How to care for millipede babies, and milli's in general

[gambite]

I have been keeping three orange and black pedes in a small KK for a few months now, and today I saw some babies under the water dish. How do I care for them? I read that you should not go digging around, because it could destroy molting pedes or egg-chambers. At the same time, I also read that they need food burried in the substrate to eat, since they cant get to the food dish easily. Is it too late to do that?

That brings me to diet. I heard on here that millipedes in general need a source of calcium for their exoskeletons. Is this vital to their survival? What can I use for this? I have not been giving them much specifically for calcium besides some spinach here and there. Their main diet has been vegetable scraps, with some fruit and mushroom mixed in. They seem to like apples the most. So, for these babies, I diced up some apple, and tossed it around the surface of the substrate, along with some broccoli and carrot shreds. Will this be alright for them?

Also, what sort of moisture requirements do they have? I believe mine are an American desert species, but of course that does not say much about their needs. I used to keep them quite moist, and they seemed fine like that, but this KK has a lot of ventilation and so it has been dryer the past few months. Should I up the moisture for them, especially with the babies?

And do I need to change the substrate at all? It consists visibly of their droppings. But, seeing as their droppings are just plant matter, I dont think it is as dirty as a carnivore's would be. So, am i correct in assuming that substrate changing less important?

Do they need anything above-ground to climb on or anything? Or, for that matter, can they climb? Now that I think about it, these babies could very easily fit through the slits in the lid of the Kritter Keeper. Should I find a new enclosure?

And are spring tails and nematode-like worms bad? They are cropping up from the rotting vegetables, and are not very sightly. Would some WC isopods do well with the millis, and help get rid of these pests?

sorry if I am too loquacious, its the meds

 

[Senses-Tingling]

I have something for loquacious behavior, and it's not meds. It is - Giant Millipedes, The Enthusiast's Handbook. Any serious milli owner should have this book - especially when breeding and raising young. You can get it from Orin at Elytra and Antenna ($14). A quick search on this site will give several sources for getting it - or you can use Amazon/Ebay.
All you inquiries will be answered with this book.
I'm not brushing off you Q's, just giving you a roadmap to information from an authority on the subject.

 

[AngelPixel]

Millipedes cannot climb glass, so no worries there. the babies will hardly come out and when they do they usually do it in the dark. what kind of substrate are you using? the mix of your substrate should supplies babies with all they need to eat. i use the coco fiber bricks, they hold moisture very well after you soak them to use them, i mix that with peat moss, dried leaves, chunks of soft dried wood and that regular green moss you can find in the plant section of like walmart.

for calcium you can use the powdered calcium they have for reptiles i just sprinkle all throughout the substrate. i also feel my guys the cricket food cubes and the Bug Zone Bug Bites, they have all sorts of vitamins and calcium in them. i feed it in addition to some dry fish flakes, dried cricket food and even dry reptile pellets (sometimes bird ones too). I give them some fruit, because too much will give them watery poo, and any type of veggie you can throw in there. they like cucumbers, watermelon rinds and mixed mesclun salad the most. keep in mind they are detrivores so they prefer old dead matter, but they love some fresh stuff as well.

i keep my colonies in glass tanks with glass lids. so a minimal amount of moisture escapes. i only have to spritz them every few days. since i give them the wet cubed food they need the water less. when you have milli's you never throw your substrate out. you can add to it. the only time i would suggest dumping it is if you have some sort of pests in there. their eggs are laid in a ball of poop so you cant really tell the difference. my guys have had the same substrate for 3 years. but i do have to add to it as they eat it too.

i use the flat reptile food dishes and i see my babies crawling about in there when they get big enough. ive also rooted through their soil trying to get rid of all the roaches that mysteriously appeared in my tank. i came across a molting pede or two and i just bury they back up in the soil. its loose enough that they can find their way out. if you can put a piece of soft rotting wood in there its a greta place for the babies to go because they will eat it and crawl inside and they are protected. its also a good food source i take wood form my back yard thats been sitting in the woodpile forever. its soft enough to break with your hands. i leave it in the sun to dry up for a while then put it in a sealed bag. i also break some into little chunks to put in there for food. i spray them before i put them in the cage so theyre not dry. some people put them in the oven to make sure you kill whatever may be in there, but i just dried mine out completely and it does fine.

spring tails occur naturally and some people even add them into their enclosures. i found some annoying little white things all over the fruit and veggies if i left it in there too long. once i put the millis in a tank with a glass top i dont have any problems with unwanted fruit flies, nematode looking things and theres not a billion of those little white things either. i put isopods in my tank to clean up the mess. i took wood lice and pill bugs from my back yard and they breed quite readily and dont overpopulate. they are a good addition to any milli setup.

i hope i answered some of your questions

 

[gambite]

Thanks for the help. I am using coco fiber substrate. I want to add leaves and wood and such to it, but I am worried that with the babies in there digging around and mixing the substrate will hurt or kill them. I will try to find some wood for them, though, and add some leaves.

 

[fantasticp]

Thanks for the help. I am using coco fiber substrate. I want to add leaves and wood and such to it, but I am worried that with the babies in there digging around and mixing the substrate will hurt or kill them. I will try to find some wood for them, though, and add some leaves.

You can dig around carefully with your hands and they will be fine. Just don't dig with a spoon or anything solid, and be careful about smooshing any against the bottom. That is wht I like transparent containers.. The big thing with babies is to :

1. Make sure there is a pretty even spread of food throughout the tank, so every baby has easy access. They can not go very long without eating at all.
2. Make sure the substrate is not too dry.
3. Make sure the substrate is not too moist. Babies tend to disintegrate in soppy substrate.