# Tonkinbolus dollfusi



## chris24352008 (May 13, 2012)

Hi guys wondered if any of you ever owned one of these guys I can't find a hole lot on the tinternet about them? Would ideally like 2 or 3 and hopefully breed them. The thing that's confusing me is the fact they eat dead wood surely this doesn't mean I can just go to the nearby nature reserve and take some because of the risk of mites or does it? :s


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## teresaharris (Aug 25, 2012)

Hi there, I keep Tonkinbolus dollfusi and have bred them too, you have to be careful which substrate and wood you collect as some can be poisonous, these are the ones I know of that is safe for them Beech, Birch, Ash, Maple, Hazel, Oak, Sweet Chestnut, Elm, mine especially love Beech leaves, I put any substrate/wood/leaves in the microwave for 2-3 minutes to kill any unwanted creepy crawlys


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## tom495 (Mar 25, 2011)

I keep and breed them also. Found the bug bed from metamorphosis perfect for them I just mixed a little calcium powder in and it worked a treat! 

Best of luck


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## chris24352008 (May 13, 2012)

teresaharris said:


> Hi there, I keep Tonkinbolus dollfusi and have bred them too, you have to be careful which substrate and wood you collect as some can be poisonous, these are the ones I know of that is safe for them Beech, Birch, Ash, Maple, Hazel, Oak, Sweet Chestnut, Elm, mine especially love Beech leaves, I put any substrate/wood/leaves in the microwave for 2-3 minutes to kill any unwanted creepy crawlys


That's really helpful advice cheers. Would love to see some pics of yours if you have any? I've heard they like fruit and veg also there must be calcium dust available. Also are they hard to breed. Normally I would always use tinternet for advice but as I say I can find next to no info on these guys.


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## chris24352008 (May 13, 2012)

tom495 said:


> I keep and breed them also. Found the bug bed from metamorphosis perfect for them I just mixed a little calcium powder in and it worked a treat!
> 
> Best of luck


Bug bed I haven't heard of that before ill investigate. Cheers


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## tom495 (Mar 25, 2011)

chris24352008 said:


> Bug bed I haven't heard of that before ill investigate. Cheers


Yeah it's available on their website I've found I great successfully bred 3 species of millipede on it and some beetles. I do put salad leaves plus fruit and veg in with them. Not a lot just a little bit and replace it every few days. Didn't find them very hard to breed at all. The young can be a little finicky I put my first and only failed attempt down to incorrect substrate which is when I switched to bug bed. Look it up, I would highly recommend it :2thumb:


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## teresaharris (Aug 25, 2012)

*Pics*

No problem always happy to help, I put cuttlefish in, sweet potato, banana skins, carrot, mushrooms, tomato I haven't found them to be hard to breed, I think its a case of leaving them to it and letting them get on with it, will add a few pictures  

I have also bred glossy black pink legged, mozambique fires, and I'm currently working on breeding giant africans, ambers, I have arriving soon some flat millipedes, and olives aswell


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## chris24352008 (May 13, 2012)

teresaharris said:


> No problem always happy to help, I put cuttlefish in, sweet potato, banana skins, carrot, mushrooms, tomato I haven't found them to be hard to breed, I think its a case of leaving them to it and letting them get on with it, will add a few pictures
> 
> I have also bred glossy black pink legged, mozambique fires, and I'm currently working on breeding giant africans, ambers, I have arriving soon some flat millipedes, and olives aswell
> image
> ...


They are beautiful millis very impressed. This is probably a stupid question going to ask it anyway would spider life be ok as a substrate and peat moss? Also how often do these guys need feeding I'm guessing daily? Really appreciate all your help


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## teresaharris (Aug 25, 2012)

Its not stupid at all 
I mix substrate I get from the woods, with coir or peat and I also put moss in, food usually lasts a few days, I remove leftovers when they look a bit gross lol

I think it would be fine but its not a food for them, mixing in some substrate from the woods would be a good idea


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## selina20 (May 28, 2008)

Egg shells are a good thing for them too . So when you are next boiling your eggs keep the shells and give them to them


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## chris24352008 (May 13, 2012)

selina20 said:


> Egg shells are a good thing for them too . So when you are next boiling your eggs keep the shells and give them to them


Strange thing to eat I wonder what they get from eating eggshells lol. Cheers for the advice


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## selina20 (May 28, 2008)

chris24352008 said:


> Strange thing to eat I wonder what they get from eating eggshells lol. Cheers for the advice


Calcium perhaps :whistling2:


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## chris24352008 (May 13, 2012)

selina20 said:


> Calcium perhaps :whistling2:


I never knew there was calcium in egg shells lol. :s


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## selina20 (May 28, 2008)

chris24352008 said:


> I never knew there was calcium in egg shells lol. :s


Its made up of calcium carbonate the same compound you get in limestone and chalk lol. Thats why it reacts with acid


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## chris24352008 (May 13, 2012)

selina20 said:


> Its made up of calcium carbonate the same compound you get in limestone and chalk lol. Thats why it reacts with acid


You learn something new everyday aye lol


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## selina20 (May 28, 2008)

chris24352008 said:


> You learn something new everyday aye lol


Thats why people give birds things like crushed shells when they are laying eggs XD


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## chris24352008 (May 13, 2012)

*need help*

cant work out how to upload a photo i'm trying to show you the set up for the millis iv'e done :s


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## chris24352008 (May 13, 2012)

here's the set up iv'e made for the milli's. have a look and see what you think  on the left iv'e put two halves of plastic plant pot and covered with moss the substrate is spider life with calcium powder shaken in and in the top right hand corner there is egg shells. 

Iv'e yet to get the wood for them but I will be sourcing this soon.










photo7_zpsf65f7a97.jpg Photo by Chris24352008 | Photobucket


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## chris24352008 (May 13, 2012)

chris24352008 said:


> here's the set up iv'e made for the milli's. have a look and see what you think  on the left iv'e put two halves of plastic plant pot and covered with moss the substrate is spider life with calcium powder shaken in and in the top right hand corner there is egg shells.
> 
> Iv'e yet to get the wood for them but I will be sourcing this soon.
> 
> ...


photo6_zpsc71b4819.jpg Photo by Chris24352008 | Photobucket


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## selina20 (May 28, 2008)

More substrate and leaves


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## chris24352008 (May 13, 2012)

selina20 said:


> More substrate and leaves


around an inch would you say?


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## selina20 (May 28, 2008)

chris24352008 said:


> around an inch would you say?


Ideally you want to half fill that tank at least. They burrow when they moult


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## chris24352008 (May 13, 2012)

selina20 said:


> Ideally you want to half fill that tank at least. They burrow when they moult


I have an apple tree in the back garden would you have though the leaves from that would be a good choice? I have seen you can feed these guys apples.


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## teresaharris (Aug 25, 2012)

Atleast half fill it with substrate Chris, add some more leaves and a nice chunk of rotting wood for them to munch on


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## chris24352008 (May 13, 2012)

teresaharris said:


> Atleast half fill it with substrate Chris, add some more leaves and a nice chunk of rotting wood for them to munch on


Yh it's all finished now well apart from going down the nature reserve for a nice chunk of wood. Cheers for all the help


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