How to Make/Use an Isopod Food Dish

If you enjoy the outdoors, there's a good chance you're familiar with isopods. Or, as their also known: Roly polys, pill bugs, woodlice, or colorful dirt shrimp. Believe it or not, the isopod hobby has exploded over the past two decades. From bioactive setups to rubber duckies, these not-so-creepy crawlies will scuttle their way into your heart.

There are hundreds of isopod species and morphs, but today I am focusing on the one I am most familiar with: Porcellio laevis, or the "Dairy Cow" isopod. Known for their black spots and large size, these guys are easy to identify and even easier to care for. Though the world of isopods may seem overwhelming at first, doing as much research on your future pet is the best way to go, for both you and the sake of your pet.

For this project, I challenged myself to use a software I'm unfamiliar with: Fusion 360. I'm familiar with 3ds MAX, but the far easier Fusion. I'm also re-learning 3D printing this year, so this was a great opportunity to combine the two skills. New skills, new year! Using Fusion 360, I designed a small food dish and printed it at the Michigan State University Makerspace (If you're also an MSU student, or just someone passing through, check them out!)

Alright, the cows are a' callin'!

I will probably make an Instructable about isopod setups later, but sadly I just finished their terrarium renovations.

• Dairy Cow Isopods
• 3D printer + filament
• Fresh isopod food
• Dry isopod food

Porcellio laevis, or Dairy Cow Isopods, are members of the porcellio family of isopods. They are larger than most isopods in the trade, like Armadillium vulgare or any cubaris species. Known for their signature black spots and large size, these isopods are a great addition to your terrarium or home.

Of course, to care for isopods, you need isopods! The best choice of procurement is your local reptile store. There is a good chance they'll have DC isopods, as they are one of the most common isopod species in the hobby. If you don't have a reptile store near you, you can purchase DCs from almost any Isopod retailer online. Just try not to order them when it's too cold or hot where you live.

Some isopod owners prefer to add their food to the dry end of their enclosure without a container. I used to do this, but I had a problem with mold growing quickly and sticking to the surrounding area. With a food dish, you can add your food and remove it without any hassle. If you're entering an Instructable contest or trying to test your Fusion 360 skills, you can design your own food dish. Otherwise, you can purchase a food dish from Etsy stores like CTW Reptiles or Stroodies for under $5.

1. To make my box, I started with a rectangle sketch.
2. Then, I traced the sketch with the fit point spline tool to make it a rounded shape.
3. After I deleted the base sketch, I extruded the shape.
4. Then I used the outer shell function to create the inside of the dish.
5. I lowered the walls, then extruded the base with a taper so it could fit into the substrate.
6. For the mushrooms, I sketched half of a mushroom using the line and fit point spline tool, and then revolved it. After that I extruded the base face of the mushroom and tapered it inward.
7. Using the halfway circle measurement on the mushroom stem, I made holes inside the box using the hole function.

The final design of my food dish went through a few prototypes before I decided on the final design. First, I made just the box and the mushrooms without holes. I figured I would just superglue them on, but after some reading, I decided against it. So, I attempted to stab holes through the printed dish. That proved to be stupid, so I thought about placing the mushrooms on the box in one big file. But then the supports would get in the way, and they would be difficult to remove. So instead I made holes in the dish itself using the measurements of the mushrooms. This worked, and those are the files I've uploaded on Instructables.

I printed the mushrooms on their sides with supports everywhere on a 0.4 nozzle. ***If you use the included model, be sure to increase the scale by 140%, unless you want a very tiny dish like the one above.***Because I was short on time, the dish was printed on a 0.6 nozzle. After I printed the mushrooms, I placed them into their holes and gently pounded them with a hammer. Because the measurements are exact, no food will fall into the cracks and the dish will be easier to clean. Science!! For some pizazz, I added red dots with acrylic paint and called it done.

There is a lot more information about isopod food than can go into one step. This is just the basics. Remember that water is more important than food. You can supply your isopods with water using calcium gel, sphagnum moss, frog moss, etc. Be sure to look at multiple resources for your information, don't just refer to this one!

Now, what can you put in your food dish for hungry isopods?

• Roach/isopod chow. I use dubiaroach.com roach chow, but you can always make your own blend.
• Fresh fruit and vegetables. I used grapes in the picture, but you can use carrots, apples, oranges, etc.
• Dried shrimp. Isopods, especially DC's, love protein! Throw them a lil shrimp or two as a snack.

Don't forget, the food inside the dish is supplemental food only. The main diet for isopods is dead leaves, which you should always have inside your terrarium, as well as eggshells or cuttlebone for calcium.

As the isopods are currently enjoying their meal, I don't have pictures of me cleaning the dish. But with any 3D printed dish, cleaning is simple. If you don't want to get your mushrooms wet, gently pull them out. Use a very small amount of soap and run it under warm water. You can use a toothbrush to scrub the base. Dry it with paper towel, and voila! You now have a clean dish.

Thank you for reading this Instructable! Hopefully you too will be pulled into the exciting world of isopods. If you're interested in learning more about isopods, or even just the reptile hobby, here are some great resources. If you have any questions about this Instructable or have any Fusion 360 tips for me, I'd love to hear them. :)

How to CARE for and breed DAIRY COW Isopods!

Dairy Cow Isopods - Mooooo

Porcellio laevis ‘Dairy Cow’ Feeding

How to Care for Isopods!

Isopods - 3 Things You Need To Know Before Beginning