Will millipedes eat my plants infused silicone background?

[Stardisk]

Hi, soon I am going to start a building a bio-active vivarium for insects. I want to make it look as much like a jungle as possible (kind of like the dart frogs vivariums).

For the background I want to make 1,5m tree roots/vines hanging down, i want to make them from foam or rope coated with silicone and a moss/dirt/barks flakes.
Just like in this vid at the 8 minute mark.

My question is; does anyone know if millipedes start eating such silicone backgrounds?

I know they will eat moist bark and moss, but I have no idea if they will actually notice the silicone and stop eating.


(on a sidenote, all other tips and experiences on vivariums for insects are appreciated)

 

[mickiem]

What kind of millipedes are you thinking about getting? It doesn't look like the substrate would be real deep so maybe scarlets or bumblebees? I doubt they would eat the silicone as long as the substrate is rich in the foods they need. If you are covering the silicone with coir, that wouldn't be their 1st food choice so that would help, too. Sounds like an exciting project!

 

[Stardisk]

@mickiem ty for replying, coconut coir is a great idea!
It will also hold the moist so moss and ferns can grow on it
I probably put a thick lair of coir on the silicone then dirt and top of that, so the coir will be a barrier between food and silicone.
This way I can also skip to add moss to the silicone mix because the coir will give that stringy root structure.
Thx!

And I already got 4 mature dark-brown millipedes, no idea what species. I bought them from someone who had to sell m fast. Soon I am getting desmoxytes, the 3-4cm small pink dragon millipede. I think i will be looking for smaller and beautiful species to keep, gigas will trample the desmoxytes haha
I thought about bumble-bees but I read many times that they don't show themselves so much.

And the tank will be triangular shaped (diamond shaped actually) 80x80x80cm and 1,7m high, so I will add 25-30cm substrate. This will be enough in my experience.