The noobius ultima question. (ultimate noob lol)

[Arachnethegreek]

Ok, here it is, I'm considering varying my invert collection to include some scorps and pedes, but I have not a freaking clue where to find reliable pede information. So if anyone can help me out I need a full workup of dietary (Canadian so dubias are out) recommended species for a beginner, general housing requirement, basically everything that for t's is in the TKG.
HELP!

 

[KyuZo]

I hate essay questions. lay out your questions in a number format and i'll do my best to answer them. i'm sure that other long term pedes keepers will be helping too.

1. food? roaches, crickets, mealworm, pinkies (everything that the Ts eat). feeding is every 3 days for a pling and juvenile. every 4 - 7 days for an adult.

2. water dish? can spray the sides twice a week for them to drink from or a shallow water dish is fine.

3. substrate? a couple of inches or deeper is good. keep the substrate moist (NOT damp). dry on one side moist on the other side is best for "desert" species. but the tropical ones i keep it moist throughout the cage.

4. temperatures? in the winter, i keep my juveniles and adults from 50 - 70* F just depending on the San Diego ambient temperature. the plings, i keep them warmer at 75 - 85* F for faster growth.

5. cage size? i keep my adult pedes ranging from 6" - 9" long in plastic shoe boxes with the dimensions of 8" long by 6" deep by 4" tall (high). some keepers like to keep them in taller container to keep the pedes from jumping out of the container, but i don't have that kind of problem. *always have a net on standby whenever you work with your pede, just in case you need it... and that's all i'm going to say about that*

6. if your pede refuse food once, wait three or four days, then try to offer it again. if it doesn't eat, then it's most likely that he/she is approaching a molt.

7. keep the substrate clean by removing dead prey items to prevent mites. isopods and springtails would be a great help as they compete with the mites for any source of nutrient in the substrate, including the pede's poops. altho, becareful when adding the isopods, certain species can be very aggressive and will prey on a molting animal... including pede, t, scorp, roach, etc.

8. centipedes are not like tarantulas. they are much more of a challenge including sexing, breeding, and to work with (they crawl fast and get into crack and crevices much easier), but once you get the hang of it, then they simply are just the coolest (an opinion). venom are like Ts with some being extremely mild to a few that can put you in a hospital (rare case).

other questions are welcome.

 

[Arachnethegreek]

Two further questions.
1. A good starter pede. I'm looking for decent to impressive size (but not like the giants of south Africa >.<) and also minimum venom potency
2. Substrate, is coco coir an acceptable medium or do pedes thrive more easily on other substrates (if so please recommend)
3. General behaviour tips please, from what I'm reading I take it they are flightly, but do they tend to have mean streaks like psycho rose hairs?
Thanks for the help so far

 

[Scolopeon]

Two further questions.
1. A good starter pede. I'm looking for decent to impressive size (but not like the giants of south Africa >.<) and also minimum venom potency
2. Substrate, is coco coir an acceptable medium or do pedes thrive more easily on other substrates (if so please recommend)
3. General behaviour tips please, from what I'm reading I take it they are flightly, but do they tend to have mean streaks like psycho rose hairs?
Thanks for the help so far

Heres my stab at this:

1. Scolopendra Polymorpha, Ethmostigmus trigonopodus (these are great!, mine is 6'' which is impressive enough, nice black body and blue legs and shes mostly on display and active, rarely burying herself.), Scolopendra Morsitans (Smaller species around 4-5'' max, but I heard the bite can be bad).

2. Coco coir is the tropical blocks you buy right? if so yes this is fine with a misting every couple of days, but less depending if you have a water bowl and a more arid species.

3. All pedes are worse than C.Rose when it comes to behavior mainly because they are a lot faster, if your messing about in their enclosure they can grab your forceps and lever their buisness end around to deliver a bite.

Just make sure your walls are high enough and secure, and take caution to not disturb a settled pede under cork bark.

 

[KyuZo]

1. S. heros subspecies
2. yes
3. it varies each time you open their enclosure.

 

[cacoseraph]

check this out
http://cacoseraph.exofire.net/centis/index.php