# Springtail substrate?



## andyrawrs (Aug 16, 2008)

I got my shipment of temperate springtails from josh's frogs this morning. Most people seem to say that I should be using charcoal as the substrate, with RO or distilled water about an inch up, but I think that I read somewehre that you can use tap water, but hte chlorine will just slow it down a little. I also read from this site <url>http://www.dartfrog.tk/index.php?page=springtailguide</url> that you can use coco fiber. Will this work? I have coco fiber but no charcoal right now..


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## andre2000lb (Dec 30, 2007)

you can use the coco fiber, but it makes it a little harder to remove the springtails. With the charcoal method, you can simply pour them out of them culture when you need them. With the coco fiber, you either have to put some of the culture medium into the cage you want the springs in, or you have to put some leaves or piece of cork into the culture, and then move the leave or wood to the cage.


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## Adven2er (Aug 17, 2008)

I use coco fiber, orchid bark, crumbled dry leaves and peat moss. You can probably use your tap water, but you should let the water age at least 24 hours so the chlorine dissipates. You can feed the springtails almost any organic material. Dried or fresh mushrooms, flake fish food, potatoes and uncooked pasta are good choices.


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## Trey (Sep 10, 2008)

pick up a botlle of aquafina or something for the water.. and try feeding cucumbers.. mine went nuts for real thin slices of the stuff.


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## psychemjr (Jan 6, 2008)

I use straight coco bedding with some leaves thrown in. The bedding is just damp. I feed them the Cambollela food that josh sells (thats the good stuff) oats, piece of fruit every once in a while. To feed I just scoop out some of the bedding with the springs in a petri dish and set it in the tank. when I don't see any more springs crawling around I remove it. Either the frogs ate them or they jumped out and are in the viv.


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## andyrawrs (Aug 16, 2008)

Okay
I'm going to use "coco husk' and cover with some leaf litter. Is this right/ Oh and a piece or two of cucumber  Do they eat the organic matter, or the mold that occurs?


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## boombotty (Oct 12, 2005)

I use lump charcoal and feed with Ed's springtail food, and my culture is always Booming. Before, I just fed yeast and mushrooms everyonce in awile, and can't believe the difference I am seeing with Ed's food.
Scott


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## PingKing (Sep 28, 2008)

I use hearth worm casting and it is awesome to remove the springtails. They are always on the surface, breed like crazy and to remove them i use a film canister. I tilt the culture about 40 degres with the canister laying sideways on the casting and blow the springtails towards it. You get hundreds of them inside the canister without any medium.


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## RPN (Mar 25, 2007)

I use coco fiber and coco chips in a 5 gallon pail. Add a 16 oz fly container in the middle (sunken in substrate) and keep the lid on loosely. When you need springtails take the lid off and in a couple hours the cup is lined with them. They climb in or fall in and can not get back out! Then pull the container out and tap them into tanks.
I use distilled water in my set up.
Hope this helps.


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## taherman (Sep 5, 2008)

I use straight coco fiber or coarser dendro bedding. As long as it is damp it clumps well and you can easily shake springtails out with wire mesh kitchen strainer. IMO you have much more surface area on a cup of coco fiber than on flooded charcoal, and thus get much denser springtail populations.


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## Ed Holder (Sep 26, 2008)

I'm currently trying out three different mediums in my ST cultures, All are in 5 gal pails.
1. Hardwood charcoal 2. Coco fiber 3. Repti - moss.
I use distilled water for all three (master) cultures, leaving roughly 1/3 of the bottom open creating a pool for the springtails.
The moss culture seems to yeild higher numbers then the other two methods.
When i need to transfer springs to the tanks i place a couple oak leaves in the cultures (Aside from the charcoal) the night before i want to feed and transfer them to the tanks the next day.

Ed


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