Soil Centipede Setup pics+ tips on care

[XxSpiderQueenxX]

I just caught a small soil centipede, about 1 inch long. I'm offering it springtails as food. If anyone keeps these as pets, please comment some tips on care and if you can post pics of your setup! I need some ideas for my little guy's setup

 

[Nicholas Rothstein]

They love earthworms and the occasional slug. I'd be careful about the slugs though, I've had them injure my pede even though my pede was larger than it.

 

[davehuth]

I'd also be interested in hearing from anyone who may have kept soil centipedes in numbers within the same enclosure? I've thought about keeping them as well, but I like a lot of activity in my tanks and would prefer to keep a bunch of them together – also to encourage breeding. But I know most centipedes don't live socially and crowding can cause trouble, so any tips about trying it with soil centipedes would be appreciated.

 

[XxSpiderQueenxX]

Hi! Thx for the tips. I've had it for a little over 2 weeks now... She is doing great I suspect she is eating springtails that I put in the tank

 

[Scoly]

I have a colony, though its not as successful as it once was. It's just a glass tank filled 2/3 with soil. I had layered cardboard sheets and covered with soil to create more hiding spaces which worked really well for a limited time as you could observe several centipedes through the glass at any one point, but it has since decomposed. It's essentially my bin tank, where I empty out used substrate, roach remains etc... which feeds the mites and springtails which feed the young centipedes, which -- I strongly suspect -- feed the larger centipedes.

I've also heard they will eat dog food/cat food, but I have not verified this.

I'm now wondering whether I should throw in small size mealworms every so often as food for the adults.

I'm also wondering whether wood chips might be a good substrate as you'd get to see them more through the glass sides than you do with just soil. I'll go try a mix of wood chips and soil and see what happens...

 

[davehuth]

I have a colony, though its not as successful as it once was. It's just a glass tank filled 2/3 with soil. I had layered cardboard sheets and covered with soil to create more hiding spaces which worked really well for a limited time as you could observe several centipedes through the glass at any one point, ......
I'm also wondering whether wood chips might be a good substrate as you'd get to see them more through the glass sides than you do with just soil. I'll go try a mix of wood chips and soil and see what happens...

Thanks! It's especially interesting to me that you've worked with set-ups where you could see activity through the tank sides. I'd want to try to maximize that, since I always want to see as much of my inverts' lives and behaviors as possible. Wood chips sounds like a solid idea. I might even try a narrower enclosure to reduce the interior volume. I presume they don't come to the surface much to roam about, not even at night? Lots to think about, I appreciate it!

 

[Scoly]

Thanks! It's especially interesting to me that you've worked with set-ups where you could see activity through the tank sides. I'd want to try to maximize that, since I always want to see as much of my inverts' lives and behaviors as possible. Wood chips sounds like a solid idea. I might even try a narrower enclosure to reduce the interior volume. I presume they don't come to the surface much to roam about, not even at night? Lots to think about, I appreciate it!

Yeah, it's really cool being able to observe them through the side, and there's always one on the move. They do come out on the surface from time to time but the side view trick is far more effective. And if you really want to see a few you just need to scratch the surface or flip a few bits of bark over.

 

[Nicholas Rothstein]

Slugs are a bad idea. I've had 3 soil centipedes. 2/3 of them died from the slug injuring them. The centipedes were bigger than the slug too! I didn't see exactly what happened but somehow the slug pulled off a couple legs and drenched the centipedes in slime. Poor guys were suffering with no hopes of recovery.... I put them in the freezer....

 

[BobBarley]

I have a colony, though its not as successful as it once was. It's just a glass tank filled 2/3 with soil. I had layered cardboard sheets and covered with soil to create more hiding spaces which worked really well for a limited time as you could observe several centipedes through the glass at any one point, but it has since decomposed. It's essentially my bin tank, where I empty out used substrate, roach remains etc... which feeds the mites and springtails which feed the young centipedes, which -- I strongly suspect -- feed the larger centipedes.

I've also heard they will eat dog food/cat food, but I have not verified this.

I'm now wondering whether I should throw in small size mealworms every so often as food for the adults.

I'm also wondering whether wood chips might be a good substrate as you'd get to see them more through the glass sides than you do with just soil. I'll go try a mix of wood chips and soil and see what happens...

What species do you keep? I tried my hand at the local Strigamia sp., and they did not fair well

 

[Scoly]

What species do you keep? I tried my hand at the local Strigamia sp., and they did not fair well

Oh boy. Well this is embarrassing... For some reason I thought this thread was about stone centipedes Lithobiomopmorpha, not Geophiliomorpha!

Everything I said above was in reference to stone centipedes (in my case Lithobius forficatus) so I do apologise.

 

[BobBarley]

Oh boy. Well this is embarrassing... For some reason I thought this thread was about stone centipedes Lithobiomopmorpha, not Geophiliomorpha!

Everything I said above was in reference to stone centipedes (in my case Lithobius forficatus) so I do apologise.

Oh I’m not sure now actually haha! I think “soil centipede” usually refers to Geophilomorphs & “stone centipede” usually refers to Lithobiomorphs.

...and this a prime example of why common names suck .


@XxSpiderQueenxX, what did you mean by “soil centipede”?

 

[Scoly]

Looking back I think the fact it was quoted as 1" made me assume we were talking about Lithobiomopmorpha, as it would have to be a pretty tiny Geophilomorpha to be that size!

 

[Scoly]

As for keeping Geophilomorpha, I heard that they are particularly difficult. I suspect there's all sorts organisms they depend on (whether its mites, springtails, nematodes, or fungi) which don't thrive in a captive setup.

I think your best be would be to pretty much lift a square foot of natural habitat and transpose it to a well ventilated enclosure. And even then, you wouldn't see them very often.

I would be really interested in the giant Geophilomorpha you get in tropical countries - pretty much worms with legs :-D

 

[XxSpiderQueenxX]

As for keeping Geophilomorpha, I heard that they are particularly difficult. I suspect there's all sorts organisms they depend on (whether its mites, springtails, nematodes, or fungi) which don't thrive in a captive setup.

I think your best be would be to pretty much lift a square foot of natural habitat and transpose it to a well ventilated enclosure. And even then, you wouldn't see them very often.

I would be really interested in the giant Geophilomorpha you get in tropical countries - pretty much worms with legs :-D

They are difficult? I have mine, it is thriving! Springtails and dirt from outside offered!

 

[Scoly]

They are difficult? I have mine, it is thriving! Springtails and dirt from outside offered!

That's just what I've hear, and it may be an observation regarding long term survival.

Glad yours is doing well though! Have you got any photos?