# Instant Springtails



## DooperMan (Sep 23, 2007)

I don't know if any of you have heard of this process, but i searched it up and i didnt see any threads about it. maybe im just bad at searching but.... A guy at the local reptile store said that you can grow springtails a really easy, cheap, and fast way. In fish flakes, springtail eggs are used, so he said to put a bunch of fish flakes in vermiculite with a little bit of dirt in it, and overnight it will be full os springs. I'm testing it as i type this post, and I will inform everyone of my progress tomorrow in the morning.


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## lacerta (Aug 27, 2004)

Yes, it is a phenomena known as "spontaneous generation". Garbage and manure does the same thing -- it will bring forth loads of maggots and flys. Unfortunately it was disproved about a hundred years ago by a gentleman named Louis Pasteur. I think the guy at the reptile show is a little behind on the literature. Fish flakes make a fine springtail food, and chances are that if there are any springtails already in the soil they will rapidly multiply to take advantage of this food source.

George


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## KeroKero (Jun 13, 2004)

Otherwise, I'd be really interested in how they collect the springtail eggs :roll: I've had springtails randomly show up in various cultures and potted plants. They usually have traveled from plants, tanks, or springtail cultures... or lately they are the springtails that hang out normally at my back door lol. Little black guys... can't seem to culture them on purpose...

I'm always a little skeptical of what some people tell me at shows/in pet stores. Like the time a guy tried to sell me an "albino cricket" (which was actually just a recently shed cricket that was white because it's exoskeleton hadn't hardened up yet).


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## DooperMan (Sep 23, 2007)

I feel pretty dumb right now...  I have no idea how i fell for that, even though at the time, I was pretty convinced. I think it must have been me not wanting to pay 20 bucks to ship in a culture, which i ended up doing last night...


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## KeroKero (Jun 13, 2004)

I don't know if the guy was messing with you... or actually believed it himself. Wouldn't be suprised if someone told him that, and he believed it after making a culture and had them randomly appear (from where is the question - cooked fish flakes? Doubtful).

Often it's best to look around to local froggers for a starter colony if you don't want to deal with shipping... while you don't have your location listed so I can't point you in any specific direction, check out the regional section to see if there is a local group near you. Handy to have a local person as back up for food supplies.


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