# New AGB Millipedes and Planted tank



## J Morningstar (Jul 18, 2011)

Well, through a few different patches of luck, I have gotten a good sized collection back in stock, there are 12 alltogether. There are 6 males and 6 females, they have been copulating like crazy(as they do) and eating really well. I am hoping for offspring by Christmas or next spring!!! I know they will take years to matuure but I should have a better chance than usuall with this many pairs.

























And then after the other ferns are in...




















That's all for now. I hope the spagnum starts to grow, if not it's okay.


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## neubii18 (Jul 18, 2011)

That's super cool!I'd love to have something like this in my living room!I'm glad someone is working at getting these more frequent in the US.They are a super cool pede!


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## InsectChick (Jul 18, 2011)

Super cool setup!  Good luck with breeding


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## Gnat (Jul 19, 2011)

impressive collection, but i would say the enclosure is too small for that many of that size


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## Elytra and Antenna (Jul 19, 2011)

They look beautiful. What's the dead moss for?


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## J Morningstar (Jul 19, 2011)

The "dead spagnum" is the same I got to regrow in my terrarrium...I'm trying to do it again, and to establish the ferms, in which my friends facility breeds them (both the millipedes and the ferns) from their observations, the young and adults like to live in the roots.


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## zonbonzovi (Jul 19, 2011)

Nice haul, J!  Good luck with with 'em.


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## beetleman (Jul 19, 2011)

very nice! setup/pedes looks awesome:clap: boy these bring back alot of memories,had alot of fun keeping them......hmm maybe somemore..................someday again.


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## J Morningstar (Jul 20, 2011)

Elytra and Antenna said:


> They look beautiful. What's the dead moss for?


If you see  my Carnivorous plant post, the spagnum moss in there looked just as dead when it started, it's alive and thriving, I water it with water from my indoor pond which I would think has more natural algee and food for the moss, and no extra chlorine at that point, as it has dissapated a great deal. I will add some more live moss from outside and mix it in to invigorate it as I did in the terrarium. It will take a few weeks to start. If nothing happens in a month I will remove it.


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## Elytra and Antenna (Jul 20, 2011)

So it's just for decoration then? Does your friend's facility breed them on a regular basis? If so do you know exactly what they feed them and the cage parameters down to the decorations and temperatures?


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## J Morningstar (Jul 20, 2011)

Elytra and Antenna said:


> So it's just for decoration then? Does your friend's facility breed them on a regular basis? If so do you know exactly what they feed them and the cage parameters down to the decorations and temperatures?


I am going to find their exact diet from my friend but it seems from what she told me, they did the Random Veggies and dog food, and they do grow the ferns in their tanks and they do breed them regularly. 70's to 80's for the temp range for the most part. And no the moss isn't decorative as much as to resemble their natural habitat once it starts to grow again,(it comes back to life if treated right) I have only seen a few pics of them in nature but the trees do have moss, as they eat the new groth of the ferns I assume they will also nibble the moss. But this is a guess. In any case it will help add oxygen and removal of Co2 from the tank, especially if it all grows, and it will help the isopods have a moist living environment as well as the bases of the ferns will have a more secure base to root if nothing else. Since it is a part of their natural habitat, do you think it poses a problem? It should mimic their home better with live moss, yes?


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## Elytra and Antenna (Jul 20, 2011)

J Morningstar said:


> Since it is a part of their natural habitat, do you think it poses a problem? It should mimic their home better with live moss, yes?


 I don't think there is a lot of moss in the natural semi-dry AGB habitat and if there were I don't know that any would be spagnum. I was just curious, I don't think it's a bad thing. I do however think isopods in a breeding cage are a terrible idea.


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## J Morningstar (Jul 21, 2011)

Elytra and Antenna said:


> I don't think there is a lot of moss in the natural semi-dry AGB habitat and if there were I don't know that any would be sphagnum. I was just curious, I don't think it's a bad thing. I do however think isopods in a breeding cage are a terrible idea.


Yes, I know the moss would most likely be more like the Blue moss the grows in the trees in Floridia but I don't have any of that, and the plant places here use lots of chemicals so I don't want to try that, if I can get some untreated...maybe. From the pics I've seen and the collectors reports from my original contacts in Africa, they were in the rainforest's and jungles not a semi-arid environment, if you have seen otherwise could you shoot me a link so I could confirm? I am never opposed to education. Also most everyone uses isopods and such for tank maintenance why would they be an issue here? They eat mostly debris and leave most other things, no matter how small alone. Are you concerned the isopod young would be eating the fecal egg balls left by the millipede mothers?


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## Elytra and Antenna (Jul 21, 2011)

J Morningstar said:


> Yes, I know the moss would most likely be more like the Blue moss the grows in the trees in Floridia...
> 
> .... if you have seen otherwise could you shoot me a link so I could confirm?


1. The blue moss in Florida trees isn't a moss, it's a vascular plant, _Tillandsia usneoides_.
2. I've seen photos of the general habitat in one Tanzania collecting article and a few books with inverts from the area, it didn't look like a rainforest to me.


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## J Morningstar (Jul 21, 2011)

Elytra and Antenna said:


> 1. The blue moss in Florida trees isn't a moss, it's a vascular plant, _Tillandsia usneoides_.
> 2. I've seen photos of the general habitat in one Tanzania collecting article and a few books with inverts from the area, it didn't look like a rainforest to me.


Funny I've had the Blue moss before even with the label, and I have a few Tillandsia (they are mostly epiphites) species that I keep with my orchids, I guess I forgot it was too. But yes, when I talked with the gentleman who used to send me mine through Tanzania, he sent me a few pics of the Guys in (I think) Gabon, they were definitely in a very damp jungle, looked very rainforest to me. And the millipedes were acting semi-arboreal-ish and in moss covered trees. Or at least low branches. Years ago, and I don't have the pics, or that computer anymore or I'd post them. 
But yes, why would the isopods be bad IYO, any bad experiences?


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## Bugs In Cyberspace (Jul 21, 2011)

Is the successful AGB breeding facility a "secret facility" or can we mention its name? I know a few museums and zoos have had success over periods of decades getting AGB's to reproduce a "couple" times, but they're always the first to admit they don't know why it happened a few times and that it must be chalked up to luck. Not an easy species to reproduce, but you're already doubly lucky in that you have multiple pairs and a friend with a successful tank model. Do share whatever information you can because this is the most popular pet species of all-time! And definitely take advantage of Orin's info. here since the zoos read his millipede book before they set up their cages

P.s. The substrate looks pretty shallow.


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## spider_freak (Jul 21, 2011)

if you get babies would you be selling them if so price thank you i would like to get some breeding underway with all my millies


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## J Morningstar (Jul 21, 2011)

Bugs In Cyberspace said:


> P.s. The substrate looks pretty shallow.


It's my friends labaratory so they outsource to places, but the co. Sergent Welch mentioned by another on the boards a few weeks ago, has the ones I do.
My substrate is 5-6 inches deep...do you think that's shallow?


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## Snipes (Jul 21, 2011)

J Morningstar said:


> Yes, I know the moss would most likely be more like the Blue moss the grows in the trees in Floridia but I don't have any of that, and the plant places here use lots of chemicals so I don't want to try that, if I can get some untreated...maybe. From the pics I've seen and the collectors reports from my original contacts in Africa, they were in the rainforest's and jungles not a semi-arid environment, if you have seen otherwise could you shoot me a link so I could confirm? I am never opposed to education. Also most everyone uses isopods and such for tank maintenance why would they be an issue here? They eat mostly debris and leave most other things, no matter how small alone. Are you concerned the isopod young would be eating the fecal egg balls left by the millipede mothers?


Did you import these guys or collect them from the now few available? 
I used to believe that the pedes required a wet and humid environment, but I never had success until I kept them semi-dry. I can't say for sure their evolved environment, but they do thrive when things aren't wet.
About the isopods, I agree that you should keep them out. They may be liable to eat the pooegg balls. You also don't know what they might carry to irritate the millis, and you might get fooled and think you're seeing baby millis. It also seems a bit silly to have them to clean up after the millis, since they clean up after themselves quite well. It's like getting one of those cleaner snails for your tank of Plecostomus


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## Elytra and Antenna (Jul 21, 2011)

Snipes said:


> It's like getting one of those cleaner snails for your tank of Plecostomus


 Yep, if the snails bred like mad and ate your baby plecos.


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## J Morningstar (Jul 21, 2011)

I did not import them, my friends facility breeds them. They ship to Co.s that sell them, I just happend to luck out because my friend works there and could do me a solid. Like I said Sergent Welch is the guys to call. (If I spelled that wrong, look it up, sorrry) 
 How long have you bred AGB's? I used to have a good deal of success with the Red legs, Pink Legs and many others, but the AGB's always eluded me for the most part. I finally had some but then my whole collection died.
Any other advice...I will have a little trouble removing the isopods but I may be able to.

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Elytra and Antenna said:


> Yep, if the snails bred like mad and ate your baby plecos.


That is what I was asking you, I  wouldn't mind if you had said so. They seemed like a natural part of their environment to me.


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## Galapoheros (Jul 22, 2011)

Cool!, hope you keep it going JM, fascinating diddlys.  I passed them up when they were cheap, I remember thinking about getting some.


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## beetleman (Jul 22, 2011)

yeah, good luck w/them,i had them in the past.........still like em,maybe some more down the road


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