Cubaris Sp. Red Pak Chong

Cubaris Sp. Pak Chong is a color morph o common type featuring deep rusty red and various orange hues. Some individuals may be darker overall, but show some degree of red regardless. This variant tends to be more hardy and prolific than it's wild type counterpart making them easier to care for and cultivate. A 6 quart gasket sealed storage bin or small glass aquarium with tight fitting lid is beyond sufficient for a small starter culture of 6-10 individuals and could comfortably accommodate about 30-40 individuals until something larger may be needed. Standard or bioactive enclosures can be enhanced with natural botanical items to simulate the isopods habitat in the wild. This helps them feel secure which in turn promotes their natural processes like eating and breeding. These isopods are a sub tropical to tropical species so they do prefer it on the warmer side. 72F to 80F is their comfort zone. Small deviations in temperature are not detrimental, but do whatever you need based on your enclosure set up to avoid large swings in either direction as they typically do not fare well with large sudden changes. They also don't need a defined moisture gradient like most other isopods. Their native environments are warmer temperatures and higher humidity most times of the year. The soil should be mostly moist but not soggy! A very small moisture gradient in our experience has worked well. Just ensure neither side gets anywhere remotely close to dry. Our breeder tank is best described as "moist side and slightly less moist side". A few pieces of cork bark strategically placed will help retain the humidity levels and reduce the frequency of watering needed to maintain a reasonably consistent humidity. Do also provide a deeper substrate as they like to burrow sometimes. Depth should be a minimum 4-6 inches. Deeper substrates will also retain water longer so this goes hand in hand with humidity needs. Isopods are detritivores. Their primary diet in nature is leaf litter and decayed wood. Both of these should always be available in abundance. They will also happily consume any other decomposing organic plant or animal matter they come across. As such it is vital to supplement your isopods with other food sources on a semi regular basis. They enjoy food options like squash, radishes, carrots and other veggies along with commercial isopod powdered food like Repashy. They also need some occasional protein in their diets which can be things like freeze dried minnows, shrimp, fish pellets, dried insects and other protein based food sources. Be sure to feed these on the drier side as they can spoil quickly in humid environments and attract unwanted pests. Rubber Bees are noted to be fond of limestone, mirroring the caves and rocky areas they naturally occur. The Red Pak Chong offers a variety of reddish orange hues and is best suited for those with at least some experience with isopod keeping. While they're not extremely fragile, they do demand a bit more care and strict upkeep of environmental parameters to thrive. Quick Facts Origin: Thailand Classification: Armadillidiidae > Cubaris > Cubaris Sp. Characteristics: Various hues of rusty red to orange with some darker than others Activity Level: Primarily nocturnal and active at night. Very shy and seldom seen during daylight hours. Average Size: 0.50" Care Level: Intermediate