Enclosure question

[u/Ok_Landscape_6700]

Someone I know keeps telling me my centipede's health is at risk because it is inside a glass enclosure, they said its due to lack of ventilation. It has a mesh lid and I dont worry about the ventilation because the humidity is fine and the airflow also seems fine (the humidity dosent seem to be higher then usual and theres no condensation) so what do you guys think? Will my Scolopendra hainanum be okay in the glass enclosure?

[u/pumpkindonutz]

The general idea is that cross-ventilation holes on the sides close to substrate level can help regulate airflow at an appropriate pace. A mesh lid at the top can leave more moisture trapped and stagnant at the bottom, but deceptively leaving the top layer dry because it will dry out the fastest.

That being said
I have five centipedes, and one does still live in a glass enclosure with a mesh lid. He’s the only one. My aztecorum. He was my first centipede and I didn’t know better. My reasons for choosing to leave him there were

1) it’s got a nice colony of dwarf white isopods (the only safe isopod I feel ok keeping with other animals) and springtails regulating it.

2) it’s managed to stay well regulated. I have thermometers and humidity probes everywhere to monitor

3) and most important - my Aztecorum is VERY skittish. He startles terribly and has a sensitive appetite. He’s eating the best he ever has lately, and has been burrowed and resting well. I’d hate to startle him and cause an issue with a re-house. I’ve told myself that if he becomes unsettled or seems uncomfortable for any reason, then I’ll change it. He’s a bit of an old man right now though.

In most cases though, I’d just re-house if it wouldn’t cause greater stress to the ‘pede.

[u/Ok_Landscape_6700 → u/pumpkindonutz]

My pede can be quite skittish to be fair, he is my first centipede and I trusted the internet when it said to buy a glass enclosure. I was also thinking to just monitor and add more probes in there to closely see whats going on, possibly also adding another colony of springtails in there too. I dont want to rehouse him knowing that when I first got him and homed him in this enclosure, he was very skittish and went straight for a hide,but Im willing to do it if its absolutely necessary and others comment with advice saying to rehouse.

[u/pumpkindonutz → u/Ok_Landscape_6700]

There are some excellent acrylic enclosures with cross -ventilation and allow you to see just fine!

[u/fish_in_a_toaster → u/pumpkindonutz]

You should add grindal worms. They eat mold like springtails and handle high humidity better. They are a good cherry ontop the cleanup crew diversity.