Ophistreptus guineensis - several questions about care

[MapleMatt]

Hi, I'm considering this specie, subadult pair and I have right now too empty enclosures. One is exo terra 37x22x25 20L and other plastic box is 14L 40x29x18.
Which would been better please for this specie and how about the substrate, what should it consist of and what about the height of the substrate in the enclosure? I would also appreciate any info about breeding like temperature and other conditions which I should provide, so maybe I find there people who either have knowledge about the specie or own it. Last additional question, is it possible to feed with a beetle jelly? Thank You very much!

 

[Arthroverts]

I think both enclosures are workable, the first obviously allows for more substrate (and climbing branches, don't remember if O. guineensis climbs much though) to be added to the enclosure and to a deeper depth however. So long as you can prevent the substrate from drying out too quickly (a problem with most glass enclosures, and especially ZooMed's and ExoTerra's) it should work well.

Standard millipede substrate should suffice, as for depth the ideal is about as high as the longest specimen to be kept in the enclosure, though being a few centimeters short doesn't hurt when keeping big specimens.

This species seems to require seasonal variation in order to breed, so a dedicated dry(ish), warm season followed by a wet, cool season (along with a 5 or so centimeters of quality rotting leaves) should get them to lay eggs. I don't know about their survivability through later instars.

And yes, beetle jelly is fine for millipedes.

Hope this helps,

Arthroverts