1st time with fame leg millipedes

hi, im getting 10 flame leg millipedes either tomorrow or the next day. i have a few bumble bee's but im not to surre if i set them up the same way. and what size and deep of an enclosure do i need. i saw a display tank that water bowls in it; do i want to do this? and so i put extra food out such a certain veggies or fruit? and advice is crucial, please tell me anything. For i know this is a special breed and i do not want to do anything to injure or hurt them. thanks so much.

I am no expert, but I did receive very helpful information from the seller- SDCPs- and several others before I got my flamelegs, which I have had for a month or so. Hopefully, others with more experience will also chime in. Basically, a plastic container or a glass aquarium both work. You will need some ventilation, but don't want to allow fungus gnats in. I drilled holes in the plastic part of an aquarium cover and filled the holes with aquarium filter floss for air flow. Based on the advice I received, I put about 3 inches of moist coco fiber down, and added an inch or two deep layer of oak and maple leaves I had collected in a nearby canyon. Prior to adding the leaves I cooked them in the oveven at 350 F for a half hour or so. Since then, I have learned that 145 F is better, as it allows some beneficial fungi and bacteria to survive, while killing off pests. I added some pieces of rotting maple wood on top of the leaves. I did not add a water bowl, but I do mist the enclosure with Distilled water. I have seen the pedelings munching on both leaves and wood.

I also add fruits and vegetables. So far, I have tried carrot, zucchini, apple, celery, and banana. All but the carrot disappeared fairly quickly...especially the banana.

I should say that I added a few hundred giant springtails (Folsomia candida) as a clean-up crew. They help take care of leftover food scraps, as well as any fungal growth. I see them attack the remains of the fruit and veggies. They help take care of fungus and waste before grain mites and/or fungus gnats do.

I am enjoying my new pedes and I'm sure you will also!

Good morning! So, I also have Flamelegs from SDCP and I thought I'd throw my two cents in here. I agree with mostly everything that Aquarimax said about the set up, though I have a few suggestions. I give all of my millipedes at least 5 inches of coir fiber, which I mix with dry crushed leaves, sphagnum moss and calcium powder. Since millipedes are natural burrowers, I feel its important to give them lots of room to dig. For ventilation, I tape cut squares of furnace filters over my ventilation hole and that seems to do a good job of keeping the gnats out (or in). I've found that my Flamelegs are super fond of dry leaves (I use oak leaves and they love those), so definitely keep them well stocked with those. Besides fruit and veggies, I like to give my Flamelegs dry reptile food as a source of both calcium and protein. I can support that millipedes don't seem to go for carrots, too hard for them maybe? I also do not give them water directly, but mist them down with water regularly, though I've used tap water without any problems. Its definitely a good idea to add some sort of springtail to the enclosure. They definitely help keep things cleaner. Just don't add isopods, as I've heard several times that they'll eat millipede eggs.

I've had my Flamelegs for several months now and they seem to be doing great, so I hope yours will too!

Welcome to the flameleg club! I know you've already received good advice from both the two previous respondents and myself via email, so I won't say too much here. I just wish you the best of success!

I did want to mention that I have had 2 inches of substrate (esp. for young millipedes) and this actually seems to improve their health. The substrate is thinner so it is less likely to stagnate and have anaerobic activity methinks. Also, keep the millipedes on the dry side of moist if you have to err. I've had trouble when things have gotten too wet and I thought "well, the water will evaporate"--and its taken too long to do that

And remember (you too Crawlin ) to leave me a review after a few weeks or months! The vast majority of my customers never do; it helps my reputation and makes me happy to know that I gave good service. I learn from any comments you might include. I learn from negative reviews also.

Thanks Aquariumax! You must keep fish with a user name like that...what types?

Anyone who wants flamelegs, fall is a good time to ship bugs

SDCPs said:

And remember (you too Crawlin ) to leave me a review after a few weeks or months! The vast majority of my customers never do; it helps my reputation and makes me happy to know that I gave good service. I learn from any comments you might include. I learn from negative reviews also.

Thanks Aquariumax! You must keep fish with a user name like that...what types?

Anyone who wants flamelegs, fall is a good time to ship bugs

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Yep, in addition to my flameleg millipedes, (which are doing well, by the way, there are usually several visible at any time) I keep 4 species of isopods, lots of different types of live foods (grindal worms, walterworms, bean beetles, flour beetles, etc.)...I keep several aquariums...currently bettas, gold barbs, a bristlenose pleco, some goldfish...and an African clawed frog. Several aquatic inverts too...like assassin snails and red cherry shrimp. I also breed mourning geckos, and my wife just got a crested gecko. Oh, and we've got a cat, too.


Thanks for the additional info on the humidity. I'm trying to figure out exactly how moist I should keep my flamelegs. I typically mist in one corner so that the other parts of the "pedarium" are less damp. So far, so good.

CrawlinChaos said:

I can support that millipedes don't seem to go for carrots, too hard for them maybe? I also do not give them water directly, but mist them down with water regularly, though I've used tap water without any problems.

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I had my flamelegs for over a year and I rarely misted them with water I kept them very dry and offered a shallow water dish. I fed my millipedes (both AGB and flameleg millipedes) carrots all the time and they love them! Except I always peeled them and put the thin peeled carrot pieces in there and they would eat the whole bowl! You may consider trying that sometime and see if they like them because my millie's love em!

---------- Post added 10-13-2014 at 09:37 AM ----------

CrawlinChaos said:

Good morning! So, I also have Flamelegs from SDCP and I thought I'd throw my two cents in here. I agree with mostly everything that Aquarimax said about the set up, though I have a few suggestions. I give all of my millipedes at least 5 inches of coir fiber, which I mix with dry crushed leaves, sphagnum moss and calcium powder. Since millipedes are natural burrowers, I feel its important to give them lots of room to dig. For ventilation, I tape cut squares of furnace filters over my ventilation hole and that seems to do a good job of keeping the gnats out (or in). I've found that my Flamelegs are super fond of dry leaves (I use oak leaves and they love those), so definitely keep them well stocked with those. Besides fruit and veggies, I like to give my Flamelegs dry reptile food as a source of both calcium and protein. I can support that millipedes don't seem to go for carrots, too hard for them maybe? I also do not give them water directly, but mist them down with water regularly, though I've used tap water without any problems. Its definitely a good idea to add some sort of springtail to the enclosure. They definitely help keep things cleaner. Just don't add isopods, as I've heard several times that they'll eat millipede eggs.

I've had my Flamelegs for several months now and they seem to be doing great, so I hope yours will too!

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I am a customer of yours and I had one of my flamelegs for over a year! I enjoyed march and miles very much and they are a great species to have! The two millipedes you picked for me were absolutely perfect and I can say they seemed to be very healthy and active! I don't regret spending a single dime on them!