African Millipede past/current owners i need your help

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Symarip94

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jul 20, 2012
Messages
32
Alrighthy so I'll be picking up my West African Millipede this Friday, and I already have everything I need from the substrate to hydrometer & thermometer gauges. The only thing I'm missing is the leaves/wood. I know that Millipedes need primarily oak leaves, but I have driven around town looking for a darn oak tree and can't seem to find one now my house has quite a variety of plants and trees, and I was wondering if I could use any of the following plants listed bellow instead of oak. Please let me know which I can and shouldn't use
*Sweet Gum Tree
*Eucalyptus
*Pithecellobium dulce(madras thorn)
*Weeping Willow
*Southern Magnolia
*Avocado
*Oranges
*Lemon
*Guayaba
*Kumquats
*Nispero
*Plumeria
*Yesterday, today & tomorrow
 
Cavedweller

Cavedweller

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Mar 23, 2011
Messages
1,064
Oak isn't required, it's just the go-to hardwood since we know it works and is usually easy to find identify. The general guidelines are to find a hardwood tree that isn't aromatic (Eucalyptus is aromatic, do not use it). The way I check if leaf litter is safe for pedes is to search for wild millipedes and pillbugs living in it.

By the way, hygrometers aren't real reliable. The color of the substrate is a better guide, make sure the cocofiber in it stays dark and moist looking. I mist my pedes twice a week. What type of enclosure will you be using?

Good luck with your new pede!
 
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Symarip94

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jul 20, 2012
Messages
32
Thank you for letting me know about the Eucalyptus tree, this is exactly why I wanted to ask here before I put any of them. I'll be using the Sweet Gun and Southern Magnolia for now until I can find an oak tree. And I'll be using a 5.5 gallon Grreat Choice Terrarium Reptile Habitat that I got from PetSmart. The lid is a metal screen for ventilation, but I think I might be covering at least half of the tank with suran wrap from the outside just so the humidity will stay in. I'll also be purchasing 2 Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches in two weeks so I need some ventilation for them.
 
Cavedweller

Cavedweller

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
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Mar 23, 2011
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Yeah screen will be a bit much ventilation, I put saran wrap over some of my more ventilated tanks too. I've never kept roaches so I can't advise you there, but I'm sure someone else can step in.
 
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CrawlinChaos

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Mar 21, 2014
Messages
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I'll second that a screen lid will be too much for ventilation. In my millipede enclosures, I have plastic lids with only a single 2'' x 3'' hole cut into them with a cut square of furnace filter taped over it and that seems to be enough to provide air without losing a ton of humidity. I keep two species of hissing roach also and I have them in the same sort of set up without any problems. I think people tend to over estimate the amount of ventilation they really need, especially for millipedes.
 
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Symarip94

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jul 20, 2012
Messages
32
CrawlinChaos said:
I'll second that a screen lid will be too much for ventilation. In my millipede enclosures, I have plastic lids with only a single 2'' x 3'' hole cut into them with a cut square of furnace filter taped over it and that seems to be enough to provide air without losing a ton of humidity. I keep two species of hissing roach also and I have them in the same sort of set up without any problems. I think people tend to over estimate the amount of ventilation they really need, especially for millipedes.
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Yeah I covered 2/3 of the screen with suran wrap. And may I ask what type of cockroaches you have?
 
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CrawlinChaos

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Mar 21, 2014
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Well, the two hissing species I have are Aeluropoda insignis (Flat-horn hisser) and Elliptorhina javanica (Halloween hisser). I have a couple other, non hissing species as well.
 
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Symarip94

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jul 20, 2012
Messages
32
CrawlinChaos said:
Well, the two hissing species I have are Aeluropoda insignis (Flat-horn hisser) and Elliptorhina javanica (Halloween hisser). I have a couple other, non hissing species as well.
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Hold your horses, you can house Halloween Hissers with millipedes??? =O I didn't know that
 
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CrawlinChaos

Arachnosquire
Joined
Mar 21, 2014
Messages
100
I probably should have said that I keep all my species in separate enclosures, lol. I suppose you might be able to house roaches and millipedes together since neither are predatory and millipedes tend to eat leaves and wood while roaches don't. But, it seems like an unnecessary complication to me. It would also probably be a bad idea if you wanted to get baby millipedes, as they start out very tiny and a big old hisser might decide it was a nice snack or just step on it, lol.
 
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Symarip94

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jul 20, 2012
Messages
32
CrawlinChaos said:
I probably should have said that I keep all my species in separate enclosures, lol. I suppose you might be able to house roaches and millipedes together since neither are predatory and millipedes tend to eat leaves and wood while roaches don't. But, it seems like an unnecessary complication to me. It would also probably be a bad idea if you wanted to get baby millipedes, as they start out very tiny and a big old hisser might decide it was a nice snack or just step on it, lol.
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Oh no no I absolutely no intention in breeding my millipedes, I'd never be able to find a home for each and I don't easily trust small business pet stores that they would provide them with their necessities.
 
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