Thinking about keeping invertebrates but not sure where to start? These five are hardy, fascinating and forgiving of a beginner’s learning curve — a perfect first step into the hobby.
Why start with inverts?
Invertebrates are the quiet heroes of the keeping world. Many need only a small footprint, tolerate a range of conditions, and cost little to set up and feed. They’re a brilliant way to learn the fundamentals — humidity, temperature gradients, feeding cycles — before moving on to something larger, and plenty of keepers never “move on” at all because they’re simply that rewarding.
1. Isopods
Terrestrial isopods (woodlice to most people) are the ideal starter invert. They breed readily, eat decaying leaf litter and vegetable scraps, and double as a clean-up crew in bioactive setups. Species like Porcellio and Cubaris come in a rainbow of colours and morphs. Give them a humid substrate, a bit of cork bark and some calcium, and they’ll do the rest.
2. Springtails
Tiny, tireless and almost impossible to kill, springtails are the other half of the classic clean-up crew. They devour mould and break down waste, keeping a bioactive enclosure balanced. A pot of them costs very little and, kept on moist charcoal or substrate, becomes a self-sustaining colony you can harvest from for years.
3. Feeder roaches (e.g. Dubia)
Even if you don’t keep anything that eats them, a feeder roach colony is a genuinely interesting invertebrate to manage — and if you do keep reptiles, it pays for itself. They’re quiet, can’t climb smooth walls, don’t smell like crickets, and are simple to gut-load. A warm tub, egg-flat hides and fresh veg are all it takes.
4. Millipedes
Giant millipedes are gentle, slow-moving and strangely relaxing to watch. They spend their days processing leaf litter and rotten wood, need deep humid substrate to burrow into, and ask very little of their keeper. Just avoid handling them roughly — and wash your hands afterward, as some species secrete a mild defensive compound.
5. Stick insects
A classic first invertebrate for good reason. Many species are parthenogenetic (females reproduce without a male), so a single insect can start a colony, and they feed on common plants like bramble and privet. A mesh or netted enclosure with the right humidity is all they need to thrive.
Getting started the right way
Whichever you choose, the recipe is the same: research the species’ specific needs, set the enclosure up and let it stabilise before the animals arrive, and buy captive-bred stock from a keeper who can tell you how it’s been raised. Our care guides go deeper on isopods and bioactive setups, and you can always ask us which species suits your space and experience.