Millipede dead or not?

[Camry]

I recently got a bumblebee Millipede as a surprise pet. I have him set up in a small Tupperware that holds humidity well. As for substrate he has cocoa fiber mixed with zoo med creatures creatures soil and some dry leaves that he came with. For the past two weeks that I’ve had him he’s been fine and rather active but I opened the lid just now and saw him laying stretched out. I thought he was dead but upon closer inspection I can see some of his legs lightly twitching. There’s no of overall movement though. I don’t know enough about millipedes to know what’s going on, can anyone help me out?

 

[mantisfan101]

He doesn’t look good to me. Also, you should millipedes on a substrate of a 1:1:1 ratio of rotten hardwood, rotten hardwood leaves, and compost along with a handful of calcium powder or crushed eggshells.

 

[Camry]

He doesn’t look good to me. Also, you should millipedes on a substrate of a 1:1:1 ratio of rotten hardwood, rotten hardwood leaves, and compost along with a handful of calcium powder or crushed eggshells.

Is it safe to collect hardwood leaves from outside? And if not what’s the best brand of substrate? And can I can the same calcium powder that I use for dusting food for my reptiles? Does the addition of vitamin d3 matter?

 

[Arthroverts]

Bugs In Cyberspace sells an excellent millipede substrate mix, along with rotting wood and leaves, so if you don't want to make your own you can buy from them. If you do want to make your own, I would suggest checking out the recipes on this website: http://petmillipede.weebly.com/
As for collecting leaves and wood, just make sure it is a place that hasn't had any chemicals or "cides" (insecticide, pesticide, fungicide, etc.) sprayed on or near it for a while. Check the substrate and the leaves; if things are eating it, then it is usually safe.
I have noticed no difference in health when using calcium supplements for my millipedes, but if it gives you extra peace of mind, go for it. And yes, the reptile calcium powder should be fine.

Lastly; Bumblebees are spirobolids, meaning they need large amounts of rotting wood in order to stay healthy. I didn't see any in your setup, so that very well might be the reason it is dying/died (when millipedes stretch out like that for long periods of time it is never a good sign). For this reason ZooMed Creatures Soil is practically useless for millipedes unless you use it as a base and mix it with more nutritious substrate, i.e rotting wood, rotting leaves, good clean compost, etc.

Hope this helps,

Arthroverts

PS I forgot to add, if you want to get more responses, put this in the myriapods sub-forum next time, as this one is for other invertebrates and insects.

 

[Camry]

Bugs In Cyberspace sells an excellent millipede substrate mix, along with rotting wood and leaves, so if you don't want to make your own you can buy from them. If you do want to make your own, I would suggest checking out the recipes on this website: http://petmillipede.weebly.com/
As for collecting leaves and wood, just make sure it is a place that hasn't had any chemicals or "cides" (insecticide, pesticide, fungicide, etc.) sprayed on or near it for a while. Check the substrate and the leaves; if things are eating it, then it is usually safe.
I have noticed no difference in health when using calcium supplements for my millipedes, but if it gives you extra peace of mind, go for it. And yes, the reptile calcium powder should be fine.

Lastly; Bumblebees are spirobolids, meaning they need large amounts of rotting wood in order to stay healthy. I didn't see any in your setup, so that very well might be the reason it is dying/died (when millipedes stretch out like that for long periods of time it is never a good sign). For this reason ZooMed Creatures Soil is practically useless for millipedes unless you use it as a base and mix it with more nutritious substrate, i.e rotting wood, rotting leaves, good clean compost, etc.

Hope this helps,

Arthroverts

PS I forgot to add, if you want to get more responses, put this in the myriapods sub-forum next time, as this one is for other invertebrates and insects.

Thank you for the information. I don’t think he made it but I have a Smokey oak millipede in the same container. He’s buried and looking good but I know now that it won’t last long without good substrate. Will all the give information work just as well for a Smokey oak mill? I was also wondering about humidity and ventilation. I don’t think the tub doesn’t have the best ventilation and that’s why it’s always so damp. I heard they like humidity but does ventilation matter?

 

[Arthroverts]

Your welcome. Yes, all round millipedes can essentially be kept the same.
You just want the substrate to be moist and some moderate air flow to prevent mold; this can be achieved by just a few small holes in the enclosure, or by opening the lid for a few minutes daily. Of course, most containers aren't airtight anyway, so extra ventilation might not be needed.

Thanks,

Arthroverts