# Urgent African Giant Milipede Question



## Symarip94 (Jan 28, 2015)

Ok I'll be purchasing one African Giant Milipede next week and I've got a few important questions reguarding the setup process. 

1)) I've got a bag full of Eco-Earth's loose coconut substrate and I was wondering whether I could use this, and if so, do you guys recommend anything along with it. 
       *also please comment of HOW to set up the substrates, as I know some owners place the coconut fiber on the 
         bottom and bark on top. 

2)) Is a heating pad really necessary? there's so many controversial threads that I just don't know any more 

3)) I read a few articles that I should feed them regular black board chalk for protein? Do you guys recommend this? 
        *can you give a list off the top of your head of things I can/should feed my little buddy?

4)) Lastly, do you guys have any helpful tips, precautions for her me? 

THANK YOU!!!!


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## lagomorphette (Jan 28, 2015)

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?263344-Cavedweller-s-Basic-Millipede-Caresheet

^^ will give you the basics RE: substrate. I don't have a heating pad on mine, but they are in my bug room, which is always around 75F. Chalk for protein? I've never heard that. Mine like fishfood. Cucumbers & leafy lettuce (not iceberg) are favorite foods, but there are many things they can eat...

---------- Post added 01-28-2015 at 10:20 AM ----------

Here's another helpful caresheet: 
http://petmillipede.weebly.com/

Please be sure you are fully informed and can provide everything your new pal will need before committing to the purchase. I love A. gigas but only have 2: I simply don't see them available very often. If you are able to get one, PLEASE be good to him/her, and, again, make sure you know exactly what will be required for his/her wellbeing.


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## Julia (Jan 28, 2015)

Never, ever, _ever_ underestimate humidity (or the lack thereof) in the winter.  I discovered all 5 of my millis dead a couple days ago and it was purely because we had a cold snap here, the heater was going a lot, and the air outside was just ridiculously dry anyway.  All of my other conditions were perfect.  Housing, substrate, food, temperature, ventilation, etc.  All perfect.  I was spritzing the tank every few days, but it wasn't enough in the end. It didn't take long....they were very much alive and thriving when I added leaves about a month ago.  

Side note to lagomorphette:  Send a PM to fyreflye.  She probably still has a bunch since they were breeding like bunnies for her not too long ago.

Reactions: Like 1


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## thevez2 (Jan 28, 2015)

Chalk is made from gypsum (calcium sulfate). There is no protein in that.  It may have been suggested as a source of calcium, however.  I have no idea if it is good or not, never heard of that before.  I like to mix in real soil with the coconut fiber, since they eat their substrate.  You also want oak leaves for them to munch on.  Favorite foods of mine are cucumber, zucchini, and yellow squash.


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## CrawlinChaos (Jan 29, 2015)

Hey Julia. I find you comment on humidity quite interesting, because I live in housing with very active radiators and it gets quite dry in here, but I've never had a problem with humidity. How much ventilation do you have in your housing setup? Personally, I keep my buggies in plastic bins with clamp down tops and I just cut a single 2''X3'' hole in the top with mesh over it for ventilation. I was originally worried it wouldn't be enough air flow, but I haven't had any major issues with mold or fungus in the substrate. Also, while I do spritz my enclosures regularly, the sides of my bins are clear and this allows me to keep an eye on the moisture levels in the substrate. If it starts to look dry, I will actually (carefully) dump water into the enclosure instead of just spritzing it. I think making sure the substrate is moist is extremely important, as it might give the pedes a damp place to retreat to if the air is extremely dry. Anyway, I'm very sorry for your loss.


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## Julia (Jan 30, 2015)

There's a picture of the enclosure they were in.  I took this picture after I had discovered them dead. From all of my digging around, the leaves look all piled up and dirt kinda all over.  It wasn't like that when they were in there.  Our heating vent is against the wall underneath the furniture. Because of that, the wood under the tank stays warm and acts like a heating pad.  It's a 10 gallon enclosure with the custom plexiglass front door and only those three circular vents.  The (dusty) black posterboard laying on the floor was always kept on top of the tank so that they'd stay dark and undisturbed. All in all, I think I had a great setup.  Their demise is most definitely my fault for not paying enough attention to moisture.  While I was spraying, I only occasionally poured water onto the substrate.  I was basically doing the same thing I had been doing all along, without adjusting my care routine based on the changing weather.  

I'm devastated, since they had been doing so well...  I've decided not to peruse more millipedes in the near future because of this experience.  Maybe sometime....but not soon.


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## Elytra and Antenna (Jan 31, 2015)

Sorry to year. Next time tape up those vents. Millipedes are not like lizards or cockroaches that need venting.


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## Julia (Jan 31, 2015)

Yep, I certainly will. In the summer, I think I'd need to keep them open though. The humidity around here keeps the air extremely....thick. I would have ended up with a moldy mess in there otherwise.


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## CrawlinChaos (Feb 1, 2015)

Are you using actual dirt for substrate? I use coir mixed with leaves, sphagnum moss and shredded wood myself and I think its far more resistant to mold and fungus than a dirt based substrate. E&A is right that you definitely don't need much ventilation for millipedes, though there should be some in my experience. Most of my millipedes losses were back before I cut holes in the tops of my bins, which is something I'm still embarrassed about. How deep is the substrate in your enclosure, Julia? Just from the picture, it looks a little shallow. I read once that for millipedes, the substrate should be as deep as the largest millipede is long. I don't know if I agree with that necessarily, but I give all of my millipedes around 5-6 inches of substrate. Anyway, I think you should reconsider your decision to give up millipedes based on this experience. Personally, I find them to be incredibly easy pets. They just have a couple of very specific requirements you have to provide them


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## NateSerpInverts (Feb 1, 2015)

Where did you get your  millipede from if you don't mind me asking


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## Smokehound714 (Feb 2, 2015)

There are a few millipedes that do like good ventilation, atopetholidae is an example.  That's a family i would certainly recommend for any beginner, as they dont like too much moisture, and they estivate in a bone dry enclosure!   I had two i presumed dead for a whole year, but thought to myself: 'They cant be dead, these things smell horrific when dead', dug up bone-dry soil to find them curled up tightly in cells.


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## pannaking22 (Feb 2, 2015)

Smokehound714 said:


> There are a few millipedes that do like good ventilation, atopetholidae is an example.  That's a family i would certainly recommend for any beginner, as they dont like too much moisture, and they estivate in a bone dry enclosure!   I had two i presumed dead for a whole year, but thought to myself: 'They cant be dead, these things smell horrific when dead', dug up bone-dry soil to find them curled up tightly in cells.


Looked up the Atopetholidae and that's a pretty neat looking family, Smokehound. Something I may have to look into getting later on (from you I'm assuming ). Didn't really know there were, for lack of a better term, semi-xeric millipedes.

Reactions: Like 2


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## lagomorphette (Feb 4, 2015)

Any other questions or updates, Symarip94?? Did you get the info you need?


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## Smokehound714 (Feb 10, 2015)

If you wish to hydrate substrate more effectively, get a syringe pipette. Coco fiber is an excellent substrate, however it can drain very poorly.  A syringe pipette will allow you to saturate the innermost portions of the substrate.  It will also have the benefit of not freaking everything out like the spray pump does

Reactions: Like 2


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## NateSerpInverts (Feb 13, 2015)

Where are you getting the Giant millipede from??


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## Symarip94 (Mar 3, 2015)

Sorry, I had forgotten my password to Arachnoboards and couldn't update, but anyways thank you and EVERYONE else  for the information!! I just ordered my Millipede abd will be picking her/him up thks Friday  which I'm beyond excited =D I managed to get everything needed, I'm just trying to get information on what kind of leaves I can use for the substrate besides Oak since I can't seem to find any around town sadly =/ I'll be postimy my question up in a new board so please feel free and most welcomed to answers 

---------- Post added 03-03-2015 at 06:06 AM ----------

I was initially going to  order from a breeder but after a lot of  research and emails, the Millipede was not actually an A. Gigas. I found another breeder somewhere on the web selling A. Gigas for $100 but Im not willing to pay that much lol. But Millipedes and More is currently selling West African Millipedes which grow up to 9" long, so I quickly ordered one


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## Symarip94 (Mar 4, 2015)

Yes one last one, should I place the heating mat under the tank or on the side?


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## Cavedweller (Mar 5, 2015)

Heating pads are generally considered unsafe for bugs. LA shouldn't be so cold that you need one anyway. I just keep my pedes at room temp (68-78F depending on the time of day/year).


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## CrawlinChaos (Mar 6, 2015)

Definitely do not put a heating pad under or on the side the enclosure. Millipedes love to burrow and if they burrow down to the bottom or side of the enclosure, they could potentially be baked by close proximity to the heating pad. As long as your living space stays at least room temperature, that should be fine. As long as we're talking about burrowing, make sure your little guy has deep enough substrate to burrow. It might be annoying that he disappears for periods of time, but millipedes molt while burrowed, so that's critical. Oh, and just in case you didn't know, your West African Millipede's scientific name is _Mardonius parilis acuticonus_ (say that three times fast!). I have 3 of them myself and they are very active millipedes that just love to eat and dig up the substrate in their enclosure.


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## Symarip94 (Mar 6, 2015)

CrawlinChaos said:


> Definitely do not put a heating pad under or on the side the enclosure. Millipedes love to burrow and if they burrow down to the bottom or side of the enclosure, they could potentially be baked by close proximity to the heating pad. As long as your living space stays at least room temperature, that should be fine. As long as we're talking about burrowing, make sure your little guy has deep enough substrate to burrow. It might be annoying that he disappears for periods of time, but millipedes molt while burrowed, so that's critical. Oh, and just in case you didn't know, your West African Millipede's scientific name is _Mardonius parilis acuticonus_ (say that three times fast!). I have 3 of them myself and they are very active millipedes that just love to eat and dig up the substrate in their enclosure.


I kinda figured that, there were a couple people in other website threads saying to put it on the side, never the bottom. However though I was still a little worried about my little girl burning herself even with the heating mat on the side so I went out and bought some reptile terrarium carpet and covered the side of the tank where the heating mat is at. I know it sounds a little too much but you can NEVER be too careful about your pet's safety and we'll being. As for the substrate I currently have 5 inches of loose coconut fiber with terrarium moss, and I just ordered some millipede substrate from bugs in cyberspace that has everything a millipede needs( leaves, bark, wood, etc).  
Btw, how big are your guys? Do you happen to know how long it takes for them to grow adult size? Some websites say it takes 2 years 0_0..   I just picked up my little girl today from the breeder abd she's 3" 1/2.


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## CrawlinChaos (Mar 7, 2015)

I really don't think you need a heating pad at all, but its good that you put an extra barrier between the side of the enclosure and the pad. I'd keep a close eye on it though. See if your 'pede seems to spend more time close to or away from the side with the pad. Its very good that you are getting the substrate from Peter. You definitely need leaves and wood mixed into the coconut fiber. I'd say my largest _M. parilis is probably 6 or 7 inches. I wouldn't be surprised if it takes at least 2 years for them to reach full size. Flame leg and thai millipedes are known to be some of the fastest growing millipedes and they take at least a year to reach full maturity. Don't worry though. Millipedes can live up to 10 years, so you will probably have her around for awhile._


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## Symarip94 (Mar 7, 2015)

CrawlinChaos said:


> I really don't think you need a heating pad at all, but its good that you put an extra barrier between the side of the enclosure and the pad. I'd keep a close eye on it though. See if your 'pede seems to spend more time close to or away from the side with the pad. Its very good that you are getting the substrate from Peter. You definitely need leaves and wood mixed into the coconut fiber. I'd say my largest _M. parilis is probably 6 or 7 inches. I wouldn't be surprised if it takes at least 2 years for them to reach full size. Flame leg and thai millipedes are known to be some of the fastest growing millipedes and they take at least a year to reach full maturity. Don't worry though. Millipedes can live up to 10 years, so you will probably have her around for awhile._


_

Yeah but my room gets pretty cold sometimes, 55-65° so I really want to have a back up heating system for those chilli nights. That's a long time to grow but I'm patient lol. Btw, I'm considering getting a Flame Leg later to add to the tank, what is your opinion on this?_


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## CrawlinChaos (Mar 7, 2015)

Putting a Flame leg in there should be fine. Millipedes don't show any aggression or anything like it towards other millipedes, even towards millipedes of other species, as far as I know. The only thing negative thing I've ever heard about keeping mixed species is that a larger species might try to mate with a smaller species and that could possibly cause some sort of injury, but it seems unlikely.


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## Symarip94 (Mar 8, 2015)

CrawlinChaos said:


> Putting a Flame leg in there should be fine. Millipedes don't show any aggression or anything like it towards other millipedes, even towards millipedes of other species, as far as I know. The only thing negative thing I've ever heard about keeping mixed species is that a larger species might try to mate with a smaller species and that could possibly cause some sort of injury, but it seems unlikely.


Yeah I've seen some cases of that happening to people in other forums. This is exactly why I opted to only keep females, I'm hoping this will eliminate such behavior


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## CrawlinChaos (Mar 8, 2015)

But then you won't get any pedelings and they are adorable! XD


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## Symarip94 (Mar 8, 2015)

CrawlinChaos said:


> But then you won't get any pedelings and they are adorable! XD


that's ok though, I don't want to breed my pedes anyways lol


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