# Feather Millipedes (Brachycybe)



## Nadezhda (Apr 26, 2016)

Recently ordered myself some feather millipedes, does anyone have tips for care and their enclosures? The tank I ordered for them is 5.5 x 5.5 x 5.5 inches and considered a 0.5 gallon I believe, is that big enough? I thought it would be because they're small. I was told to keep them supplied with rotting wood, which is easy because I live near a forest. Should I give them dead leaves and fruit as well?


----------



## Hisserdude (Apr 26, 2016)

Nadezhda said:


> Recently ordered myself some feather millipedes, does anyone have tips for care and their enclosures? The tank I ordered for them is 5.5 x 5.5 x 5.5 inches and considered a 0.5 gallon I believe, is that big enough? I thought it would be because they're small. I was told to keep them supplied with rotting wood, which is easy because I live near a forest. Should I give them dead leaves and fruit as well?


That may be a small tank for them, and once they start reproducing you'll want to upgrade the tank size. Rotten wood is a very important part of their diet and should make up over 60% of the substrate. The rest should be rotten leaves and then compost/coconut fiber. Make sure to sterilize any wood/leaves you get, as it may contain mites, small centipedes, and other predators and parasites that you don't want in your enclosure.

Rotten wood and leaves are the important parts of the substrate, as they make up most of their diets. You can supplement their diet with dog food, fruits and veggies. Keep them moist and you should be good to go!

Reactions: Like 2 | Agree 1 | Helpful 1


----------



## Nadezhda (Apr 26, 2016)

Right next to my blue death feigners! Going to get them some more rotten wood soon, hopefully leaves will do for now.


----------



## Hisserdude (Apr 26, 2016)

Nadezhda said:


> Right next to my blue death feigners! Going to get them some more rotten wood soon, hopefully leaves will do for now.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Nice, hope they do well for you!


----------



## ErinM31 (Apr 26, 2016)

Definitely add wood ASAP as my understanding is that it is VITAL to the survival of polydesmids (flat millipedes) and should compose most, if not all, of their substrate (see thread on Orin's recommendations for polydesmids).

Sometimes I boil and then bake wood that I find; other times I just freeze it for several days. I'm sure that the first method kills more and maybe also breaks down the wood a bit further, both of which are probably good things. I like to add some wood that has lichen growing on it as both my isopods and millipedes seem to enjoy this. Be sure to use hardwood such as oak, ash, mesquite, many others, and maple is fine too (I've heard it described as a soft hardwood? Idk, I guess I need to brush up on my botany, lol) but do NOT use resinous woods such as cedar, pine, etc.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1


----------



## Hisserdude (Apr 26, 2016)

ErinM31 said:


> Definitely add wood ASAP as my understanding is that it is VITAL to the survival of polydesmids (flat millipedes) and should compose most, if not all, of their substrate (see thread on Orin's recommendations for polydesmids).
> 
> Sometimes I boil and then bake wood that I find; other times I just freeze it for several days. I'm sure that the first method kills more and maybe also breaks down the wood a bit further, both of which are probably good things. I like to add some wood that has lichen growing on it as both my isopods and millipedes seem to enjoy this. Be sure to use hardwood such as oak, ash, mesquite, many others, and maple is fine too (I've heard it described as a soft hardwood? Idk, I guess I need to brush up on my botany, lol) but do NOT use resinous woods such as cedar, pine, etc.


Actually Brachycybe are not Polydesmids, they are Platydesmids, a different order. Still, care seems to be pretty much the same, and lots of rotten wood is indeed vital to their health. One of the differences between these and Polydesmids is that these are much hardier.

Reactions: Informative 1


----------



## Kymura (Apr 26, 2016)

One of the only creepy crawlers I really find fascinating  post lots of pictures please. I may eventually break down and get a couple.

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## ErinM31 (Apr 26, 2016)

Hisserdude said:


> Actually Brachycybe are not Polydesmids, they are Platydesmids, a different order. Still, care seems to be pretty much the same, and lots of rotten wood is indeed vital to their health. One of the differences between these and Polydesmids is that these are much hardier.


 Oh my goodness but don't I feel foolish! No wonder I could not find what family of Polydesmid Brachycybe were in when I was looking the other day -- they aren't!  I guess since both are flat relative to the typical cylindrical millipede and both like wood and then their orders even sounds similar... my brain simplified and combined them!  Thank you for the correction!

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## Hisserdude (Apr 26, 2016)

ErinM31 said:


> Oh my goodness but don't I feel foolish! No wonder I could not find what family of Polydesmid Brachycybe were in when I was looking the other day -- they aren't!  I guess since both are flat relative to the typical cylindrical millipede and both like wood and then their orders even sounds similar... my brain simplified and combined them!  Thank you for the correction!


Yeah they do look really similar, if I hadn't been researching them over on bugguide a few months ago I would have thought they were Polydesmids as well!  The "Browse" tab on bugguide is _really_ helpful when trying to look through families, if you didn't already know, and with it you can see all the different families of millipedes on the guide, (and there are surprisingly quite a few).


----------



## pannaking22 (Apr 26, 2016)

Used to have some of these but I ended up giving them to a friend for whatever reason. Might have to get some more or see if she had any luck breeding hers...

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## ErinM31 (Apr 27, 2016)

I'm definitely buying some ASAP -- they're so pretty!

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## ErinM31 (Apr 27, 2016)

Hisserdude said:


> The "Browse" tab on bugguide is _really_ helpful when trying to look through families, if you didn't already know, and with it you can see all the different families of millipedes on the guide, (and there are surprisingly quite a few).


Good to know, thank you!  I'd been using the Taxonomy tab but Browse is definitely more useful for somethings!  Like right now, trying to ID this beetle that will NOT let me photograph it... I ought to show it who's boss and put it in a container without substrate, hmph, lol.

EDIT: Tis a _Strategus_ species -- largest beetle I've seen in person!

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## Hisserdude (Apr 27, 2016)

ErinM31 said:


> Good to know, thank you!  I'd been using the Taxonomy tab but Browse is definitely more useful for somethings!  Like right now, trying to ID this beetle that will NOT let me photograph it... I ought to show it who's boss and put it in a container without substrate, hmph, lol.
> 
> EDIT: Tis a _Strategus_ species -- largest beetle I've seen in person!


Nice, Strategus are pretty cool looking! If you decide to keep it, I hope it does well for you!

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1


----------

