Best Centipede Substrate

Daniel Edwards

Arachnoknight
Joined
Sep 23, 2017
Messages
164
Springtails are not complicated, just little 6-legged relatives of insects that like moisture and detritus. They do well on scraps of prey and centipede droppings and are extremely easy to culture, taking only a month or two to mature and breed. They also eat spores, preventing potentially harmful fungi/mold and pests like mites from appearing.

I found two species in the roots of the same potted fern, and from the 20-ish individuals collected I have several thousand a year later. You can also order starter cultures online from dart frog or terrarium online stores.
Thanks for the feedback! They don't over produce and over run terrariums do they? Would they stress out juvenile specimens?
 

LawnShrimp

Arachnoangel
Joined
Dec 9, 2016
Messages
907
Thanks for the feedback! They don't over produce and over run terrariums do they? Would they stress out juvenile specimens?
They do breed very rapidly and in most enclosures I have there are always tiny movements across the soil and moss as springtails move around. When droppings are produced or legs/shell of a prey item are left around, the springtails all flock to it and make a huge white pile. But for the most part, springtails are under the substrate and only surface just after food appears. If you don't include too many food sources and 'pede leavings is all they have to eat, springtails remain at a low enough level. As far as I've seen not even plings are stressed by springtails. Best of all they will never eat a molting 'pede unlike isopods.
 

Chris LXXIX

ArachnoGod
Joined
Dec 25, 2014
Messages
5,845
I have only a female S.subspinipes (so Asian, therefore things can change a little, when it comes to substrate, unlike for the 'desert' 'pedes) that btw gave birth to a good 30 pedelings, and I always kept/keep here and those on Irish moss peat. Zero issues.
 

Colby1100

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 11, 2020
Messages
43
I love ecoearth.
For the actual substrate? Just eco earth and nothing else? I have eco earth, play sand, and sphagnum moss. Tryin to figure out the ratios of each if I mix. Maybe 60% eco earth, 40% sand, and use the moss on top as the ground level? Lemme know what you think please. Thanks!
 

Scorpio420

Arachnosquire
Joined
Mar 6, 2020
Messages
107
For the actual substrate? Just eco earth and nothing else? I have eco earth, play sand, and sphagnum moss. Tryin to figure out the ratios of each if I mix. Maybe 60% eco earth, 40% sand, and use the moss on top as the ground level? Lemme know what you think please. Thanks!
Don't take my word for it. I'm not an expert, and I only have one pede. I just said I love eco earth for cosmetic and smell reasons. I have ecoearth and sphagnum moss. The moss is just on top of the ecoearth, it is there for the pede to hide under.
 
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