# Has anyone had white worms in springtail cultures?



## Peter Keane (Jun 11, 2005)

Good Day Board members, I have several springtail cultures in very moist coco fiber substrate in tight fitting "food quality" containers.. then I recently have seen several mounds in these cultures and within them I see these white worms.. they look exactly like the little white worms/nematodes that are in my vivariums whereas any frog will pop em.. I feed my springtails topical flake fish food and yeast.. and I have seen a decline in springtail production .. I used to be able to harvest half of the culture in 4 cultures per week.. now there are hardly some to culture.. I do continually see young springtails.. I don't know if I need to feed more to allow the white worms to eat the fish food also or is the white worms making meals of my young or even springtail eggs.. I also keep several springtail cultures in the charcoal method.. and a drier coco fiber method.. which from time to time get mites.. which I immediately toss the whole culture and all into a vivarium for consumption.. my frogs love mites as well as springtails.. I am just concerned about my main most successful method of culturing springtails.. Any comments, suggestions or ideas will be greatly appreciated.. Peter Keane


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## hopalong (Sep 19, 2005)

Yeah, the worms eat the springtail eggs/larva (unsure of which). I'd ditch it and start over, unless someone has a better idea. 

I feed mine a springtail food mix from joshsfrogs.com and I've never had problems with worms or mites in the cultures. I do have worms in the tanks, though, so I am unsure of where they come from... I've heard of people feeding bakers yeast and not having problems with worms. I keep my tropical cultures on charcoal only and they produce like CRAZY!!

Good luck!
Nicole


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## sbreland (May 4, 2006)

sounds kinda like grindal worms or maybe nemerteans...


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## rozdaboff (Feb 27, 2005)

Sounds like grindal worms to me as well.

I have never heard of them eating springtail eggs though. I usually get them when culturing on very wet coco or charcoal. When I use a drier mix, I don't get them (but as you mentioned - they are more prone to mites).


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## IN2DEEP (Aug 7, 2007)

Definately keep them awqy from your other cultures. I guess I'm just unlucky. I've constantly got different populations of worms and slow moving "booger" mites in my cultures (some in the viv also) , but I've got my original spring culture. I have less pest problems since I started keeping my spring cultures dryer. To "save" my culture, I remove any major food source and let the culture dry up a bit. Then I wet a piece of cardboard and put some food/flake on top of it and wait a few days. In a few days, most of my pest are on the "bait", I just pick it up and gently blow to on it. The springs jump off and the invaders stay attached, pitch them with the cardboard. Repeat if necessary.


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## hopalong (Sep 19, 2005)

Nice plan in2deep! Diabolical almost....I like it! :twisted:


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## Dancing frogs (Feb 20, 2004)

When I first started doing searches for info on springtails, I learned that springtails were actually a common "pest" to grindal worm cultures...


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

I have cocultured Enchytraeus with springtails when feeding small caudates without any problems. 

Ed


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## Peter Keane (Jun 11, 2005)

Wow, I like all these ideas and comments... Thank You all so very much... Peter


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## Lazlo (Jan 19, 2007)

I´ve had the same problem a few times and every time the culture died. I put the culturesubstrate in a microwave och an ordinary oven for a while to kill of any organisms. Haven´t had a problem since.


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## aquick (Jan 17, 2008)

Fish and small caudates love those worms, if you have any--I'd use 'em for that and start a new springtail culture, but that's me.


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## aquick (Jan 17, 2008)

have any fish or small caudates that is


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## Peter Keane (Jun 11, 2005)

aquick.. I do indeed have salamanders/newts... and I also have some prized Discus and angelfish.. I will give this a try .. Thanks

Lazlo.. that's looking more like a few these will be going.. a few cultures at a time.. but I think I will now culture some of these grindal worms also.. Thanx.. Peter


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## Toad and Bun (Feb 11, 2008)

I've had cultures of whiteworms (Enchytraeus albidus?) that are literally covered with springtails. It's funny so few in "the frog community"know whiteworms! They're impossible to kill and would fatten up frogs like no other. They're just the right size and wiggly too.

These used to be popular for fish food but for some reason they've become unpopular. Frankly, there are very few fish from 1/2" to 5" long that I'd try to spawn without em. They still seem to be popular with killifish folks and others who raise fish that won't eat flake (like Jackie's dwarf puffers...).

I haven't got any frogs yet but I intend to feed them whiteworms... I'm confident they'll eat the heck out of em, if only as treats. Anyone else tried em?


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