u/F0XBYTEX_Z3R0

Finding that magic ...

Finding that magic,

So hard, it's tragic.

Beauty lies in the...

Beauty lies...

Finding that magic,

Sky falls, life's pelagic.

Beauty lies in the...

Beauty to find, arithmetic.

Maybe I'll figure it,

Unbeknownst trick...

Maybe you'll find it,

If you just stick.

Finding that magic,

I am still sick.

Beauty lies in the...

Beauty lies periodic.

~Inky Vale-0

2026 6/22

Today begins the day of me keeping isopods!

I want to start by saying thank you to this whole community because you all inspired me and with the threads helped me begin my pod keeping journey. My children, my happy pills are now here safely.

I wanna describe what I did today and ask a few questions here

Today was a lot.

First the questions because that's more important than what I already know.

I saw an ant in the terrarium, a tiny tiny orange ant, but only one, should I be worried?

And do you see any immediate problems with my beginner setup?

So today... Today , or well, technically yesterday and today I went to the pet shop to pick up the isopods, brought them home and once more carefully read everything I collected over the past few weeks about their needs. Then I went to the shop for the box, made strategically placed holes and wondered how the hell am I supposed to get dirt and leaf for them in a city that is a sea of concrete and pesticides. Then it hit me! Normafa, the biggest hiking spot of Budapest is only one hour away and has great natural trails.

So I went to normafa just for my isos, scooped some dirt and leaves and traveled back home. Then the next thing I wondered was how I've read multiple different versions on whether or not to sanitize everything. After careful thinking and research I concluded that I need to not sanitize the dirt, because it will kill good things that my pods will need, (plus make a horrible smell which I can't much do unless absolutely necessary since I live in a shared college with my husband) so instead I paper thin layer by paper thin layer sorted through the dirt with glasses on to make sure there aren't any predatory mites and made the terrarium.

Then I misted one side, and sorta soaked the other, making a fine gradient of dry and watered soil on the two sides.

Then I did the same with the leaf, added peat moss from the pet shop, to keep the environment humid and organized in wood and rocks.

Then I added my pods, along with their own dirt they gave me at the pet shop and got ready to show you all my babies.

I hope I did everything correctly. Tons of research and overthinking went into this , but I'm still not yet calm I did everything right. But writing here I know I'll get help if any adjustments are needed.

This whole setup took my whole day but I couldn't be happier as an isopod mom, and after all, I managed to make my husband like them too and become a pod dad. Win!

Thank you in advance for all help and support and I'm looking forward to share pod updates :3 ❤️🤍🖤💛💚