N American Millipede Housing

Joseph Marsala

Arachnopeon
Joined
Apr 29, 2018
Messages
8
Question A, I have a Millipede setup and I'm not sure if its 100% correct, My biggest problem is I keep getting little dots of mold (I think).. I stopped misting the tank and I'm letting it dry before I mist again.

Question B, How many can I house together at a given time?

I'm using Zoo Med Eco Earth Compressed Coconut Fiber, a piece of rotting wood I found outside cooked/cleaned, wood chips from the garden cooked/cleaned and also some large leaves cooked/cleaned also.

I'm afraid to keep changing the setup because I'm hoping to breed them.

Thank you in advance.
 

Wesley Smith

Arachnoknight
Joined
Nov 3, 2017
Messages
195
Question A, I have a Millipede setup and I'm not sure if its 100% correct, My biggest problem is I keep getting little dots of mold (I think).. I stopped misting the tank and I'm letting it dry before I mist again.

Question B, How many can I house together at a given time?

I'm using Zoo Med Eco Earth Compressed Coconut Fiber, a piece of rotting wood I found outside cooked/cleaned, wood chips from the garden cooked/cleaned and also some large leaves cooked/cleaned also.

I'm afraid to keep changing the setup because I'm hoping to breed them.

Thank you in advance.
With the foreign materials it could be something from those if they weren’t properly sterilized. As for the number you can keep together, it really just depends on the size of millipede, but really just as many as can comfortably fit in the container, if you want to keep more together, get a bigger container. I just got 15 new girls I’m keeping in a 10 gallon, which is plenty of space. Also don’t stop misting the tank, the number one killer of millipedes is drying out!
 

KeetahSpacecat

Arachnopeon
Joined
Apr 27, 2018
Messages
30
I suggest getting some springtails. They actually eat mold, mildew, and perform other cleaning duties in a tank. Springtails are pretty cheap and they proliferate like crazy, and they do a good job keeping things tidy.
 

Joseph Marsala

Arachnopeon
Joined
Apr 29, 2018
Messages
8
I suggest getting some springtails. They actually eat mold, mildew, and perform other cleaning duties in a tank. Springtails are pretty cheap and they proliferate like crazy, and they do a good job keeping things tidy.
Are springtails ok to mix with them?
 

KeetahSpacecat

Arachnopeon
Joined
Apr 27, 2018
Messages
30
Does Hawaii not have any native spring tail speicies?
I don't think so. I emailed the Hawaii department of agriculture a year ago because there was a chance I would have to move there, and they said that springtails and my ivories are illegal in the state.
 

KeetahSpacecat

Arachnopeon
Joined
Apr 27, 2018
Messages
30
I hear that isopods are better because the springtails die from the moisture?
I keep my tank between 75-80% humidity and they are breeding like crazy. You just have to make sure the substrate isn't sopping wet. I tried a water dish with my millies but the springtails kept jumping in and drowning. I solved that by spritzing the sides of the tanks and the millies lick up the water droplets when they please.

I am not sure but i heard isopods could possibly eat peedle eggs, but I am not sure if it's true or not.
 

ErinM31

Arachnogoddess
Arachnosupporter
Joined
Feb 25, 2016
Messages
1,217
Question A, I have a Millipede setup and I'm not sure if its 100% correct, My biggest problem is I keep getting little dots of mold (I think).. I stopped misting the tank and I'm letting it dry before I mist again.

Question B, How many can I house together at a given time?

I'm using Zoo Med Eco Earth Compressed Coconut Fiber, a piece of rotting wood I found outside cooked/cleaned, wood chips from the garden cooked/cleaned and also some large leaves cooked/cleaned also.

I'm afraid to keep changing the setup because I'm hoping to breed them.

Thank you in advance.
A bit of mold is not a problem, but I would recommend introducing springtails to the enclosure to help keep mold in check and I believe they put-compete mites, which you generally don’t want.

I strongly recommend you remove the wood chips. You want to give your millipedes well-decayed wood, ideally soft enough for you to crumble by hand, but not rotten. The leaves should also be well-decayed, easy to crumble.

Coconut fiber is a fine base for your substrate, but I would recommend mixing in composted wood and leaves to provide more nutrition and, I believe, make the substrate more natural for them.

I wish you the best with your millipedes! :D
 

ErinM31

Arachnogoddess
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Joined
Feb 25, 2016
Messages
1,217
I hear that isopods are better because the springtails die from the moisture?
They die from lack of moisture. Wet substrate might be a problem, but that would certainly endanger the millipedes first!

I would recommend against isopods as they eat the same things as millipedes and their population can really boom and worse, there are reports of them eating molting millipedes and possibly eggs as well.
 

ErinM31

Arachnogoddess
Arachnosupporter
Joined
Feb 25, 2016
Messages
1,217
Where is the best place to purchase springtales?
Lots of online vendors sell them (I like the “forest springtails from BugsInCyberspace) but you can also introduce them from outdoors and I have done this as well (a risk for introducing pests, but my millipedes have done better and I’ve become a believer in the microbiota!).
 

Joseph Marsala

Arachnopeon
Joined
Apr 29, 2018
Messages
8
They die from lack of moisture. Wet substrate might be a problem, but that would certainly endanger the millipedes first!

I would recommend against isopods as they eat the same things as millipedes and their population can really boom and worse, there are reports of them eating molting millipedes and possibly eggs as well.
I was going to use both, any thoughts on this?
 
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