# springtails????



## huyvu (Feb 2, 2009)

I received a temperate springtails from josh's frogs yesterday. I immediately dumped it in a 6qt bin and added extra charcoal to almost fill the container. Then, I added 1.5 inches of distilled water and a couple pinch es of bakers yeast on top. So far, the yeast doesn't look like it has been touch and I see no springs on the surface.

I used my finger, dig up some of the charcoal, and can see a few springs. 

Am I doing something wrong?


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## Enlightened Rogue (Mar 21, 2006)

This happens quite a lot with springtail orders through the mail. I usually place a few pieces of Mushroom, seal it back up and give it some time. 
More than likely it will come back after a few days. I also try not to buy Springtails or anything for that matter that I can`t see for myself before ordering. I know it`s not possible for all, but I buy all my supplies and frogs from either the shows I go to or one vendor in particular here in CT.
If you wish to pm me, I would be more than happy to share with you the people I buy from.

**EDIT**
I just re-read your post and realized you mentioned Josh. I recieved 3 cultures from him awhile back that appeared DOA. I wrote back to him and within 4 days I had 3 more cultures on his dime. As it turned out the orginal 3 ''sprung'' to life shortly after. Add the mushrooms and give it 2-3 days, if nothing hapens contact him nicely and he will make it better.

John


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## joshsfrogs (May 6, 2004)

Make sure the top is wet or the springtails will stay where it is moist. We recommend feeding uncooked white rice and with the loose lids (I.e. not air tight) you can feed a small handful at a time.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk


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## huyvu (Feb 2, 2009)

So I checked on the culture today and I still don't see any springs on the surface. The lid isn't air tight, but loose enough for some air flow. I am sure the moisture on the surface is fine, since the top lid and sides are a bit foggy by condensation.

The bakers yeast and a few grain rice I placed two days ago are molding up, but I still don't see any springs on the surface eating it. It looks as if it hasn't been touched by the springs.

Do I have to wait a few more days? Is this normal?


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## ZookeeperDoug (Jun 5, 2011)

Patience grasshopper. Give it some time and before you know it you'll have millions of springs roaming that container. I bought a culture, shipped in peat from a reliable source on the board. I did almost the same thing as you did, but I didn't dump the whole culture into my 6 qt container, I just nestled the cup of springs down into my carbon and seeded around it with yeast. For the first few days, if not a couple weeks there was not alot to see, but after that they took off. Baby springs are almost too small to see, but trust me, pretty soon you'll be feeding out very frequently or be splitting our culture.


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## huyvu (Feb 2, 2009)

I will give it some more time.

I thought they would come up to the surface and eat by now. I thought I was doing something wrong.

I feel a lot better now

Thanks everyone who reply.


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## MrFusion (Jul 18, 2011)

I ordered a tropical springtail culture from Josh's frogs a while ago and the EXACT same experience you did. It took about a month or two for the culture to get going and I had to add an additional springtail culture that I bought from a board member. I believe the issue was that I had to few springtails in quite a large container. Anyway, eventually it will build up, but you're looking at a few months before the culture really gets booming. In retrospect, it probably would have been better to start the culture in something a lot smaller than a shoebox. But like I was, you're kinda stuck at this point. 

Here are my recommendations...

1. Add another culture or two to your existing culture. Yeah, I know... it pissed me off too, but such is life. lol

2. Even though you have a lot of humidity in your culture, be sure to give the surface a good misting AFTER you sprinkle in some yeast. I've noticed that the springs devour it much faster this way. My culture will will eat two giant pinches of yeast in one day.

3. Keep the culture in a fairly dark and undisturbed area. Springs don't like to come to the surface to feed if there is too much light. 

4. Don't feed them anything but yeast and you won't have any problems with mites.

5. When your culture is booming and you're trying to figure out how to get the spring out... Just take a leaf and sprinkle some yeast on it, then give it a light spray of water. In a few hours the leaf will be COVERED in springs for you to seed your vivs with. 

Hope this helps! Good luck with everything!


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

huyvu said:


> I will give it some more time.
> 
> I thought they would come up to the surface and eat by now. I thought I was doing something wrong.
> 
> ...


They are coming up and eating. You just don't see them do it. They are going to do it in the dark, when nobody is looking. You won't notice any food disappearing. Springtails are tiny and rice is big. Consider cooking up the entire stock of a McDonald's store and putting it in front of a dozen toddlers. You won't see the thousands of burgers disappearing, but they are eating. 
For the next few weeks, it's going to look like nothing is happening. Then one day you will lift a large piece of charcoal and see them scurrying away.


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## onefstsnake (Jul 31, 2008)

When I remove the lids off of my springtail cultures they all seem to head for the bottom of the container. 

I ordered a culture from Josh ~ a year ago and immediately started five 6qt containers. 
I make sure to take the lids off a few times during the week, and I feed the culture after I feed the springs to my frogs. Which is about once a week. I get the springs out of the culture by flooding the culture with water, then pouring the water into my tanks.

I use alphabet soup pasta (uncooked) and fish flakes as food for the springs. 
Be careful not to add too much food as it will mold over and gas the culture.


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