Any Millipede Advice for a Canadian?

[IllusionQueen]

Thank you! I bookmarked it. I think I'll buy that when my leaf litter and wood run out.

 

[SplatteredRaccoon]

Thank you so much for emailing them for me! I do have rotten wood and leaves that I bought from a farm. I was going to mix all of that with the soil, but then I didn't end up doing it when I saw the wood chips. I sent a message to one of the people who owns the Millipede Database but they never got back to me for some reason, so I got anxious. I'm not sure what year that site was made and/or when was the last time they updated it, so even if all the information there was accurate at first, I wouldn't be surprised if things had changed since then, especially with the Golfgreen brand. It's a commercial brand, after all. But yeah, I pretty much have everything ready for the millipede, the last thing I need to do is mix it up and add water, but I certainly wasn't expecting this sudden obstacle to appear when I'm so close to my goal... I'll try to use my vinegaroon's enclosure's vented lid (even without the lid he can't climb out anyway) later to see if I can remove the wood chips, but it's going to be hard and it's going to take a long time, as some bits are very small, and there looks to be more wood chips than there is soil...

Hello!! Coming back to let u know I heard from the golfgreen manufacturers, they said that twigs and woodchips get through during screening the soil, and they're residue from peat bog, and would be impossible to tell if it's soft or hard wood, so no the wood chips are not safe and this brand is no longer manufactured in a way that's safe for Millis.

 

[IllusionQueen]

Hello!! Coming back to let u know I heard from the golfgreen manufacturers, they said that twigs and woodchips get through during screening the soil, and they're residue from peat bog, and would be impossible to tell if it's soft or hard wood, so no the wood chips are not safe and this brand is no longer manufactured in a way that's safe for Millis.

Thanks... Sighs... I guess that means that even if I can remove most of the wood chips with a sieve or something, it's still not going to be safe. I'll see if I can find someone who will take the soil off my hands... They really need to update the database site soon, so that no one would have to go through what I did...
I wonder how long it would take for the Lugarti’s Substrate to be shipped here if I order it now... I had to wait so long for the flake soil and leaves and stuff to get here, so the millipede has already been waiting for about two weeks, and now because of this, it's going to have to wait even longer...
Thank you again, so much, for finding a new substrate for me and emailing the golfgreen manufacturers

Hello!! Coming back to let u know I heard from the golfgreen manufacturers, they said that twigs and woodchips get through during screening the soil, and they're residue from peat bog, and would be impossible to tell if it's soft or hard wood, so no the wood chips are not safe and this brand is no longer manufactured in a way that's safe for Millis.

Ummm... I just tried to purchase from the site you recommended, but when I had to put in my address, the United States is the only country in the drop-down list... Are you absolutely sure that it ships to Canada...? Have you tried it yourself? Because I don't see Canada as an option for choosing the shipping address...

 

[SplatteredRaccoon]

Ummm... I just tried to purchase from the site you recommended, but when I had to put in my address, the United States is the only country in the drop-down list... Are you absolutely sure that it ships to Canada...? Have you tried it yourself? Because I don't see Canada as an option for choosing the shipping address...

Their site says they ship to Canada and when I went to double check and test the shipping it had Canada in the drop down list? Maybe the site is having an issue, you could try contacting them directly to try and ask about making a purchase!

 

[IllusionQueen]

Their site says they ship to Canada and when I went to double check and test the shipping it had Canada in the drop down list? Maybe the site is having an issue, you could try contacting them directly to try and ask about making a purchase!

I can't seem to find anything similar to "contact us" on there...

 

[SplatteredRaccoon]

Their site says they ship to Canada and when I went to double check and test the shipping it had Canada in the drop down list? Maybe the site is having an issue, you could try contacting them directly to try and ask about making a purchase!

It seems to be allowing shipping to Canada, but I did have to refresh a few times before the option showed up, I think maybe their site just doesn't work well : / I'd try contacting them to make a purchase over the phone or email instead!

I can't seem to find anything similar to "contact us" on there...

Ah one moment! Lemme grab it

I can't seem to find anything similar to "contact us" on there...

It's at the bottom of the page on a black drop down tab! They have an email listed: info@lugarti.com

 

[IllusionQueen]

It's at the bottom of the page on a black drop down tab! They have an email listed: info@lugarti.com

Okay, odd. All I saw at the bottom were Categories, Information, and My Account, and then a bunch of things under them. Didn't see any black drop down tabs. Thanks!

 

[Dry Desert]

Okay, odd. All I saw at the bottom were Categories, Information, and My Account, and then a bunch of things under them. Didn't see any black drop down tabs. Thanks!

For goodness sake.

Coco fiber is perfectly fine for millipedes.

It DOES NOT cause impaction.

Autopsies have shown dead millipedes with guts full of Coco fiber.

These millipedes have not died due to impaction, they have died due to malnutrition, this is why they ate the Coco fiber as there was nothing else available.

I have used Coco fiber for years without any issues at all.

Even the very best deep substrates use Coco fiber as the base/ filler substrate, then the feeder substrate on top that is nothing more than Coco fiber soil mix, with plenty of added protein and minerals in the form of decaying hard wood/ white wood, decaying oak leaves and calcium.

If you use only Coco fiber then you need to up the added nutrients.

I used only Coco fiber with fish flakes, cucumber, both of which they loved, and for added goodness they used to have jelly pots, with a sprinkle of calcium powder twice a month.

Invevts DO NOT suffer from impaction, if temperature, humidity, balanced diet etc. are all met.

Most insects will slowly chew and liquify their prey and anything that goes in will be digested and pass out the other end.

The ONLY time impaction may occur is if a lizard is kept on a substrate that contains some stones/ pebbles, and as lizards grab their prey and swallow whole,a stone can be taken in with the grabbing of the prey from the substrate.
This obviously can't be digested, if small enough will pass, if larger can lodge in the gut, hence the correct substrate for lizards is important and you very rarely have problems with snakes..

Nothing "eats" soil, not even earthworms, soil is taken in to obtain any protein etc. from the soil and is then passed.

You only have to watch marine Trigger fish swallowing mouthfuls of sand then discharging it again as they move on.

Nothing actually eats soil, it's the nutrients in the soil is what they are after.

 

[IllusionQueen]

For goodness sake.

Coco fiber is perfectly fine for millipedes.

It DOES NOT cause impaction.

Autopsies have shown dead millipedes with guts full of Coco fiber.

These millipedes have not died due to impaction, they have died due to malnutrition, this is why they ate the Coco fiber as there was nothing else available.

I have used Coco fiber for years without any issues at all.

Even the very best deep substrates use Coco fiber as the base/ filler substrate, then the feeder substrate on top that is nothing more than Coco fiber soil mix, with plenty of added protein and minerals in the form of decaying hard wood/ white wood, decaying oak leaves and calcium.

If you use only Coco fiber then you need to up the added nutrients.

I used only Coco fiber with fish flakes, cucumber, both of which they loved, and for added goodness they used to have jelly pots, with a sprinkle of calcium powder twice a month.

Invevts DO NOT suffer from impaction, if temperature, humidity, balanced diet etc. are all met.

Most insects will slowly chew and liquify their prey and anything that goes in will be digested and pass out the other end.

The ONLY time impaction may occur is if a lizard is kept on a substrate that contains some stones/ pebbles, and as lizards grab their prey and swallow whole,a stone can be taken in with the grabbing of the prey from the substrate.
This obviously can't be digested, if small enough will pass, if larger can lodge in the gut, hence the correct substrate for lizards is important and you very rarely have problems with snakes..

Nothing "eats" soil, not even earthworms, soil is taken in to obtain any protein etc. from the soil and is then passed.

You only have to watch marine Trigger fish swallowing mouthfuls of sand then discharging it again as they move on.

Nothing actually eats soil, it's the nutrients in the soil is what they are after.

Umm... Okay?? Wrong thread?

It's at the bottom of the page on a black drop down tab! They have an email listed: info@lugarti.com

I haven't received a reply from them. I'll wait two more days, and then I'm just going to buy some topsoil from a retail store and hope that there's no wood chips in there.

 

[IllusionQueen]

It's at the bottom of the page on a black drop down tab! They have an email listed: info@lugarti.com

I bought a large bag of black earth soil of the Scotts Select brand as someone suggested, and there are also a lot of sticks in there, as well as plastic. I've given up at this point. I've had to inconvenience my family members twice by asking them to drive me to the stores, carry the bags of soil for me and pour the soil into buckets. They're pretty irritated and I'm sure they won't help me a third time. Do you know if millipedes can survive on just flake soil and leaves?

 

[SplatteredRaccoon]

I bought a large bag of black earth soil of the Scotts Select brand as someone suggested, and there are also a lot of sticks in there, as well as plastic. I've given up at this point. I've had to inconvenience my family members twice by asking them to drive me to the stores, carry the bags of soil for me and pour the soil into buckets. They're pretty irritated and I'm sure they won't help me a third time. Do you know if millipedes can survive on just flake soil and leaves?

If Dry Desert is right (though I'm still not sure they had the right thread I wonder if they meant to reply to one of mine that mentions Coco coir a lot, but the information is useful!), and I'm inclined to believe they are based on more research into coco coir, a lot of people on these boards have actually said Coco coir is perfectly fine and has worked for them for years, which I was not aware of, you could mix the flake soil and rotten leaves in with coco coir! If that's also not an option, I think the flake soil and leaves would at the very least prevent your millipede from starving, but blocks of coco coir are pretty readily available at pet stores, and if you mix it at the same ratio you would top soil (about a one to one to one ratio of Coco coir to rotten wood/flake soil to rotten leaves with a little extra handful of leaves just for some more food) that would work fine! As an added, supplement your millis diet with veggies and fruit that lack pesticides and use calcium powder or cuttlefish bone either on their fruit/veggie treats or mixed into their soil so when they molt they have plenty of calcium to develop their new exoskeleton! Also sorry for disappearing for a little bit, I'm in the process of moving right now and unpacking is taking a lot of my time haha

 

[IllusionQueen]

If Dry Desert is right (though I'm still not sure they had the right thread I wonder if they meant to reply to one of mine that mentions Coco coir a lot, but the information is useful!), and I'm inclined to believe they are based on more research into coco coir, a lot of people on these boards have actually said Coco coir is perfectly fine and has worked for them for years, which I was not aware of, you could mix the flake soil and rotten leaves in with coco coir! If that's also not an option, I think the flake soil and leaves would at the very least prevent your millipede from starving, but blocks of coco coir are pretty readily available at pet stores, and if you mix it at the same ratio you would top soil (about a one to one to one ratio of Coco coir to rotten wood/flake soil to rotten leaves with a little extra handful of leaves just for some more food) that would work fine! As an added, supplement your millis diet with veggies and fruit that lack pesticides and use calcium powder or cuttlefish bone either on their fruit/veggie treats or mixed into their soil so when they molt they have plenty of calcium to develop their new exoskeleton! Also sorry for disappearing for a little bit, I'm in the process of moving right now and unpacking is taking a lot of my time haha

Dry Desert said "Autopsies have shown dead millipedes with guts full of Coco fiber. These millipedes have not died due to impaction, they have died due to malnutrition, this is why they ate the Coco fiber as there was nothing else available. Inverts DO NOT suffer from impaction, if temperature, humidity, balanced diet etc. are all met."
I simply do not trust myself to always be on top of things. My millipedes have been in their container for a while now because I haven't been able to find what they need. One of the millipedes is most likely dead (I'm pretty sure it is, as I've noticed how bad it smells in there when I smelled it today) from my overwatering, as I was worried about them drying out. I don't trust myself to know exactly when the substrate is nutrient-deficient and needs to be changed out before the millipede starts eating the coco fibre. I also can't guarantee that my room will always be at the right temperature and humidity, especially during the summer and winter months. Maybe someone with more experience with millipedes can use coco fibre, but I'm definitely not one of them. I'll just try to get as much of the sticks and wood and plastic and rocks out of the topsoil before putting them into the new enclosure and hope for the best. If my remaining pede dies, I just won't buy anymore.
And no problem, thanks for replying even though you're busy.

 

[Pana Lemontzis]

So, I bought two American giant millipedes (Narceus americanus) as an impulse buy, because they made it seem like it would be easy to care for them. I'm starting to regret my decision as I've now realized how hard it is to just find substrate for them.
I asked the sellers through email, and they told me that they just make their own flake soil. I have no idea how to do that, and I don't think anyone here (I'm in BC, Vancouver to be exact) even sells flake soil. So I was advised to find some organic black earth topsoil and mix it with dead leaves and rotting wood, and add calcium in the form of cuttlefish bone or limestone. The dead leaves is easy enough. I live about two blocks away from some maple trees. I can just go and collect some leaves in the autumn. The calcium is also very easy, as cuttlefish bone can be found in most pet stores in the birds' section. The rotting wood of hardwood trees... I doubt anyone would sell that, so I might have to go hiking somewhere that has a lot of deciduous trees...? But I can't believe how much trouble I'm having with just finding soil! I can't find anywhere that sells organic black earth topsoil without chemicals except for places like Home Depot and RONA but they all have many bad reviews with people claiming that it smells awful and attracts bugs, or that they find plastic/glass/metal in the bags... A plant store that is well-known around here told me that they have an organic compost, but there's bark in it, and the bark is from softwood trees, which won't do... I've asked my friend to check out some garden stores for me, but she couldn't find anything useful either.
The best millipede substrate I could find is the one from Bugs in Cyberspace, but I'm pretty sure that they can't ship anything here, living or not. And all the flake soil that I could find online also do not ship to Canada. It makes me sad to say this, but if you want to have a bunch of cool inverts, the first thing you gotta do is to move to the US, or make sure that you're already living there. They have all the good stuff... So please don't recommend anything that I can't get shipped here.
Does anyone live around my area and have pet millipedes?? What do you do for substrate? Please bestow upon me your knowledge Are there any brands that you recommend? Do you know where I can find rotting wood from hardwood trees?
If it is this hard to find substrate for pedes, I'm definitely never doing this again once these two pass (which might happen sooner rather than later. They've already eaten half of the flake soil that they came with. I'm on a timer here. If I can't find them the right substrate before their flake soil depletes...). Otherwise these would be one of my favourite pets to own. I'm never impulse-buying any pet ever again, no matter how easy the sellers make it seem.

Theyre illegal in canada, unless u have a permit.

 

[IllusionQueen]

Theyre illegal in canada, unless u have a permit.

Yeah I realized that after I bought them. I guess that would explain why it's so hard to get supplies for them here. I bought them from someone who has a permit so it's fine.