# Mites in springtails cultures



## Crazy frog (Aug 8, 2010)

Hi guys , recently I got some springtails cultures locally and it came with lots of mites and I was planning to use them to seed my frog tanks but I am worried that the mites will affect my frogs , would they? Also how does the mites kill off the springtails? The mites will slowly feed off the springtails till the whole culture die off?


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## Gamble (Aug 1, 2010)

Here is an excellent and informative post by Doug (Pumilo) ...
Enjoy ;-)

http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/food-feeding/66991-how-culture-isopods-woodlice-springtails.html

No the mites will definitely NOT hurt your frogs, they will just become another food source.

I think the mites may feed on the springtail eggs and eventually outcompete them for food/resources until eventually they cant reproduce faster than the mites can.

Something im guilty of, and ive seen suggested numerous times is to keep multiple springtail cultures instead of just one master culture.


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

Thanks Nick. Here is a thread on how to clean them for future cleaning. http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/fo...clean-your-mite-contaminated-springtails.html I agree though, that you don't need to clean them before dumping in your viv, but rather, clean the ones you plan to continue culturing.
Mites are everywhere and will eventually make their way into *every* viv. They are pretty much harmless. There are predatory mites but they seem to be an uncommon problem in vivs.


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## Gamble (Aug 1, 2010)

Pumilo said:


> Thanks Nick. Here is a thread on how to clean them for future cleaning. http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/fo...clean-your-mite-contaminated-springtails.html I agree though, that you don't need to clean them before dumping in your viv, but rather, clean the ones you plan to continue culturing.
> Mites are everywhere and will eventually make their way into *every* viv. They are pretty much harmless. There are predatory mites but they seem to be an uncommon problem in vivs.


Youre welcome Doug! 
Glad you posted, bc i was looking for the other thread you just linked and couldnt locate it. I guess i didnt look hard enough!


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## Crazy frog (Aug 8, 2010)

Pumilo said:


> Thanks Nick. Here is a thread on how to clean them for future cleaning. http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/fo...clean-your-mite-contaminated-springtails.html I agree though, that you don't need to clean them before dumping in your viv, but rather, clean the ones you plan to continue culturing.
> Mites are everywhere and will eventually make their way into *every* viv. They are pretty much harmless. There are predatory mites but they seem to be an uncommon problem in vivs.


Alright thanks , how could I check if mine are normal and not predatory mites, just want to be safe before I seed them into my tank with my frogs.


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

Crazy frog said:


> Alright thanks , how could I check if mine are normal and not predatory mites, just want to be safe before I seed them into my tank with my frogs.


They would be predatory towards the springtails, so just watch them closely. Are the mites attacking and killing the springtails? If so, they are predatory. To this day, I've only heard rumors of them and never actually had any problems with them.


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## Crazy frog (Aug 8, 2010)

Pumilo said:


> They would be predatory towards the springtails, so just watch them closely. Are the mites attacking and killing the springtails? If so, they are predatory. To this day, I've only heard rumors of them and never actually had any problems with them.


Will keep a look out and see if the mites are killing the springtails , even so if it predatory mites , it will not cause any harm to my frogs right?


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

There are a few reports of frogs, usually froglets, being stressed to death by mites if the population is totally out of control.


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