pede substrate
- Thread starter Justin
- Start date
Justin,
I use a mixture of about 40/60 fine grade vermiculite and peat. Once it's damp it packs down nicely and allows the pede to burrow in it. It also seems to retain the mosture very well (probably the vermiculite) and i've had no signs of mould yet.
Cheers,
Dan.
I use a mixture of about 40/60 fine grade vermiculite and peat. Once it's damp it packs down nicely and allows the pede to burrow in it. It also seems to retain the mosture very well (probably the vermiculite) and i've had no signs of mould yet.
Cheers,
Dan.
- Joined
- Jul 19, 2002
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- 1,884
Yep! I use the same mix except 25%/40% verm/peat. Like Dan says, no signs of mold and the pedes burrow in it easily.
Atrax
Atrax
do those ever carry any chemicals or fertilizers in it like some potting soils do or do i not have to worry about it and i can just grab what ever bag i want, also, where do you get some thing like this, its not a substrate you get at a pet store orsome thing is it, or is it some thing you get at home depot or some thing? thank all.
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- Oct 4, 2002
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- 608
I put a layer of orchid bark or 'repti bark' on top of the peat/verm (there must verm or perlite, you need the hardcore spongy moisture retention). There's also jungle mix of some kind, all very good for creating an upper substrata that the pede can crawl on without getting too wet while the lower layers retain the water.
bill
bill
and just one more question which is off thetopic but i ight has well ask , if you put a pede in one of those plastic like shoe boxes, how do you heat it with out melting te plastic? what do all ofyo keep you pedes and wht not in? thanks.
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- Sep 12, 2002
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justin
i keep mine in shoe boxes and other such containers the best way i have found to heat them is to run a heat cable all over the back of the cabinet with a thermostat connected to it. the only problem with keeping pedes in plastic shoe boxes is that i dont really trust the lids and seeing that pedes are strong for their size and can easily reach the lids and lift them slightly i have found it best to attach a couple of velco straps to the ends to stop the lids from lifting
fatbloke
i keep mine in shoe boxes and other such containers the best way i have found to heat them is to run a heat cable all over the back of the cabinet with a thermostat connected to it. the only problem with keeping pedes in plastic shoe boxes is that i dont really trust the lids and seeing that pedes are strong for their size and can easily reach the lids and lift them slightly i have found it best to attach a couple of velco straps to the ends to stop the lids from lifting
fatbloke
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- Oct 4, 2002
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- 608
Justin,
Just for peace of mind i prefer to keep my pede in a glass tank thats taller than the length of the pede. I did keep mine in a one of the low plastic pet pals, but seeing how fast a pede can run up and over the lip of the tank, it's reassuring to have an enclosure thats a bit more escape proof. Another avantage of a taller tank is that you can stick a heat pad to the back of the tank to heat it. As fatbloke said, an secure lid is very important, preferably one that can be fixed down in some way, centipedes are suprisingly strong and can easily lift a lid that isn't secured.
Also, similar to bill, i put a layer of sphagnum moss (rather than orchid bark) down on top of the peat/vermiculite mix to give the pede somewhere it can feel safe whilst still being out in the open to view. I think the sphagnum also creates a layer of humid air next to the substrate which is benificial for centipedes. You can get peat from any garden centre, and if you look on the back it should say if anything has been added. The peat i buy just says 100% peat, and in my experience it has been fine so far.
Cheers,
Dan.
Just for peace of mind i prefer to keep my pede in a glass tank thats taller than the length of the pede. I did keep mine in a one of the low plastic pet pals, but seeing how fast a pede can run up and over the lip of the tank, it's reassuring to have an enclosure thats a bit more escape proof. Another avantage of a taller tank is that you can stick a heat pad to the back of the tank to heat it. As fatbloke said, an secure lid is very important, preferably one that can be fixed down in some way, centipedes are suprisingly strong and can easily lift a lid that isn't secured.
Also, similar to bill, i put a layer of sphagnum moss (rather than orchid bark) down on top of the peat/vermiculite mix to give the pede somewhere it can feel safe whilst still being out in the open to view. I think the sphagnum also creates a layer of humid air next to the substrate which is benificial for centipedes. You can get peat from any garden centre, and if you look on the back it should say if anything has been added. The peat i buy just says 100% peat, and in my experience it has been fine so far.
Cheers,
Dan.
- Joined
- Dec 29, 2002
- Messages
- 285
I always wanted to use perlite , but wouldent it be harmful to the health of the inverts?
As far as i can make out, perlite is safe for use, it's an inert mineral substance, so i can't see that it would be a risk. The only risk associated with perlite is if you are exposed to large quantities and are breathing in lots of dust, which can cause respiritory problems for some people. If it's mixed with damp peat i would have thought that this would reduce the amount of dust significantly.
Here's a link http://www.perlite.net/
Cheers,
Dan.
Here's a link http://www.perlite.net/
Cheers,
Dan.
I use a substrate i picked up at a pet store, it has ground coconut shell in it as well as some peat moss in it, it comes in bricks, and all you have to do is add water and it expands. Then i put a few peices of tree bark that a found and poured boiled water over it to make sure that any parasites or fungi were killed. That seems to work pretty well, and it looks nice in my tank. For heating i use a heat pad and nite glow bulb(40 Watt). which keeps the temprature nice and warm. my tank is a 2 gallon glas tank.