millipedes and crested geckos
Hey!
I recently adopted a crested gecko, he was 1 month old when I got him (I say him but it is really just a guess) and he is now 3 months old and just over 4 inches long. A month or so ago I made him a beautiful vivarium (well, I'm proud of it anyways; it is my first one!) and of course I used plants from an organic nursery.
Anyways, getting to my point as to be expected with organic nurseries, a few bugs were in the soil...I put most of them outside, but I have left one millipede in the vivarium. He is the lone member of the vivarium's cleaning crew lol.
At first I thought nothing of it and considered the millipede to be only a positive, but then I read something that said that geckos can die if they eat them due to certain toxins the millipedes secrete when threatened. Does anyone have any experience with this kind of thing? Are certain millipedes safe for eating?
I may remove the millipede next time I see it, but then who will I get to keep the tank clean? A bigger millipede? I don't have mold at all, so I don't think springtails would be beneficial, maybe rollie pollies?
The millipede is pretty small (1 inch maybe) so I could see my gecko eating him if he were to notice him, though he has never been exposed to any bugs as a food source before. I feed cgd exclusively as did the breeder, though I'm sure instincts take over.
A little more information: I am using a exoterra 12x12x18 and have eco earth with the potted plant's soil mixed in for substrate and cypress mulch as a top layer. I also have a drainage layer of hydroballs with mesh separating it from the soil. So any help would be appreciated, Thanks!!!
Also I want to add images but I don't think I can use the url to them as they would be to my personal computer files (I don't post pictures on social network sites and therefore don't have that type of url).
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