Ivory Explosion

[mickiem]

This time last year I had over 1000 Ivory babies and they've done it again. Last year I had a terrible die off. I think the substrate was depleted, I was just inexperienced and had no idea how much they could eat. So this time, I have already moved 300 to another enclosure with fresh substrate. I'll likely set up a few more enclosures as the rest grow. The babies are about 1/8 - 1/4" long, so very young. Not sure how many adult females are in there, 20 maybe more. These are happy millipedes! Compared to Narceus, they are very slow growing. I had some N. americanus hatch in June and they are already 1/2" long. That's a lot faster than my Ivories have grown.

 

[Brambane]

My ivories also just had their first babies! I got them on July 15th and found the first babies on September 5th. I only have 5 ivories (and only two appear to be adult females) so I don't think I have over a thousand babies. For now they seem to be doing well with the adults, but I will probably be moving a good portion of them into a new enclosure with fresh substrate to see how they do on their own. These are the first millipedes I have owned and had babies so I am pretty excited!

 

[mickiem]

My ivories also just had their first babies! I got them on July 15th and found the first babies on September 5th. I only have 5 ivories (and only two appear to be adult females) so I don't think I have over a thousand babies. For now they seem to be doing well with the adults, but I will probably be moving a good portion of them into a new enclosure with fresh substrate to see how they do on their own. These are the first millipedes I have owned and had babies so I am pretty excited!

Congrats! I usually keep baby millipedes in with their parents, but there are just TOO many of these!

 

[Brambane]

Congrats! I usually keep baby millipedes in with their parents, but there are just TOO many of these!

Thank you! I've read that ivories have an incredible number of offspring! I am looking forward to watching them grow. I have Collembola in with my millipedes, but they seem to ignore the babies and vice versa so I don't foresee any issues. I (unexpectedly) collected three Narceus annularis a few weeks ago. They settled in nicely and maybe I will get lucky and find some babies in the future. They are less active than the ivories though.

 

[chanda]

Cool! My ivories just surprised me with babies, too. I only have one pair of adults, so I only have a few dozen babies... so far!

 

[ErinM31]

This time last year I had over 1000 Ivory babies and they've done it again. Last year I had a terrible die off. I think the substrate was depleted, I was just inexperienced and had no idea how much they could eat. So this time, I have already moved 300 to another enclosure with fresh substrate. I'll likely set up a few more enclosures as the rest grow. The babies are about 1/8 - 1/4" long, so very young. Not sure how many adult females are in there, 20 maybe more. These are happy millipedes! Compared to Narceus, they are very slow growing. I had some N. americanus hatch in June and they are already 1/2" long. That's a lot faster than my Ivories have grown.

Wow, congratulations on all the pedlings! Are your ivory pedelings kept at a higher population density than the Narceus? My experience with N. americanus pedelings is that their growth rate is highly variable and even with ample nutrition, those in less crowded conditions are now twice as long and several times as large as their same-age siblings. I thought I'd throw that out there as a possibility. You could try housing a small group separately as a trial.

 

[mickiem]

I have taken 250 babies out so far and the tank is still full. I am sorting them into several

Wow, congratulations on all the pedlings! Are your ivory pedelings kept at a higher population density than the Narceus? My experience with N. americanus pedelings is that their growth rate is highly variable and even with ample nutrition, those in less crowded conditions are now twice as long and several times as large as their same-age siblings. I thought I'd throw that out there as a possibility. You could try housing a small group separately as a trial.

Actually, the 'Tan's are pretty crowded. Nothing like the Ivories last year, though. I am sorting a new enclosure every week. I have 5 Ivory enclosures now. I will keep sorting!

 

[ErinM31]

Ebony ivory babies!!!

 

[mickiem]

Woot! Are these my grandchildren?

Congrats Did you do anything different?

 

[davehuth]

Such sweeeeety piez !!! <3

 

[ErinM31]

Woot! Are these my grandchildren?

Congrats Did you do anything different?

Yes they are! Thank you!

I don’t believe I did anything significantly different; there were some supplemental foods that I hadn’t offered before, but I’m pretty sure avocado is not an absolute requirement! I think the most important difference is having wonderful healthy captive-bred millipedes! In the past I’ve had many wild-caught Spirobolids die without any discernible cause (not all, the Florida pale Narceus americanus I got last year are doing great) while this has not happened with captive-bred.

Such sweeeeety piez !!! <3

Thank you!

 

[Exoskelos]

In the past I’ve had many wild-caught Spirobolids die without any discernible cause (not all, the Florida pale Narceus americanus I got last year are doing great) while this has not happened with captive-bred.

It might have something to do with infected WC individuals, or the stresses from environment transplanting.

Captive bred are born into a controlled environment, become accustomed to routine disturbance, and with frequent substrate changes, most infectious vectors brought in from WC specimens become eliminated.

With the WC individuals, its impossible to discern what conditions it lived in, or what it may be carrying, with exception to iridoviruses and protozoae. Also, a wild caught individual will be constantly stressed when handled or disturbed, as most of its life before collection revolved around avoiding contact with predatory animals.

 

[7Fin]

Looks like the BEST DISASTER EVER! : D