White stringy bits in millipede terrarium? HELP!

[ReleasetheHag]

Hey all,

was looking around seeing if I could find my milli today as she still has not surfaced since arrival. No milli, but instead I see this white, stringy stuff coming out of my substrate?? What is it? Should I be worried? It’s all over..

 

[coolnweird]

Just mold, generally not harmful. It can be a sign that the enclosure is too wet/doesn't have enough ventilation. I would let the top layers of substrate dry out a bit, and post a picture of the enclosure so people can alert you to any possible issues

 

[ReleasetheHag]

Just mold, generally not harmful. It can be a sign that the enclosure is too wet/doesn't have enough ventilation. I would let the top layers of substrate dry out a bit, and post a picture of the enclosure so people can alert you to any possible issues

Thanks! I was thinking I’ll get some springtails to take care of the mold.

I just had a user recommend I lessen the ventilation on my enclosure to help with heat retention actually, LOL. Perhaps i will wait until i see the mold subside before i do that. Will post terrarium in a separate reply.

 

[ReleasetheHag]

Alright! Here it is.

First things first, please excuse the drainage layer. I did intend to plant this terrarium with small dracaena & philodendron but did not trust Home Depot as a pesticide free source for my plants, LOL. Waiting for them to arrive. If it is ultimately better that I remove the drainage layer altogether, I will do so as soon as she surfaces. I did use a garden “””mesh”” without those square holes as I did not want her getting her feet stuck should she go down there, and I densely packed a layer of peat, followed by a particularly nutrient dense layer of substrate to try and encourage her to stay where the food is.

The substrate is comprised of flake soil sent to me and made by her breeder, a mix of soaked Traeger wood pellets (oak, hickory, cherry), peat moss for bulk and moisture retention, decaying hardwood, and a few varieties of oak leaves. I also have an oak leaf litter layer on the top. I always add moisture by pouring distilled water into the corners, I dont mist much, only as I find it necessary (it stays pretty moist even with the top ventilation to be honest). The white thing in the back is my Govee thermometer-hygrometer.

I’m using a 10 gallon currently as she’s 4”, substrate is about 5” deep. Heat mat is mounted to the side of the terrarium about a half inch above the substrate, insulated with some foil & foam, regulated by a thermostat. The temperature fluctuates around 72F. Screen top, with clamps. You can see in the second picture im pushing relatively hard with very little give from the screen top.

As for decor, aside from the aforementioned plants, the driftwood was baked at 225F for a little over a half hour after a distilled water soak, and the rock decor is supported from the bottom to prevent falling/collapsing. Although the picture makes it look close, Ive also placed it away from the walls to prevent a fall onto it if she chooses to climb at any point. There’s also a small bit of sphagnum moss that she arrived with, I kept it in there for her.

I’m currently working on getting the temperature a little higher .

 

[The Snark]

@ReleasetheHag Good calls and excellent pic. Demonstrates the layers and moving the moisture down where it doesn't become problematic.

 

[ReleasetheHag]

@ReleasetheHag Good calls and excellent pic. Demonstrates the layers and moving the moisture down where it doesn't become problematic.

Really? That means SO much! Thank you! This is my very first go and I put so much time into it. Wanted to make her as happy a milipede could be.

 

[The Snark]

This is my very first go and I put so much time into it.

Not sure where I heard this but a geologist and a meteorologist in discussion mentioned that soil is very much like the atmosphere. They both develop strata. You can have mud three feet down and the surface being bone dry.
AH!. Ken, geology student friend and a forestry professor! He had some qualification in atmospherics.

 

[ReleasetheHag]

Not sure where I heard this but a geologist and a meteorologist in discussion mentioned that soil is very much like the atmosphere. They both develop strata. You can have mud three feet down and the surface being bone dry.

That’s really neat! Yeah I dont stress too much about the top layer being dry. I did the first couple of days and misted like crazy (probably the source of the mold) because I have SUCH an issue with keeping my ball python’s humidity up- but once I realized it was more about moisture in the deep substrate and less about humid air I relaxed a little.

I will say, as much as some people don’t care for drainage with millipedes, it really saved my skin from bottom layer sludge my first couple of days having the terrarium set up. There’s a slight bit of water down there from… misting like crazy. LOL.

i see your edit and raise you MY EDIT! Geology is awesome!!

 

[ReleasetheHag]

Oh I do have a question for anybody observing this thread, though. Are springtails.. escape artists? I really dont want a springtail explosion in my carpet. Not suuuuper fun.

 

[MillipedeFan]

Oh I do have a question for anybody observing this thread, though. Are springtails.. escape artists? I really dont want a springtail explosion in my carpet. Not suuuuper fun.

I don’t think so, as far as I know