approximately as tall as 10x their diagonal leg span (right front leg to back left leg). This means if you have a 1/2 inch regal, you'll need at least a 5 inch height enclosure. Bigger isn't always better, but they will be very happy in a 1 foot tall enclosure. Some species of jumping spiders do better in bioactive enclosures, Regals will do fine in any environment as long as their ventilation and humidity requirements are met. Most standard hot glue, 100% silicone caulk, and some super glues are safe once cured for securing decor. Make sure there is no residual smell before adding your spood to their enclosure. As jumping spiders age, they have a harder time climbing and balancing, so they may need to be downsized to a smaller retirement home in their elderly stage.
Food: Jumping spiders eat bugs. They'll eat flies (any kind), crickets, wax worms, meal worms, dubias, other kinds of roaches, grasshoppers, etc. They hunt LIVE insects and don't do well with dried or dead insects since they eat the liquified insides of the bugs. Slings should be fed primarily using fruit flies. They can catch and eat insects larger than themselves, but don't get too much larger than 1.5 times their size. To feed fruit flies- place the fruit fly culture in the freezer for approximately 1 minute- until the fruit flies are all dormant and appear sleeping on the bottom, then add 15-20 more seconds. This will buy you enough time to shake some out and put them in the spiders enclosure before they start moving again.
Moisture: Different species have different humidity needs, please research your specific species. Some, such as Regals, need around 50% humidity, others, such as Habronattus Sp, are native to arid environments and do well in lower humidity. All jumping spiders will happily drink from a cotton ball.
Ventilation: Jumping spiders need cross ventilation, this is why most premade enclosures have a vent on either side. Cross ventilation is NOT optional.
Instars and molting: We only list jumping spiders once they reach a minimum of i4 (the I stands for instar- which just means how many times they've molted) because this is one of the most difficult molts, it's also when their survival rates exponentially increase. The number of molts/instars varies by species and even varies by individuals. We've had regals start laying infertile egg sacs and stop molting at i8, and others upwards of i13. When your spood is ready to molt, they will hide in their hammock and seem lethargic. They wont come out until they're done. While molting, humidity is even more important. They will not eat while molting, but continue to mist daily. Once they've completed their molt, they'll be pretty hungry. Be careful with feeding anything that may nibble on them- such as crickets and mealworms- shortly after a molt, as they're extra sensitive and their exoskeleton is still hardening. Also refrain from handling your spood for about a week after they molt.
Egg sacs and breeding: It is very common for wild caught females to be gravid, so purchasing a wild caught adult female has a high chance of producing a fertile egg sac. None of our jumping spiders are wild caught. Once our jumping spiders reach adulthood, they are no longer for sale. This is because they are older and we want you to get a young healthy animal that will live the longest life possible. We do pair our adults to breed more jumping spiders, but none of the spoods we have for sale have ever been paired. Females that haven't been paired, and even some that have, will produce infertile egg sacs. They will still treat it as if it is fertile, but they will abandon and sometimes eat it once they notice they are infertile. We've had jumping spiders lay anywhere between one and seven egg sacs. When females are guarding their egg sacs, they will not eat, but be sure to continue providing adequate water and humidity, if they aren't leaving even to drink, maybe try holding a wet q-tip near them to see if they'll drink. It may be concerning, but don't worry! They're built for this.