The Whisperers care guide to centipede keeping

[Mastigoproctus]

I don't know crap about centipedes, I will confess, but I've heard this same claim with millipedes many times. You mentioned centipedes are very prone to ingesting portions of their substrate...wouldn't this mean the substrate would be in their system whether it was the cause of death or not?
For example, I read a university study on millipedes, and 20 dead ones where cut open. They ALL had coco fiber in their stomachs. This would lead most people to think "Coco coir causes compaction and death". But when he dissected several that DIDN'T randomly die, they ALSO had it in their stomachs. This showed that the coco coir wasn't the causation necesarilly, it was present in 100% of the millipedes and therefore easy to assume thats why they all died. Its also worth mentioned the vast majority didn't die.

I know millies and centis can be night and day sometimes, just a thought.

These deaths where all fully and unmistakably due to the cocofiber impaction and there is indisputable evidence that I've personally found in a huge amount of cases. No strands found post-impaction or pre-impaction, just 1-3 strands at the exact impaction site with severe infection and advanced decomposition post impaction, while there was overly huge amounts of undigested or partially digested food pre impaction. The smell and decomposition state of the tissue was apparent even in ones that died minutes before the autopsy, and it's not mistakable for it just being in the digestive tract with the internal state of decay that's seen 100% of the time in these situations. In every autopsy I've done that showed the expanded center section and the deflated rear trunk indicative of centipede impaction, all results where entirely conclusive and identical; 1-3 simple strands that are not digestibleade made it deep into the digestive tract and killed them. These are not millipedes, they cannot process woods or plant based solid fiber strands like beetles and millipedes can, they are simply not the same especially in the diet/digestive area.

With that said, go ahead and use cocofiber if you want, it's more expensive then peat by a long shot, it helps mold grow where as peat doesn't allow mold growth, and it does kill centipedes and there is decades of proof, where peat is 100000% safe and has never killed a single specimen to my knowledge or that I have seen at least in my 2 decades+ of keeping.

 

[Godzilla90fan]

These deaths where all fully and unmistakably due to the cocofiber impaction and there is indisputable evidence that I've personally found in a huge amount of cases. No strands found post-impaction or pre-impaction, just 1-3 strands at the exact impaction site with severe infection and advanced decomposition post impaction, while there was overly huge amounts of undigested or partially digested food pre impaction. The smell and decomposition state of the tissue was apparent even in ones that died minutes before the autopsy, and it's not mistakable for it just being in the digestive tract with the internal state of decay that's seen 100% of the time in these situations. In every autopsy I've done that showed the expanded center section and the deflated rear trunk indicative of centipede impaction, all results where entirely conclusive and identical; 1-3 simple strands that are not digestibleade made it deep into the digestive tract and killed them. These are not millipedes, they cannot process woods or plant based solid fiber strands like beetles and millipedes can, they are simply not the same especially in the diet/digestive area.

With that said, go ahead and use cocofiber if you want, it's more expensive then peat by a long shot, it helps mold grow where as peat doesn't allow mold growth, and it does kill centipedes and there is decades of proof, where peat is 100000% safe and has never killed a single specimen to my knowledge or that I have seen at least in my 2 decades+ of keeping.

I'm not opposed to using other substrates, I am just reluctant to stir things up when they are doing well. Another member has convinced me to mix it up on their upcoming scheduled change. Another worry is disturbing eggs, they have mated a lot the last few months. They have a pretty established tunnel system as well, but they'll lose that anyway when I clean up.

My only deaths have been my bumblebee millipedes I bought almost 2 months ago, whom all (5) died recently, within about 24 hours of each other. My american giants are fine, so Im stumped as to what happened.

 

[Sangin]

I don't know crap about centipedes, I will confess, but I've heard this same claim with millipedes many times. You mentioned centipedes are very prone to ingesting portions of their substrate...wouldn't this mean the substrate would be in their system whether it was the cause of death or not?
For example, I read a university study on millipedes, and 20 dead ones where cut open. They ALL had coco fiber in their stomachs. This would lead most people to think "Coco coir causes compaction and death". But when he dissected several that DIDN'T randomly die, they ALSO had it in their stomachs. This showed that the coco coir wasn't the causation necesarilly, it was present in 100% of the millipedes and therefore easy to assume thats why they all died. Its also worth mentioned the vast majority didn't die.

I know millies and centis can be night and day sometimes, just a thought.

You make a good point but millipedes are more likely to be able to digest cocofiber better then centipedes simply because of their diet right?
So if millipedes are even slightly negatively effected by cocofiber then imagine what that does to centipedes.

Regardless, peat from home depot is alot more affordable then cocofiber from a pet store.

 

[biggus dickus]

I was just about to re do my centipedes enclosure, this was very helpful, thanks.

I have 2 ethmostigmus trigonopodus that ive been keeping together communally for a few months, I ve been mostly ignoring them but one of them was sitting on eggs last time i checked. She promptly ate them afterwards, so Im going to give them a bigger bin in a quiet corner and see if i get another clutch.

 

[Needforpede420]

These deaths where all fully and unmistakably due to the cocofiber impaction and there is indisputable evidence that I've personally found in a huge amount of cases. No strands found post-impaction or pre-impaction, just 1-3 strands at the exact impaction site with severe infection and advanced decomposition post impaction, while there was overly huge amounts of undigested or partially digested food pre impaction. The smell and decomposition state of the tissue was apparent even in ones that died minutes before the autopsy, and it's not mistakable for it just being in the digestive tract with the internal state of decay that's seen 100% of the time in these situations. In every autopsy I've done that showed the expanded center section and the deflated rear trunk indicative of centipede impaction, all results where entirely conclusive and identical; 1-3 simple strands that are not digestibleade made it deep into the digestive tract and killed them. These are not millipedes, they cannot process woods or plant based solid fiber strands like beetles and millipedes can, they are simply not the same especially in the diet/digestive area.

With that said, go ahead and use cocofiber if you want, it's more expensive then peat by a long shot, it helps mold grow where as peat doesn't allow mold growth, and it does kill centipedes and there is decades of proof, where peat is 100000% safe and has never killed a single specimen to my knowledge or that I have seen at least in my 2 decades+ of keeping.

Hello bro new member here I’m going to purchase a gigantea pretty soon so I just built the cage. I have cross ventilation and I had a cage custom made with holes in top too. So I used 50 or so percent coco fiber and 50 percent jungle mix. Would that be ok to use? If not can I get pest soil at Home Depot?

 

[Raptorr]

Hello bro new member here I’m going to purchase a gigantea pretty soon so I just built the cage. I have cross ventilation and I had a cage custom made with holes in top too. So I used 50 or so percent coco fiber and 50 percent jungle mix. Would that be ok to use? If not can I get pest soil at Home Depot?

He has been inactive for a while now. Like he mentioned in the care guide, the best possible substrate you can use is a mix of peat moss and sand for the reasons he talked about in the guide (no mold growth, cheaper, less risk of impaction). I use it myself too, and I recommend it for sure.