SEVERE mycosis

[TooManyCooks]

Before I say anything, I want to clarify that I’m aware that I am 100% at fault for this, and that my arrogance is what landed me here. Probably will not get another centipede regardless of how things turn out, i've learned a valuable lesson.

My centipede had some minor spots of mycosis on her legs appear over time. They were so small, that I (foolishly) ignored them. About 3 weeks ago, i placed her in a new 10-gallon tank, and didnt see her again until last night. I had to give her a cricket in order to get her to hold still for these pictures. She has bizarre wounds and markings on her exoskeleton, mold on her very last segment, and the mycosis seems to be "eating" away at her joints.


Photo of the largest "lesions". Apologies for the specks of dirt on the glass.


Close-up of one of the "lesions"



The bizarre markings i mentioned. They are a light shade of brown, it looks a lot like the creases you'd get on a piece of plastic after you bend it. Some mycosis is visible as well.


One of her mycosis riddled legs. This is the worst of them.


And finally, her last segment.


She has very little drive to eat, or even finish her meals when she does, and i know for a fact that is a warning sign.
I am just beyond hearbroken that i allowed this to happen to such a beautiful pede. This was without a doubt caused by low ventilation and high humidity, which circles back to me.
IF it is even possible, how could i solve this? I've been paranoid to hell and back that if i put her on dry substrate (as was recommended), that she'd molt in the middle of the night, get stuck, and die. Or is she too far gone now, and I should just put her down so she doesn't have to suffer? She has very little drive to eat, or even finish her meals when she does, and i know for a fact that is a warning sign.

 

[Scorpiobsession]

Do you have a picture of the enclosure? To treat it replace all of the substrate, when adding new substrate let it dry out, completely. Keep a large water dish for hydration. It should be better after the next molt.

 

[TooManyCooks]

Do you have a picture of the enclosure? To treat it replace all of the substrate, when adding new substrate let it dry out, completely. Keep a large water dish for hydration. It should be better after the next molt.

enclosure in question, it’s a modified aqueon 10 gal. Custom lid and cross-ventilation. Each vent is 2 inches in diameter. Thought that it would be enough ventilation, but I was clearly mistaken. I’ve since moved her to a temporary holding box, with a sheet of dry paper towel and a water dish.

 

[Scorpiobsession]

What do you think the benefit was to the custom lid? I use a screen lid on mine to increase ventilation, the top layer dries out quicker but the lower area stays moist. I would increase ventilation, add a water dish (if there isn't one already), and let the enclosure dry out (removing or replacing substrate would speed up the process).

 

[TooManyCooks]

What do you think the benefit was to the custom lid? I use a screen lid on mine to increase ventilation, the top layer dries out quicker but the lower area stays moist. I would increase ventilation, add a water dish (if there isn't one already), and let the enclosure dry out (removing or replacing substrate would speed up the process).

The benefit was discretely getting crickets in there without spooking her with vibrations, which always made feeding a pain. Small door = small vibrations. it also stopped her from escaping, since she could climb using the vents.

 

[Hakuna]

Needs ventilation on the lid. Should make it much less humid. As the air rises, it will pull in cooler, dry air from the sides. Physics.

 

[Scorpiobsession]

The benefit was discretely getting crickets in there without spooking her with vibrations, which always made feeding a pain. Small door = small vibrations. it also stopped her from escaping, since she could climb using the vents.

I would recommend putting the screen lid back on. If you're able to it could help to add a door over the screen (it would have to be very well secured) but for now the priority is more ventilation.

 

[The Snark]

Do you have a picture of the enclosure? To treat it replace all of the substrate, when adding new substrate let it dry out, completely. Keep a large water dish for hydration. It should be better after the next molt.

Dead on. The animal can survive severe arid conditions, the mold and fungi can't or will go into remission. The mycisos will likely be it's partner for the rest of it's life - the spores - but finding an environmental balance where the animal thrives and the yuck doesn't is the trick.

 

[TooManyCooks]

Do you have a picture of the enclosure? To treat it replace all of the substrate, when adding new substrate let it dry out, completely. Keep a large water dish for hydration. It should be better after the next molt.

I know that centipedes (and other inverts) are super sensitive to humidity during molting, so do I keep her on dry shallow substrate, and then move her over to moist, deeper substrate once she enters pre-molt?

 

[TheHouseof21pairs]

Asian pedes like dehaani are very prone to mycosis due to lack of ventilation and overdoing with moist. You were fool to ignore it the first time. You should have immediately replaced all the substrate with bone dry one and only a water dish for hydration source. You could have stopped the spreading probably and the pede would have recovered the little injuries caused from the fungal infection. If it’s an adult specimen it’s NOT going to moult, but it’ll live the rest of its life with those spots. The enclosure is way to big. It’s a centipede not a monitor or a bearded dragon. Centipedes don’t stroll around and don’t bask in the sun, but quite happy with their small micro habitat created from themselves under cork bark or stone. So my suggestion is, get some like 6/7 gallon enclosure tall enough for the pedes not to escape. Put roughly only about 2/3” of dry substrate and a large flat cork bark for hiding and a good size water dish for hydration and you good to go. Don’t annoy it, don’t pester it try to see what it’s doing. Let it be and feed it only when you see it wandering around for food. Do NOT dig it to feed, you’re only gonna stress it out. It could take up to 6 months of dry conditions to stop the spreading. It worked with my dehaani. It’s still alive after 8 months and in the past 2 months is back eating like his usual.
I hope this can help.
Take care

 

[TooManyCooks]

Here's a quick update:
-she is currently living on dry coco soil, with a cork bark hide and water dish
-One of her legs began to turn black and then shriveled/fell off at the tarsus. some discoloration on the tibia as of very early september, been tricky to get a good look at it since
-Eating meats, some fruit, plus drank egg yolk for the first time
-ate a hornworm, but i had to assist her and hold its head still for some time as she ate, as it would thrash and bite, and she'd give up, before eventually coming back around to try again and repeat the process.
-Long story short, didn't have any available cork bark until less than a week ago. placed it in her tank and she has remained there since.
-She doesn't seem to be lethargic anymore

Also think that the discoloration on her exoskeleton is internal damage. I can't think of a point when it could've happened, but i also heard that it can happen during shipment and might take months to appear, so maybe it could've been that, IDK