hey I want to get a Phillipean flame leg millipede

[tarantulalover9]

I was looking into getting a millipede and I want it to be BIG and I cant afford a African Giant Millipede but I can afford a Philippine Flame Leg Millipede and was wondering if anyone has one and could educate me on the care of one

 

[Aviara]

A good thread on this is found here: http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?226551-Flameleg-Flame-Leg-Millipede-Trigoniulus-macropygus-Philippines-Negros-Island-Pede-Central&highlight=flame+millipede

A very quick search revealed that thread, and a few others discussing care. Use of the search function is necessary - much information is already on these forums in older posts, and it saves community members time and effort not having to repeat themselves in new, repetitive threads.

That said, millipedes are not terribly complicated to care for. They do need very high humidity, leaf litter, rotting wood, and most species will also eat fruits and vegetables. All of the organic material needs to be sterilized completely if gathered from nature, and there are also many threads previously created that discuss sterilization techniques. I both know from experience owning millipedes and from research that the worst part of all species is their defense tactics. The millipede's defense excretions are very foul-smelling, and care must be taken to wash hands after handling millipedes (which is always a good idea anyway, no matter what the species being handled). Another challenge is keeping mold and pests to a minimum in a tank with constant high humidity - proper maintenance, a setup with a false bottom, and a lot of air flow will help wtih this.

Keep in mind that, while you may want a large millipede, most millipedes are sold as very small juveniles and grow slowly. That said, you will likely be receiving a 1" or 2" specimen that may take years to reach an adult size. The reason that African giant millipedes (Archispirostreptus gigas) are so expensive is that important was recently banned, and captive breeding is slow, at best. Millipedes are interesting animals, but you will not see much of them.

---------- Post added 07-16-2012 at 06:32 PM ----------

For reference, here is a photograph of my millipedes' home. This tank is home to 5 juvenile (about 2" now) Tonkinbolus caudulanus, or Thai rainbow millipedes. It is also home to a juvenile 1.5" Phelsuma sp. day gecko.

Millipedes can thrive without the lighting and without extra heat, but mine do fine with a daylight bulb and a Reptiglo 5.0 UVB bulb, required for the gecko tankmate. They have leaf litter, a large piece of wood, moss, and are set up with live plants. The substrate is a live tropical mix with springtails, and underneath it are hydroton ceramic balls used as a false bottom, with a mesh screen keeping the tropical mix seperated. I water the tank every other day, and excess water drips down into the false bottom area. I also heavily mist daily, and keep the humidity around 75% to 80%. The little dish to the right is some mashed banana. This is just an idea of how you can set up a millipede vivarium, but there is no need to be this fancy.