# reason for charcoal in spring cultures



## gillenws (Jul 13, 2009)

why is charcoal the substrate of choice for these? can you use rocks instead?


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## markbudde (Jan 4, 2008)

Springtail cultures emit a chemical which accumulates over time and eventually causes them to quit laying eggs. Charcoal absorbs this so they lay eggs longer. This is true at least for Sinella (the larger white springs).
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## gillenws (Jul 13, 2009)

ah makes sense... and is there a certain type of charcoal to use? i've seen posted that you don't use briquettes for a grill.


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## jeffr (May 15, 2009)

I use the charcoal that is used for orchids


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## sNApple (Mar 19, 2007)

charcoal = overhyped

charcoal sucks!


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## gillenws (Jul 13, 2009)

sNApple said:


> charcoal = overhyped
> 
> charcoal sucks!


as helpful as that is... mind sharing what you use for your cultures? also is there anywhere special that one might find this charcoal locally?


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## RPN (Mar 25, 2007)

I like to use hardwood charcoal. I find it also gives more surface area than any other option. 
The methods of which you can remove the springs from the hard wood charcoal chunks are numerous.
You can flood the cavity in which they are colonizing with the springs and poor off into a fish net and feed. You can also spoon from the surface as they float up.
Drain the cavity with tent screen and rubber band so you dont loose all the springs.
You can also take the big chunks or chunks and tap or blow off into area needed (tank-bin etc)
Charcoal is also light compared to rocks.
Leca also works but prooved to be a pain in the butt to remove spring's from. IMO.

The best method I have going at this point is hardwood charcoal coverd in oak leaves and almond leaves on top in shoe box sized storage containers. Add almond leaves as they break down. I leave 1/8" water on bottom, just to cover it and keep humidity up. 
I take a leaf out and tap it off into tanks/bins when needed. I also try and take from every spring tail culture every month. I found if the population gets to large it crashes. If you feed to heavily it also crashes. Experiment with feeding, small amounts untill you see it gone every second day, if its not its to much.

So in short charcoal works best for me. I use it because of its many uses and its readily available and cheap.


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## gillenws (Jul 13, 2009)

great... that was really helpful thanks!


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## RPN (Mar 25, 2007)

Your welcome. Here is another great article on culturing them.
Canadart.org • View topic - New Facility AKA The Long March


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## DCreptiles (Jan 26, 2009)

With my springtails of any species I use cocofiber mix with jungle bed because it has some wood chips. I make them in large plastic storage boxs and put in potao skins cuecumber skins carrot skins and one large mag leaf and two e a month I'll feed mushroom caps or mushroom powder placed onto the mag leaf. They also like bakers yeast. That normally keeps my cultures booming. So to make a new culture just grab a fist full from a established culture and place into a new container add more soil and feed and let sit. My best friend uses charcol and swears by it so I guess it's all what works best for you.


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## gillenws (Jul 13, 2009)

do springtails seem to do pretty well in a viv with an egg crate false bottom with a big space below it?


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## Philsuma (Jul 18, 2006)

gillenws said:


> do springtails seem to do pretty well in a viv with an egg crate false bottom with a big space below it?


They will propogate in such a viv...yes. 

Hard question to answer without some considerations.

1. Amount of frogs in the viv eating them
2. Type and size of frogs...Tincs vs Pums....vs Pum froglets

Another way to help you would be to post what frogs you would like to keep and we could go from there - feeder insect-wise.


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

For the white Sinella, I get the best production out of a mixture of charcoal and infield conditioner (provided I remember to soak them first). This mixture allows me to simply flood the culture and poor off the springtails. At least one of my cultures has been up and running at heavy production for something like 5 years now (although that one is a mixture of leca and charcoal). 

Ed


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## gillenws (Jul 13, 2009)

thanks for all the input all


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## frogfreak (Mar 4, 2009)

I've been using the charcoal method for about 6 months now and have had very good luck with this method.

I use 1 1/2 gallon glass jars filled about 3/4's with hardwood charcoal. I leave about an inch of water in the bottom and feed ground mushroom powder.

When I see the culture has large numbers of springs I flood the culture and remove about half the springs. I pour off the water and add an inch of freshwater.

So far so good...

Make more cultures than you think you will need. You can't have enough springs IMO.


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## gillenws (Jul 13, 2009)

how about feeding once they've colonized a viv? i read on the link posted earlier that they put mushroom powder into the viv. is this necessary/beneficial, or will the mold/poop be sufficient to keep the springs fed?


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## jeffr (May 15, 2009)

gillenws said:


> how about feeding once they've colonized a viv? i read on the link posted earlier that they put mushroom powder into the viv. is this necessary/beneficial, or will the mold/poop be sufficient to keep the springs fed?


When I first put them in my tank I threw mushroom pieces in there. Once the leaves started decaying and the tank cycled I stopped the mushrooms


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## frogfreak (Mar 4, 2009)

jeffr said:


> When I first put them in my tank I threw mushroom pieces in there. Once the leaves started decaying and the tank cycled I stopped the mushrooms


Ditto.....


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## sNApple (Mar 19, 2007)

Ive had great results with ada soil, much better results than charcoal, especially if you like to flood the cultures to feed because charcoal floats, and the ada soil does not. The ada soil is very small and clay based it does not break down. It seems to hold more springs per square inch.


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## gillenws (Jul 13, 2009)

i see... thanks for the explanation snapple... ill look into that too


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## Dragas (Sep 4, 2008)

markbudde said:


> Springtail cultures emit a chemical which accumulates over time and eventually causes them to quit laying eggs. Charcoal absorbs this so they lay eggs longer. This is true at least for Sinella (the larger white springs).
> JSTOR: An Error Occurred Setting Your User Cookie


How does this factor to the springtails we put in our tanks as tank janitors ? Do they eventually emit enough of the gas to stop laying eggs, in turn any additional springs we add are not going to lay more eggs ?

I presume the charcoal can only absorb so much of the waste as well ?


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## markbudde (Jan 4, 2008)

I suspect that springtails aren't at a high enough density in your viv to cause a problem. The problem starts when you have a very dense culture.


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## frogfreak (Mar 4, 2009)

sNApple said:


> Ive had great results with ada soil, much better results than charcoal, especially if you like to flood the cultures to feed because charcoal floats, and the ada soil does not. The ada soil is very small and clay based it does not break down. It seems to hold more springs per square inch.


I've never heard of ada soil. Can you fill me in please.


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

sNApple said:


> Ive had great results with ada soil, much better results than charcoal, especially if you like to flood the cultures to feed because charcoal floats, and the ada soil does not. The ada soil is very small and clay based it does not break down. It seems to hold more springs per square inch.


I soak the charcoal for a few days before using and I don't have any issues with it floating... it will only float if your keeping your cultures a little on the dry side. 


Ed


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## RPN (Mar 25, 2007)

Gillenws please take all the usefull information from your origanal question and put it into perspective to your origanal question. Charcoal vs rocks.

There are some great responses here and some not so much. All opinions voiced in many ways, hopefully not directed at letting you down.

As Ed stated I also soak my charcoal in water for 3 days and drain off. I do this repeatadly untill the black water stops coming off the charcoal. Normally I do this outside, it makes a mess of our wash tub, that makes the wife mad. Wife mad equals no new frogs and less time in the frog room. So I do it outside in the flower beds.

There are many ways to raise springtails with great success. Best of luck to you on your own methods and keep us informed as to which route you took and how its working. 

If you need any help at all, please feel free to PM me. I'd be glad to help or send you photos or video, what ever helps a frogger - count me in im there.


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## gillenws (Jul 13, 2009)

alrighty, well yesterday i went to the hardware store and got a bag of Cowboy natural charcoal because it was really cheap, went home and soaked it, and then added some springs and a bit of food. i'm sure all of these methods work great but this one just happened to be really cheap and on the way home. thanks for all the help everyone.


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## RPN (Mar 25, 2007)

Your welcome. I wish you luck with your cultures. Try not to feed to heavily, the temptation is always to do so. Feed small amounts to start so your culture does not crash.
Keep us posted.


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## dam630 (Dec 11, 2009)

Am I to assume that a culture using charcoal can last almost indefinitely or do you occasionally need to start fresh ones and toss the old?


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

I have charcoal based cultures that are still up and running strong more than three years after initially set up.. 

Ed


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## snmreptiles (Feb 26, 2004)

I have 3 or 4 charcoal cultures from 2005 still going strong as well and more from 2006 as well...I use orchid charcoal on the bottom, the big cowboy charcoal on the top...works for me!

Mike
Welcome to the home of


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## Herpetology101 (Jan 14, 2010)

this is how I did itSpring tail questions? not sure if its working yet though i see the mold forming and i seem them congregating around the mold so...


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

The white folsomia springtails you are attempting to culture are parthenogenic. 

Ed


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## fleshfrombone (Jun 15, 2008)

They eat the mold. Mold = springtail food.


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