# springtails...



## Guest (Jul 30, 2006)

so some reason, some of my springtails insist on colonizing my water feature (it a little pond of standing water). today i cleaned the majority of them out but when i got back from work, there were about twice as many as before. is there any particular reason for this? the substrate is pleanty moist, there are hundreds of spring tails on the surface in the mornings, and even more under the soil. 
i was thinking that because the pond is standing water there may be an accumulation of bacteria which they find nurishing, need more moisture, or just get in there and cant get out (should i feed them more?)
anyway is there any particular reason for this or is it just one of the facts of terrarium life?

also is there such a thing as too many springtails?


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## Enlightened Rogue (Mar 21, 2006)

Wish I had the problem of to many. I recently dumped an entire culture in my viv.,my 2 Leucs. attacked them before they hit the substrait! I haven`t seen one!! sorry I couldn`t be of help. John


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## masterbreed (May 9, 2006)

i am having the same problem i have an extra empty terrarium at the moment and they were located in the pillow moss and decided to attack all standing water


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## zBrinks (Jul 16, 2006)

They like water. Have your frogs figured out that springtails in water are easy pickings?


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## sirfugu (Sep 7, 2004)

I too have this problem right now in my Imitator tank. They are EVERYWHERE. I've never seen springtails like this. I think the cause of my expolsion is the huge chunk of wood in the viv. Don't know why though.


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## masterbreed (May 9, 2006)

yes mine have all they often sit by or in the pools and eat like pigs


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## Guest (Jul 31, 2006)

there actually arent any frogs in the tank right now. it will probally sit empty for another couple of weeks or so. glad this is a regular occurrence.

-i have some of the KY wild grape wood in my tank...this might be the reason for their proliferation. i think this stuff is great, ive got tons of it around, and it looks great with the bark. suprisingly enough it doesnt get too moldy as ive heard other grapewood does.


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## Frank H (Nov 3, 2005)

I dont know.. I guess they just like the water. 

I wish I had a macro lens! I just cropped the heck out of this picture.


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## hussler (Oct 5, 2010)

Hey Zach,

I just dumped my culture of springtails in my terrarium about 5 days ago and haven't seen any activity above the substrate yet. How long should I expect to wait before these guys start taking over?


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## TDK (Oct 6, 2007)

Guest and Frank--what are you doing to get this sort of "boom" going in your tanks? I've ordered about 5 varieties of Springtails and am waiting for this kind of production before I breed my BB Toads (Melanophryniscus) again. I have some black, pink, mini and Blue Globular that look to be taking off but. I just re-ordered temperate white and tropical white but had problems/deaths with ones I received earlier and this looks to be what you're having success with. More information would be appreciated.


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## ChristinaK (Sep 20, 2010)

I wont get my frogs till next NARBC . I am just starting to get my tank together. When is the best time to add springtails?


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## zBrinks (Jul 16, 2006)

Holy crap this is an old thread!

After I seed a vivarium, it is typically 2 weeks to a month before I really see springtails colonizing.


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## Enlightened Rogue (Mar 21, 2006)

I thought the same thing Zach.
Funny!

John


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## Enlightened Rogue (Mar 21, 2006)

ChristinaK said:


> I wont get my frogs till next NARBC . I am just starting to get my tank together. When is the best time to add springtails?


You should the springtails before the frogs-so they have a chance to survive.
I also add my springs. at night when my frogs are tucked away in their little beds.

John


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## zBrinks (Jul 16, 2006)

ChristinaK said:


> I wont get my frogs till next NARBC . I am just starting to get my tank together. When is the best time to add springtails?


 You can add springtails whenever you add the substrate. I like to have my vivs set up at least a month before adding frogs, but that's just my preference.


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## Frank H (Nov 3, 2005)

TDK said:


> Guest and Frank--what are you doing to get this sort of "boom" going in your tanks? I've ordered about 5 varieties of Springtails and am waiting for this kind of production before I breed my BB Toads (Melanophryniscus) again. I have some black, pink, mini and Blue Globular that look to be taking off but. I just re-ordered temperate white and tropical white but had problems/deaths with ones I received earlier and this looks to be what you're having success with. More information would be appreciated.




I keep my cultures in shoebox sized tupperware with a loose fitting lid, filled 3/4 of the way with coco husk (chunks of wood looking substrate I got from a local pet store). I feed them a pinch of bakers yeast about once a week. I also keep a few small pieces of cardboard in there to help with feeding and also makes it easy to distribute the springtails out to feed frogs. 

I seeded my vivarium about a month ago and am getting these big groups of springtails in the pond just for about a week now. I was putting pinches of bakers yeast in the vivarium to keep the springtails fed.


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