For millipede owners who use coco fiber

[africanmilli]

Is it normal for you millipedes to stay underground for several days and not come up at all? I've got 2 agb's and 3 americanus. The americanus will come up only to eat and go straight back down. The agb's havent came up in almost a week. Is that normal when using coco fiber? I have read that they will eat coco fiber, is that maybe why they are not coming up to eat? They are fully grown so they shouldnt be molting? What's going on? I recently added the coco fiber to my tank, it's about a 50/50 mix of coco fiber and sphagnum-peat moss.

 

[spydrhunter1]

I use a four to six inch layer of coconut fiber in my AGBs cage and they have created a huge network of tunnels. There are times that one or more will disappear for a couple of weeks.

 

[millipeter]

I wouldn't use coconut fiber for millipedes. It's a total unnatural substrate for them. Better use soil (wood, garden, potting). A lot of millipedes (as A. gigas) are making oothecae for their eggs. The character of the soil is very important in this case. Also the millipedes eat the soil too a get minerals of it which they can't get from coconut fiber which has nothing nutrient and high amount of chloride. Millipedes are depending more on the soil than other animals living on the ground like spiders and centipedes.

 

[spydrhunter1]

I solved the problem of nutrients by incorporating handfuls of aspen shavings. Also I top the cocnut bedding with several inches of rotten wood and decomposing leaves.

 

[africanmilli]

I have thought about getting some aspen shavings, I guess now I will. Thanks.

 

[Drachenjager]

rotten wood and some peat works really great for both AGB and N. americanus IME. and yes they will be buried a lot of the time lol

 

[Mr. Mordax]

I have one that stays in a burrow against the glass for days at a time. Nothing to worry about.

Regarding the use of different substrates, the argument came up several months ago with one user advocating the use of only soil and claiming that coco fiber was unsuitable for raising millipedes. Many users stated breeding success without any problems using coco fiber.

I think it boils down to making sure the millipedes have their mineral requirements satisfied, such as by incorporating rotting hardwoods into the enclosure.

 

[Drachenjager]

I have one that stays in a burrow against the glass for days at a time. Nothing to worry about.

Regarding the use of different substrates, the argument came up several months ago with one user advocating the use of only soil and claiming that coco fiber was unsuitable for raising millipedes. Many users stated breeding success without any problems using coco fiber.

I think it boils down to making sure the millipedes have their mineral requirements satisfied, such as by incorporating rotting hardwoods into the enclosure.

i think you hit the nail on the head. soil is little more than rotted plant material mixed with clay, sand or the like. so if you used coco fiber and rotten wood and some leaf litter you have a nice habitat for them that they should do fine

 

[Millipedeman]

I have an AGB (Archispirostreptus Gigas) and he likes to burrow a lot in Coconut Fiber. It's normal.