A new trend in pet-keeping is sweeping the nation, and 13-year-old Acreage resident Jonah Wald is helping make it happen. One of the fastest growing niches in the pet hobby, isopods are small crustaceans that are easy to care for and make excellent pets. Jonah is breeding and selling them through his “Not So Creepy Crawlies” business.
With more than 10,000 species in the wild, isopods are small, land-dwelling crustaceans that come in various shapes and sizes. They are often the size of coins, ranging from dull gray wild varieties to fanciful and colorful varieties that many enthusiasts find attractive.
Bioactive terrariums and vivariums are a hot topic in the pet business because they are space-efficient and easy to care for. Isopods help keep terrariums healthy because they eat dead plant waste, aerate the soil and make nutrients available for plants. For years, isopods have been kept not as pets in themselves, but as “clean-up crews” for reptile enclosures.
That changed around 10 years ago when attractive “rubber ducky isopods” were discovered in a limestone cave in Thailand and introduced to the international pet trade. Popularity of the hobby exploded during the pandemic, and now breeders sell a wide variety of colorful species, including rare and apparently desired isopods that can cost hundreds of dollars each. Large pet chains are jumping in and offering products like isopod enclosures.
Jonah originally bought isopods as clean-up crews for his reptile tank and fell in love.
“There is just something about these little guys that make me and some other people happy,” he explained.
He “caught the bug” and now has about 20 species of isopods, some of which he sells starting at 10 for $10 for “dairy cow” isopods, with the “rubber ducky” and “atlas” varieties going for $10 each. Each species of isopod demands slightly different parameters, with most species loving humidity, while others prefer more arid environments. They are easy to care for and only need to be fed products like fish food or yeast flakes once a week.
“My personal favorites are my ‘titan’ isopods,” Jonah said. “They are large, active and fun to watch.”
Priced at $100 for 10, he noted that the titans are his most expensive variety. Jonah’s best sellers are dairy cow isopods, which are the most hardy and suitable for beginners.
“Jonah discovered isopods about three or four years ago, and he is so into it that it has become a family journey,” said Lauren Wald, his mother. “This weekend, we are hitting a reptile trade show in Daytona Beach, where isopods will be featured.”
A large room in their house boasts 22 species of beautifully displayed isopods, frogs, tortoises, lizards and millipedes.
Jonah’s 15-year-old sister, Gracelynn, has also been along for the journey, but at a bit of a distance. “I like the isopods way better than my brother’s exotic cockroaches,” she said. “They are way easier on the eyes.”
Jonah is not alone. Another isopod dealer, Jake’s Cleanup Crew, has been operating out of Boynton Beach for more than a year. Jake Siman, 12, and his mother Alysha breed isopods and sell them at various trade shows. “Jake originally bought some for his reptile tank and fell in love,” Alysha said. “Since then, we have been into breeding and have sold thousands.”
Isopod expert and dealer Sydney Blair explained, “The hobby is brand new and exploding rapidly. There are already hundreds of dealers, hundreds of thousands of folks in online isopod forums, and even the big national pet stores are getting involved selling isopods and isopod enclosures.”
As the hobby becomes more popular, some sellers are commanding up to $600 each for the rare scarlet isopod.
Blair is affiliated with Tesoros Frogs, a nonprofit group at the forefront of the conservation of Colombian tropical frogs.
“One of the beautiful things about keeping isopods and bioactive terraria is that the owners experience not only beauty, but they become more aware of ecology and the interdependence of life,” Blair explained.
Lauren Wald has been very pleased with the effect that Not So Creepy Crawlies has had on the family.
“Jonah, who is home-schooled, is learning about business, managing money, time management, ecology, biology and more,” she said, adding that the whole family has digested so many hours on YouTube and other sites learning their trade and keeping up with hobby trends. “Whoever would have thought we would have landed here, as isopod enthusiasts.”
For more information about Not So Creepy Crawlies, e-mail [email protected].
