# best way to culture springtails.



## DCreptiles (Jan 26, 2009)

hey guys i was given a large trop springtail culture in a trade that was booming more then i knew what to do with. i then from that culture made 2 new cultures and all 3 were booming but obviously not as much as when it was in one culture. i fed yeast twice a week and misted the yeast. my production actually went down then up. the culture came to me in co co fiber with instructions of feeding yeast. now the productionis way low.. any tips on how to bring it back up.. i was told they were just a lil to wet and once it drys up it will be good. can i get ideas on what you guys use and do?


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## -Jex- (Mar 29, 2008)

Well I'm not sure what type of springtail I have but I always keep a little bit of water in the container. I also feed them just fish flakes and I always have a bunch of springs ready to go.


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## Philsuma (Jul 18, 2006)

Derek,

Toss a small slice of mushroom on top of the coco.....any old cheap azz mushroom will do....

They go mental for mushrooms...


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## Brock (Jun 29, 2007)

You can buy a pack of dried mushrooms from any chinese store, they go a long way and won't go bad.

I find that grinding them into a powder works best.

They also like some fresh carrot pealing every so often as well.


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## mikestra (Oct 16, 2008)

I find it easier to feed out of is there is no substrate, just lumps of charcoal. I also recently switched from fish flakes to mushrooms and the production has skyrocketed. 
Mike


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## afterdark (Jan 16, 2007)

Check out the second section of this post: Canadart.org • View topic - New Facility AKA The Long March

Actually, the whole thread is fantastic - but the springtail culturing method that's outlined there seems to be really productive. I'm going to give it a shot.


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## gary1218 (Dec 31, 2005)

Good link Mike. THANKS.


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## DCreptiles (Jan 26, 2009)

That was a very interesting thread and I enjoyed it. But I heard from a lot of ppl a good coco fiber mix and mushrooms was full proof. I just switched from yeast to fish flakes and they love it. Next week ima try mushrooms whole and a powder. And see. Trial and error right?


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## gretchenellie (Aug 7, 2007)

this is my spring culture:

a large sterilite container, charcoal as the base layer, then coco fiber, then sphagnum moss, then more coco and some pothos cuttings and dried leaves.. every month or so i put in another handful of coco fiber to build up the substrate.

the cuttings roots are swarming with spring tails. 

i feed from this container nearly every day and it is still loaded.

i feed the springs only high grade fish flake. they also consume the dead pothos leaves.


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## hexentanz (Sep 18, 2008)

I visited a show some months ago and met someone who was selling springtail cultures along with tropical woodlice and there were so many springtails and woodlice in these cultures that all you saw on the top of the cultures was insects.  

I wondered what his secret was and he told me that while springtails and woodlice both like moisture they both do not like it too wet, so the first thing is to not keep your cultures too moist, so make sure your culture is slightly moist to the touch to about the middle of your culture. The second thing you will to do is to keep your soil nice and loose, this can be done by using a block of the cocoa fiber earth and some ground up cork bark. On the top of your culture you can place a small sheet of cork bark or peat plate (this will also give you something to pickup and shake springtails off in to your tanks).

Now for feeding. Over here we have the best luck with a powdered blended mixture of instant rice cereal, instant oatmeal (the kind that turns to pure mush when wetted), yeast (not the fresh kind), mushrooms (dehydrated). We usually sprinkle this lightly over half the culture once weekly and do not wet it.


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## Colleen53 (Jan 19, 2009)

Is it true that the springtails will eat the mold? I haven't tried them yet, but plan to get them as my tank is about 3 weeks new and I have mold on my background and wood. Thanks for answering my question....Colleen


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## Philsuma (Jul 18, 2006)

They surely will eat some....I just don't think a population would be able to handle a large amount of it like you are describing.


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## Colleen53 (Jan 19, 2009)

My bad....I have mold in some areas...not the whole background and wood. I know that is a moisture problem and would then cut back on the misting. What are springtails good for?


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## Philsuma (Jul 18, 2006)

They are a very good food item first....essential for some species / froglets

Then, they are a decent janitor animal second....


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## DCreptiles (Jan 26, 2009)

man the springtails are a great snack for the frogs.. all my frogs go nuts for the spring tails. for the most part i feed most of my collection a large amount of fruit flys every other day, very few get fed daily. i feed springtails on the off days of feeding just to keep the frogs eating. the larger frogs will clear springtails in seconds.. so i make sure to feed alot!. the thumbs love them and will eat them all day. i got 3 springtail cultures going now i left the lids partly off and im allowing them to dry out a bit and i stopped wit the yeast and switched to the fish flakes and im already seeing a difference.


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## KMSReptiles (Jan 17, 2009)

Thanks for the photo and how you set up spring tails...My question is do you use the lid to the sterilite container or something else to contain them...

Kevin



gretchenellie said:


> this is my spring culture:
> 
> a large sterilite container, charcoal as the base layer, then coco fiber, then sphagnum moss, then more coco and some pothos cuttings and dried leaves.. every month or so i put in another handful of coco fiber to build up the substrate.
> 
> ...


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## merk1_99 (Apr 19, 2009)

I use yeast and a small pc of corrugated on the top of the culture. The culture is booming. I can take the corrugated out and tap it in the tank to get the springtails off easily.


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## gretchenellie (Aug 7, 2007)

KMSReptiles said:


> Thanks for the photo and how you set up spring tails...My question is do you use the lid to the sterilite container or something else to contain them...
> 
> Kevin


------------------

sorry, didnt see this reply.

i use the sterilite lid.. i made small holes along the edges to make for a bit of air flow, but keep the humidity up...


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## KMSReptiles (Jan 17, 2009)

Thank you....



gretchenellie said:


> ------------------
> 
> sorry, didnt see this reply.
> 
> i use the sterilite lid.. i made small holes along the edges to make for a bit of air flow, but keep the humidity up...


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## Colleen53 (Jan 19, 2009)

What type of charcoal do you use? And do you rinse the charcoal in water? Thanks, Colleen


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## stemcellular (Jun 26, 2008)

I feed yeast, potato and cucumber slices. Now here's the best way to collect for me - I just pick up the cucumber slice that is covered in springs and tap it into a deli cup - hundreds fall out and then are tossed into the tank.


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## Dragas (Sep 4, 2008)

Colleen53 said:


> What type of charcoal do you use? And do you rinse the charcoal in water? Thanks, Colleen


Canadart.org • View topic - New Facility AKA The Long March


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## Colleen53 (Jan 19, 2009)

Thank you!!!


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## Almecum (Aug 3, 2007)

The Link to the Cananda site is not working. Does anyone have it. I had looked at it and was going to give it a try but I could not remember the charcoal that I needed to get. Where can you get the charcoal that is needed. Looked like a good way to culture springtails.


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## Dragas (Sep 4, 2008)

Natural Lump , Should be located in any grilling section.


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## dylanserbin (Apr 11, 2009)

Almecum said:


> The Link to the Cananda site is not working. Does anyone have it. I had looked at it and was going to give it a try but I could not remember the charcoal that I needed to get. Where can you get the charcoal that is needed. Looked like a good way to culture springtails.




Canadart.org • View topic - New Facility AKA The Long March

try that.


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## bruce (Feb 23, 2007)

As noted earlier, use of mushrooms, I switched from yeast to mushroom powder and production has skyrocketed! (still use charcoal chunks (josh frogs))


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