Cubaris “White Side”: Care & Feeding Guide
Sep 27, 2026
The pale sides of Cubaris spec. “White Side” contrast with their darker backs. Even so, a small group can remain well hidden among leaves. Provide loose substrate and several shelters, then keep moisture steady rather than repeatedly rearranging the enclosure to find the animals.
- Temperature · guideline
- 23–26 °C
- Moisture
- Warm, moist conditions with a drier option
- What stands out
- Pale sides, dark back
Getting to know your isopods
White Side has pale flanks and a darker back. The animals can hide securely beneath bark and leaves, making a small new group seem to disappear.
Check conditions calmly and avoid digging through the whole box each day to find them.
Setting up the enclosure
Build your own setup
If you are choosing your own substrate and furnishings, our Assel Box with Quad Ventilation (11 L) provides the enclosure on its own. It measures 37 × 26 × 14 cm, is stackable and has four ventilation areas. Keep these clear on the shelf and fasten the lid on both sides.
Start with a set
Our Isopod Starter Set includes the same 11-litre enclosure, TropicSoil, sphagnum, feeding leaves/leaf mulch and cuttlebone pieces. An XL feeding dish and Mini insect drinker are included too. Cork and our isopod food are optional additions, not contents of this set.
Add substrate and leaf litter
Add several centimetres of loose, suitable substrate with decomposed leaves and white-rotted wood, then cover the surface with leaf litter. With the starter set, prepare the sphagnum according to its packaging and arrange the TropicSoil, leaves and moss to create a moist side and a less damp side.
Arrange shelters and a moist retreat
Our Cork Fragments 200 g provide cover. Choose suitable pieces and position them securely, leaving sheltered spaces underneath. Spread the shelters across different moisture levels and leave one corner accessible for watering.
A small Bell Cup can provide an additional shelter at ground level. Position the hollow fruit shell with its opening facing sideways and secure it against rolling. Check that your isopods can enter and leave easily. The shell is a furnishing, not a food or water dish.
Keep the feeding spot accessible
Position the feeding dish so you can remove it for cleaning without rearranging the shelters. Keep the drinker accessible too. Both are already included in the starter set, so you do not need an additional Carefree Bundle for this setup.
White Side needs retreats in the loose substrate as well as beneath leaves and cork. Avoid compacting the bedding and keep the moist corner accessible.
Managing temperature and moisture
Use 23–26 °C as a guide. Keep one side reliably moist and water the other more lightly.
Check beneath leaves and bark, not just near the lid. Avoid direct sun, sharp temperature changes and wet, compacted soil.
The animals should always have different areas to choose from.
Food, calcium and a practical feeding spot
Keep leaves, wood and calcium available
Leaf litter and white-rotted wood provide food as well as habitat. Replenish them as they are consumed and keep a calcium source such as cuttlebone available. Cuttlebone pieces are already included in the starter set.
Portioning our isopod food
Offer our Premium Sowbug Food in small portions with the included wooden spoon, either dry or lightly moistened. The plant-and-mineral mixture contains herbs, vegetable ingredients, brewer’s yeast and algae-derived calcium. Check what has been eaten before adding more, and remove leftovers before they spoil.
Choosing a feeding dish
Our Isopod dish provides a compact feeding spot. The Isopod double dish keeps food and minerals separate. Choose the Isopod dish XL when larger animals or more isopods need room around the food. A larger dish does not mean you need to fill it with a larger portion.
Keep White Side’s supplementary food at a spot you can check in the humid setup. Do not scatter generous amounts through the substrate or beneath every shelter.
Choosing a dish and drinker together
Already have a furnished enclosure and want to add a feeding and watering station? The main difference between our Isopod Carefree Bundles is the dish:
- Isopod Carefree Bundle M: a standard isopod dish for a compact feeding spot.
- Isopod Carefree Bundle L: a double dish with two separate feeding areas.
- Isopod Carefree Bundle XL: an XL dish with more feeding space.
Each also includes a Mini insect drinker, a 30 ml bottle and three cotton pads. Enclosure, substrate and food are not included. Fill the drinker with water only, clean it regularly and replace the cotton pad.
Young isopods and a growing colony
Give the group a quiet start and keep conditions steady. Small juveniles are easy to overlook in leaf litter.
Frequent digging or unnecessary complete substrate changes disturb the group. As numbers grow, replenish leaves and shelters and gradually provide more space.
To start another culture, you can furnish an additional Assel Box with Quad Ventilation (11 L) in the same way. Label each separate group with its full species or form name so that offspring remain easy to identify.
Your quick care check
- Check moisture beneath leaves and cork; the moist retreat must never dry out completely.
- Check the dish, remove leftovers and refill according to consumption. Keep the drinker and cotton pad clean.
- Replenish leaves, keep ventilation clear and provide more floor space and shelters as numbers increase.
Do not release isopods outdoors. Wash your hands after maintenance. Before adding them to a terrarium, check that its climate and inhabitants suit the species.
Choosing between isopods
White Side, Panda King and Pak Chong differ in their markings but share many care basics. Each group needs loose substrate, leaves and sheltered areas with different moisture levels.
Trade names alone do not establish their exact relationships. Separate enclosures let you follow each group’s development and offspring.
Questions about care
Does White Side need very wet substrate?
No. A moist corner is important, but the soil should not be muddy. Less damp areas and air exchange matter too.
Why do I rarely see my animals?
A small group can stay well hidden beneath leaves and bark. Check moisture and food without continually opening every shelter.
Can White Side share a box with Panda King?
Keep breeding groups in separate boxes. Similar care needs are not a reason to combine the groups.
Further reading
These sources provide more information on the care described here. Temperature ranges are guidelines; always check conditions in your own enclosure too.
