FUTURE Set up question

7Fin

Arachnoknight
Joined
May 22, 2017
Messages
165
Some newbie questions. I just want to make sure I'm using the right stuff for what will be possibly a C. spinigerus and an N. Gordanus that I have not yet bought. Yeah, I don't have any pedes yet, but I want to be on the safe side. :3

I'm getting a terrarium which has way more than enough room for millipedes even bigger than the N. Gordanus full grown, so the pair will be pretty spoilt I'd say.

My substrate will be 1/2 coco fibre and 1/2 leaves and crumbly wood, with a layer of leaves at the top. Since this mixture has so many leaves, I'm worried about the leaves I use. I have a large spinney in my garden which is practically a small forest, and it mainly has Rhododendrum and sycamore. The is a wet layer of thick forest floor at the bottom which bucket loads of humus and decomposing leaves. \(-w-)\

I also have some dry bamboo leaves which I will use, and a ton of other dry sycamore and rhododendrum leaves which I will use for the top layer and mix in the substrate. (I don't have many oak leaves but I'll make sure to get a good few in for protein). I'm gonna mix in cuttlefish bone and yadda yadda yadda.

This is for 1 C. Spinigerus and 1 N. Gordanus. Will it work? >w>

(extra; I live in Ireland, and we have cold winters and autumns and springs and very unstable summers. I think I should use a heat mat & thermostat set to 'bout 70F (as you americans would measure it), should I go with the heat mat and thermostat? (not under the substrate of course)
 

InvertsandOi

Arachnoknight
Joined
Feb 12, 2016
Messages
233
Sounds like you've done your research and have it pretty well under control. I don't know anything about rhododendrum, but sycamore should be good. The heat mat is necessary I guess if it's going to get much cooler than you're talking about setting it, but if you're not breeding them, they should be fine at room temp. If you're going to do the thermostat and heat mat though, might as well make it 72° (closer to what people usually mean when they say room temp).
 

7Fin

Arachnoknight
Joined
May 22, 2017
Messages
165
Glad to hear! I don't want to breed my pedes, I just want them to be happy as possible because I have a very soft heart :3

Also, another question, can I use tap water for water? If it's dangerous, what should I use? Does it work if I just boil it? I hear that removes the chlorine.
 
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InvertsandOi

Arachnoknight
Joined
Feb 12, 2016
Messages
233
Glad to hear! I don't want to breed my pedes, I just want them to be happy as possible because I have a very soft heart :3

Also, another question, can I use tap water for water? If it's dangerous, what should I use? Does it work if I just boil it? I hear that removes the chlorine.
I guess that would depend on the condition of your tap water. I have a faucet filter that I use. Boiling would get rid of bacteria, but not particulates or chlorine. I have no idea how bad that stuff would be for Millipedes in the amounts it is normally found in tap water. I'd be a little worried about the chlorine though.
 

InvertsandOi

Arachnoknight
Joined
Feb 12, 2016
Messages
233
Ha, I just googled it and apparently you can get rid of chlorine by boiling water. Seems counterintuitive to me.
 

7Fin

Arachnoknight
Joined
May 22, 2017
Messages
165
Well we learn new things every day, all for the happiness of millipedes! <3
 

mickiem

Arachnoprince
Active Member
Joined
Jul 23, 2016
Messages
1,652
Also, another question, can I use tap water for water? If it's dangerous, what should I use? Does it work if I just boil it? I hear that removes the chlorine.[/QUOTE]
I used distilled water in my misting sprays for the simple reason that I don't want the hard water spots left on the enclosures and glass. I also grow a lot of tillandsia (air plants) and tap water is very detrimental to them. By using distilled water for the millies, I am missing out on some calcium and minerals that they would otherwise get so I add more calcium to the substrate mix.
 

7Fin

Arachnoknight
Joined
May 22, 2017
Messages
165
Cool, so I can just boil my tap water! I thought it was going to be much more complicated! Also, how does bottled water fare? Mineral water or whatever, like bought in large quantities. I thought it would have lots of minerals and therefore be very nutritious for the millipedes, but I don't know if it'd be dangerous or whatever.
 
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