# Which Springtail species



## Elliot (Apr 6, 2011)

I am getting ready to get some springtails and I would like to know what species to get. I know it more a matter of preference than anything, but I just want to get some insight on what other people use. I'm mainly looking for something that I can use for the adult breeder frogs, but I would like to be able to use them for the froglets on occasion. With that said, my breeding pairs are a pair of Azureus, a pair of Luecs and a group of 6 SIs. For the froglets I have Azureus and SI, but I mainly want to use the springs for the SI froglets (if I use them for the froglets at all) since some of the fruit flies are a little big for them. Now that you know what I am working with. What spring species would you get in my situation?


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## Mike1980 (Apr 10, 2013)

I have been working with temperate and they produce like crazy. I feed them alternating fish flakes, dry rice, and yeast. Started witha starter culture, now i have a master in a shoe box and six others going.


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## frog dude (Nov 11, 2011)

All of 'em!


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## frog dude (Nov 11, 2011)

If you had to choose just one, temperate whites are a good springtail. They produce like crazy. If you want some larger, active, ones, tropical pinks would be a good choice too. Another great springtail is those new temperate silvers. Their best use is if you have little thumbnail froglets to feed, since these are extremely tiny. 

I vote temperate whites because I think they reproduce faster then them all (except maybe those temperate silvers. Those reproduce like lighting, but there just so dang tiny I don't know if larger frogs would even eat them. I've never tried. It would just seem since they are so tiny, a larger frog might pick up some substrate trying to eat them and get impacted).


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## therizman2 (Jul 20, 2008)

Temperate or tropical whites both do about the same in my experience. Pinks are nice too, but they are slower to culture in my experience and it a bit more finicky about the conditions they are kept in.


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## Brian317 (Feb 11, 2011)

See...I've never been able to keep temperate/tropical whites, but the pinks do amazing for me. 

For the frogs you have, I'd go with either tem/tro whites and/or pinks. Both have good size and are not too small for the larger frogs.


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## Elliot (Apr 6, 2011)

Cool. Thanks guys. Looks like I'll go with Temperate or Tropical Whites or Pinks. I might do 2 species, but I didn't really think I will need to since one species can probably suit all the frogs that I have. We'll see.


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## Sea-Agg09 (Feb 2, 2013)

Elliot said:


> Cool. Thanks guys. Looks like I'll go with Temperate or Tropical Whites or Pinks. I might do 2 species, but I didn't really think I will need to since one species can probably suit all the frogs that I have. We'll see.


It's mostly a diversity of food thing. Honestly, get 1 species, get it started, then get another. Most people probably didn't buy 4 species of springs, 4 species of Iso's, and another 4 species of FF's, plus all the other random foods, all at once. Considering springs and Iso's are really easy to work with, acquiring them over time makes it really easy to work into your routine. 

Some don't get springtails or isopods. This is a bad thing. It leads to underfed frogs. The more species you get, the more diversified the diet is, and the healthier the frogs are, but at the end of the day, 1 is WAY better than 0. I recently bought my starter cultures online, and purchasing several starter cultures was practical since i was already paying shipping. Also consider that materials to keep these going is virtually nothing. FF's require special media and replacing cups and all that. It has a cost associated that isn't trivial. The good thing about springs and iso's is that all the materials are SUPER cheap. So honestly after the initial purchase, there isn't much cost associated.


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## goof901 (Jan 9, 2012)

Sea-Agg09 said:


> Some don't get springtails or isopods. This is a bad thing. It leads to underfed frogs. The more species you get, the more diversified the diet is, and the healthier the frogs are, but at the end of the day, 1 is WAY better than 0. I recently bought my starter cultures online, and purchasing several starter cultures was practical since i was already paying shipping. Also consider that materials to keep these going is virtually nothing. FF's require special media and replacing cups and all that. It has a cost associated that isn't trivial. The good thing about springs and iso's is that all the materials are SUPER cheap. So honestly after the initial purchase, there isn't much cost associated.


I agree, but just saying, not having microfauna does not lead to underfed frogs. It just leads to frogs with undiverse diets. Just wanted to clear that up


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

I like Folsomia candida and Sinella curvisetta. Easy and reliable


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## khoff (Feb 18, 2004)

frogparty said:


> I like Folsomia candida and Sinella curvisetta. Easy and reliable


Are these the latin names for what the hobby considers temperate and tropical white springtails? It would be much easier to use these names since nobody seems to agree which white springtail is temperate and which is tropical....especially since they can both be found in temperate and tropical climates.

Kevin


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## Sea-Agg09 (Feb 2, 2013)

goof901 said:


> I agree, but just saying, not having microfauna does not lead to underfed frogs. It just leads to frogs with undiverse diets. Just wanted to clear that up


It doesn't directly lead to underfed frogs, so you're right. I should have been a little more clear. What it means is that you putting food in the tank at regular intervals is there only source of food. I prefer there to be a little buffer zone. If a frog doesn't get his FF's at a feeding, he can go hunt for springs and iso's, and they will be fine till the next feeding. 

Also if you are going to be away from your tank for a few days, you are ganna need to find someone to feed them. If I have a good pop of springs and iso's, I wouldn't worry about being away for a few days.


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## Elliot (Apr 6, 2011)

Where would be a good place to buy temperate or tropical whites? I was going to try to buy them off the internet before getting them from a member here, but I only managed to find one place that temperates. Even then they are only labeled temperate. Not temperate whites. Is that the same thing?


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## Mike1980 (Apr 10, 2013)

Same thing i believe. Try putting the word out on the board someone should respond. I know there are people who sell them.


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## Sea-Agg09 (Feb 2, 2013)

Glassbox has temps, trops, and trop pinks. They are a sponsor on this site.


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## Elliot (Apr 6, 2011)

Glassbox is who I was looking at. I just wasn't sure if the temperate springs that he had listed were the same as temperate whites. I still haven't gotten all the spring species straight.


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## mokusei (Jun 15, 2011)

I bought a single culture of temperate white springtails about a year ago and have had no problem keeping them alive and reproducing even after extended periods of neglect. I keep a cardboard t.p. tube in the culture container and once in awhile I take it out and tap springtails into my vivarium. I often see my Azureus hunting them in between FF feedings.

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