Blackhole
Ardentiella sp.Glossy, light-absorbing jet-black Vietnamese Ardentiella — a dramatic advanced display morph.
Overview
Ardentiella sp. 'Blackhole' (also sold as Merulanella sp. 'Black Hole') has a glossy, near-light-absorbing jet-black exoskeleton with a subtle iridescence — a rare, dramatic display isopod from Vietnamese forest habitats. Intermediate difficulty.
Diet
Vietnamese forest isopods that graze leaf litter, lichen and decaying wood continuously. Add a little fresh veg and a weekly pinch of protein.
A small weekly pinch — low-fat fish flakes, dried shrimp or Repashy. Remove leftovers within 24–48h.
Always available — cuttlebone, eggshell or oyster shell for clean moults.
Environment
HIGH — the big difference from Cubaris. Ardentiella (ex-Merulanella) want plenty of airflow; hold humidity with lots of live / sphagnum moss and misting rather than a sealed box. Stagnant, still air kills them.
A well-ventilated bin (extra mesh) packed with moss, cork bark and lichen sticks — they climb and stay active. Deep leaf litter and a moist side.
Substrate
Deep tropical bioactive mix (flake soil / coco + orchid bark + sphagnum + worm castings) topped with thick leaf litter, lichen and decaying wood. Keep one moist side and mist regularly to hold humidity against the heavy ventilation.
Temperament
An active, arboreal-leaning climber that spends time in the open against the leaf litter — striking to watch. Give lichen sticks and bark.
Breeding
Moderate; brood-pouch live young. Colour can vary brood-to-brood. Give vertical cover, steady conditions and constant calcium; a shipped colony needs a few weeks to settle.
Growth
Moderate — a settled colony builds steadily.
Common mistakes
- ✕Too little ventilation — Ardentiella need MORE airflow than Cubaris; stagnant humidity rots them.
- ✕Letting moss / substrate dry out under heavy ventilation — mist to compensate.
- ✕Skipping calcium.
- ✕Keeping them hot — they are cooler-tropical (~21–25°C).
Pro tips
- ✓Hold humidity with moss + misting, not a sealed lid — think "humid but breezy".
- ✓Give lichen-covered sticks and bark: they climb and graze the lichen.
- ✓All Ardentiella (ex-Merulanella) morphs share identical care — only appearance and price change.
How sources agree
Sources agree: a Vietnamese Ardentiella (ex-Merulanella) on the genus's high-ventilation, moss-held-humidity care, ~21–25°C, with a moisture gradient and a leaf-litter / lichen / decaying-wood diet. Reclassified from Merulanella; care is identical to other Ardentiella morphs.
Sources
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