# Springtail color?



## phender (Jan 9, 2009)

Are springtails of the genus Collembola normally a pink color?

These were purchased from Ed's Fly Meat about a year and a half ago. I used to feed them commercial food, but didn't really feed springtails very often. I did keep the culture going though. A few months ago I started feeding them color enhancing marine fish food. 

Since I have some new pumilio babies right now, I have been feeding springtails quite often and noticed that they seem very pink. Have they always been pink, or is it the food.

Here is a pic.


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## Eric Walker (Aug 22, 2009)

there are pink springs, i just started culturing them. as for what genus they are, no clue.


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## SmackoftheGods (Jan 28, 2009)

Right now I'm working with four varieties of springs; pink, tropical, black and silver. I believe they also come in blue and orange but I'm not sure. My tropicals (and the temperates) I've used in the past seem to be white....


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## frogfreak (Mar 4, 2009)

I culture pinks, blues, temperate white, silver and grey's.They all look white to me. I would think it would take a microscope to see the difference.

I think it's the food. I feed a colour enhacing fish food and turns them all that colour. Our pinheads as well.


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## JimO (May 14, 2010)

frogfreak said:


> I culture pinks, blues, temperate white, silver and grey's.They all look white to me. I would think it would take a microscope to see the difference.
> 
> I think it's the food. I feed a colour enhacing fish food and turns them all that colour. Our pinheads as well.


I just received my first springtails and got two temperative species and one tropical. I'm blind within 3 feet, but eve with glasses and a hand lense, I can't see any. Do they normally hide in the substrate? I put fish flakes in each one hoping to attract them to one spot. My intention is to seed my vivs with each variety, but I want to make sure that I have a healthy producting culture before I put anything into the vivs. I'm embarassed to say that except for the BBC series Life in the Undergrowth, I've never even see a springtail.

Thanks


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## frogfreak (Mar 4, 2009)

They do hide in the substate. By adding some leaf litter and then the flake food you should be able to see adults no problem.

You may not be able to see young ones. They're tiny.


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## dartsami (Oct 30, 2006)

phender said:


> Are springtails of the genus Collembola normally a pink color?
> 
> These were purchased from Ed's Fly Meat about a year and a half ago. I used to feed them commercial food, but didn't really feed springtails very often. I did keep the culture going though. A few months ago I started feeding them color enhancing marine fish food.
> 
> ...


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## phender (Jan 9, 2009)

Thanks Randy,
Your pictures were very helpful. It looks like they would be white if their stomachs weren't full of the the fish food.


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