Texas Giant Gold Millipedes

[MasterB758]

Can someone give me a detailed care guide on Texas giant gold millipedes

 

[chanda]

I keep mine in deepish (6" or so) mix of sand, dirt, dead leaves (oak), coconut fiber, and decaying wood. I keep the humidity moderately high by limiting ventilation so they don't dry out. In addition to the leaves/wood in the substrate, I also feed them romaine lettuce, bits of carrots, fish flake, and occasionally dog kibble. I also dust the veggies with a little calcium powder or sprinkle it directly onto the substrate once in a while.

 

[MasterB758]

Does it have to be that deep and how do you get your substrate, and would eco earth be sufficient?
And can you please give me a detailed way that you feed your millipedes and the exact things that you feed them and when?
I also understand they don't need too much space but can you tell me what you keep them in

 

[chanda]

Does it have to be that deep and how do you get your substrate, and would eco earth be sufficient?
And can you please give me a detailed way that you feed your millipedes and the exact things that you feed them and when?
I also understand they don't need too much space but can you tell me what you keep them in

I have them in a 5 gallon screen-top tank - but I also have the plastic "shoebox" enclosure for my Florida ivories sitting right on top of it which blocks most of the screen to keep them from drying out.

They do need deep substrate if you want them to to well. They are naturally a burrowing species. While you could put them in a smaller, shallower cage at least temporarily, if you don't give them room to burrow (and room to run around a little) they will be stressed and will probably not live as long.

Eco earth by itself is not a good substrate for burrowers because it does not hold its shape well. The burrows will be susceptible to collapsing. Also, the decaying leaves and wood in the substrate are an important part of the millipedes' diet. The veggies are just to supplement their diet. To make the substrate I just mixed together dirt, sand, dead oak leaves, and bits of old, decaying wood (all collected outside in a pesticide-free area) with eco earth. I did cook the substrate in my oven first to kill any hitchhikers.

As for feeding, it's pretty haphazard. I give them fresh romaine, carrot shreds, or other veggies a couple of times a week - usually when I notice they're running low - and pull out any uneaten food that's starting to get moldy. I only give them a little food at a time, to try to minimize spoilage. I've dusted the food with calcium a few times, but don't do it every week. I also sprinkled a little bit of calcium directly on the substrate when I first set up the tank.

 

[MasterB758]

Thank you for your help, but after some research I've decided I'm getting a Dead Leaf Mantis

 

[DubiaW]

I've set my O. ornatus up with food and substrate they have in their natural habitat as well as coco fiber and oak leaves and decomposed mesquite/palo verde leaf litter. My O. ornatus are devouring dry rotted cactus wood and dry rotted mesquite branches. I have read that people have had trouble breeding them in captivity. I believe that O. ornatus are missing a natural food source in the standard milli substrate setup. I haven't found any of them in an area where oak or coco fiber are present. I'm using caliche for a calcium source and have observed them eating caliche and limestone both in the wild and in captivity. They also get apples and other produce as well as dried cactus blooms, cactus fruit, paddle cactus etc. They didn't touch yucca flowers. I'm going to try creosote leaf litter and branches (I've observed them munching on those in the wild as well). I keep mine in deep substrate that isn't very moist and mist them once a week. The lid has limited ventilation to maintain stable moisture levels so There is no need to add large amounts of water to the substrate (some people have had millies drown like that).

 

[mickiem]

Sounds like you are well on your way. It would be awesome to have these as captive breds. Best of luck to you.