HELLO, and welcome to our FAQ page. :)
We have compiled a list of of our most commonly asked questions over the years and hope this will help answer any questions you currently have.
If you do not see an example of the inquiry you have on this page, feel free to e-mail us at info@iso-flora.com or support@iso-flora.com.
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ROUTINE SHIPPING SCHEDULE
LIVE ARRIVAL GUARANTEE FAQ
REQUIREMENTS FOR SPECIFIC TEMPERATURES
Under 40º
We will ship if you certainly insist and encourage to have your order held for pickup, but we cannot guarantee live arrival. (heat and phase packs included)
Between 40º and 55º
We can guarantee live arrival as long as your package is shipped to a hold for pickup location. (heat and phase packs included)
Between 55º and 80º
We can guarantee live arrival, whether to your home or held for pickup, no matter what. (heat/ice and phase packs included, when necessary)
Between 80-95º
We can guarantee live arrival as long as your package is shipped to a hold for pickup location. (ice and phase packs included)
Over 95º
We will ship if you certainly insist, and encourage to have your order held for pickup, but we cannot guarantee live arrival. (ice and phase packs included)
HOW SOON WILL MY GROUND SHIPMENT GET TO ME IN BUSINESS DAYS VIA UPS?
VALID PICKUP LOCATIONS
- USPS Office
- UPS Store
- Any verified UPS Access Point
- Local FedEx Ship Center
My isopods/springtails have arrived, but I see very little movement, or they appear to be deceased. What do I do?
Take photos, as up close and clear as you can, and send them over to us via text message at 201-834-6024 or e-mail them to us at doa@iso-flora.com with your order number.
- Package must be brought inside within 1 hour of the mail carrier’s timestamped delivery
- Any DOA (dead on arrival) must be reported within 2 hours of the mail carrier’s timestamped delivery to your home/business
- Any DOA must be reported within 24 hours of the pickup location’s timestamped ‘ready for pickup’
If the package was delivered to your home/business and temps were outside of 40-80° in your area at the time of delivery, we cannot process your order as a DOA claim for a refund/re-ship.
ORDER FAQ
I see my order has not shipped yet. Am I able to add something to my order?
Yes. Just shoot us an e-mail over to shipping@iso-flora.com with your order number in the subject line and let us know what you would like us to add to the order. We can send over an updated invoice to you to pay the difference to avoid paying shipping again.
If you do not have your order number handy, just make sure to include the name you placed the order under in the e-mail itself.
I would like to bulk order a specific Isopod/Springtail species. Is this an option?
Yes. We have wholesale/bulk order options available. Just e-mail us over at wholesale@iso-flora.com with either wholesale/bulk order in the subject line and we will get back to you with our pricing list.
I would like to place an order, but would like to have it held to ship at a later date. Is this an option?
Yes. We understand that building a bioactive sometime takes more time than initially planned, and having your isopods show up too soon can be inconvenient. Once you've placed your order, just contact us with your order number to request a hold for shipping. We'll work with you from there to plan a date to check in with you before shipping out your order.
SHIPPING FAQ
It looks like it’s going to be too hot/cold in my area. Should I be purchasing an additional heat/ice pack in my order?
Nope! We have already calculated shipping and handling costs to cover the addition of a heat/ice pack when necessary. Your package will also always be lined with polystyrene insulation during the colder/hotter months.
There is a solid gel pack in with my order, but it's not cold. What is this thing?
That would be a Cryopak, better known as a Phase 22 pack. A gel pack that will change phases depending on the exposed temperature.
[Description as per Cryopak.com]
- Most used for applications that need to maintain a controlled room temperature
- Phase change temperature is 72°F
- Provides thermal protection when shipping products between 60-85°F
- When used as liquid, keeps contents warm
- When used as solid, protects contents from heat
- Available in flexible and rigid packaging
I accidentally purchased a shipping option I did not mean to. Am I able to have it changed?
Absolutely! Just shoot us an e-mail to shipping@iso-flora.com with the order number (or the name you placed the order under) in the subject line and let us know which shipping option you preferred. We can change this easily.
How do I have my order held for pickup?
Just shoot us an e-mail to shipping@iso-flora.com with the order number (or the name you placed the order under) in the subject line and let us know you would like to have your order held for pickup.
We will work with you to select the fastest and most affordable shipping carrier, and have it held for pickup at the closest available location to you.
To find the closest location to you:
FEDEX – Use this link and type in your zip code. Select Hold/Pickup under the filter section. You should be provided with a list of FedEx certified hold locations on the left. You will be options pop up for retailers such as Walgreens, Duane Reade, etc., but we highly suggest going with an official FedEx Office Print & Ship Center if possible. (No judgement if the retailers are more convenient for you!)
UPS – Use this link and select your state, and then your town. You will see all UPS certified access points populate beneath.
USPS - Use this link and type in your zip code, select Post Office for 'location type', and hit 'search.' You will see all official USPS locations populate beneath.
What holidays will you not ship (2024)?
JANUARY
15th - Martin Luther King Jr Day
FEBRUARY
19th - President's Day
MARCH
Shipping All Month
APRIL
Shipping All Month
MAY
27th - Memorial Day
JUNE
19th - Juneteenth
JULY
4th - Independence Day
AUGUST
Shipping All Month
SEPTEMBER
2nd - Labor Day
OCTOBER
14th - Indigenous Peoples' Day (Columbus Day)
NOVEMBER
11th - Veterans Day
28th - Thanksgiving
DECEMBER
17th - 31st No Shipments
PRODUCT FAQ
There is a product that is out of stock in a lower quantity, but available in a larger quantity. Why is this?
Oof. Our mistake. It’s likely the lower quantity sold out the same day you noticed this mistake, as we update our quantities on a near daily basis. Shoot us a message via our chat system here on the website, or a text message to 201-834-6024, or e-mail us at support@iso-flora.com. As soon as we receive your message, we will update the quantity and respond to let you know when we have done so.
I see the option to have my Springtails on charcoal versus clay – what is the difference?
Having your springtails ship on clay ensures a safer trip in transit and makes it easier to transfer them into bioactive enclosures.
On charcoal, you would typically take a piece of charcoal that has the most amount of springtails on it and place that into the enclosure for them to crawl off into. Most of the time they jump to another piece of charcoal before you can get it out of the culture, and it makes for a tedious black-chalky mess on your hands.
On clay, you can simply tilt the container and tap the bottom or sides to get them to jump out and into your bioactive enclosure. Incredibly easier, and also seem to breed faster on clay.
ISOPOD/SPRINGTAIL FAQ
I am unsure which Isopods or Springtails are going to work for my bioactive setup/as a feeder for my pet. Can you help me out here?
Sure! We have a color-coded chart we worked on at the start of 2022 that’s meant to be a helpful guide. The chart will outline which species is best for specific humidity percentages, best as feeders, or recommended solely as micro pets. That chart can be found in our navigational menu under “Choosing Your Isopods.”
What should I be feeding my isopods?
This answer is entirely dependent on the species in question here, so here’s a list of species and the diets we’ve observed them enjoy!
All species of isopods tend to enjoy leaf litter, snake shed, fruits, vegetables, algae wafers, rotted wood, moss, freeze dried minnows, and fish flakes, plants, and fungi grown from bioactive substrate.
Do my isopods need heat?
One of the wonderful conveniences that isopods bring to us as keepers is that they require absolutely no heat source to survive. You can always add heat tape to your enclosure/bin if you’d like to see a faster breeding rate, but even then it’s still unnecessary for most isopod species.
Do my isopods need light?
Not at all! To be honest, nearly all species of isopod will appreciate a dark place to hide. Though there are some species like P. laevis and A. maculatum that I’ve seen be entirely fearless of sudden light pouring into their home, making them neat display pets.
How often will my isopod molt?
The frequency at which your isopod will molt will depend on its current stage in its life cycle; the older it gets, the less frequent it will molt. The process of molting can sometimes take up 2 days, losing one half of their molt 'shell,' and the other half at a later time. To give an idea of how often it will molt, a juvenile isopod will molt once every few weeks.
MISCELLANEOUS FAQ
Can I feed my isopods shed from my snake?
Absolutely! Protein hungry species such as Porcellio species will absolutely love devouring any snake shed you provide them.
However, if you decide to house any of these species with your snake to be an immediate shed cleaner, your best bet is to stick to P. laevis and P. scaber. These guys are not as protein driven and will leave your snake along as long as you provide them a constant adequate protein source. They surely won’t survive if their only food opportunities are dependent on your snake’s next shed.
For smaller snakes such as Hognose and Corn Snakes, you can easily house P. pruinosus, as they will also devour snake shed without issue. The reason I don’t recommend them for larger snakes is because I’ve watched my Powder Oranges struggle to break down my adult Carpet Python’s belly scales, messily scattering them throughout her enclosure, leaving me with the tedious task of picking them all out.