# turn tiny springtails into big ones...



## bellerophon (Sep 18, 2006)

how do you do it? sorry to those looking for the answer right away. :lol: 

I have a couple temperate springtail cultures going and I'd say they're doing very well. in fact if all of them were full grown springs I'd probably be unable to see any substrate. Instead though I have millions and millions of tiny ones and probably less than a hundred nice fat grown up ones. Am I doing something wrong? The larger ones actually seem to be dwindling.


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## JL-Exotics (Nov 10, 2005)

feed them regularly and you should have plenty of adults in just a few weeks. What size container are you using?


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## bellerophon (Sep 18, 2006)

1.3gal/5L rubbermaid for the main bunch and two other little things (size of a soda can) incase I do something wrong and need to start over. I feed about 10-15 grains of rice and a pinch of dry yeast a week to the big one, I guess I could try more. I've had a banana peel in there for about 2 months and Its finally starting to look like its dessapearing. Thats the last time I use that. cucumber peel seemed to do well but rarely have enough around.


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## JL-Exotics (Nov 10, 2005)

I have much better results with larger shoe box sized containers like you're using. I've also found I get very good yields feeding cous cous, shredded paper, and crumbled oak leaves at least weekly.

You should be up to your ears in springtails soon.


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## bellerophon (Sep 18, 2006)

awsome, thanks for the tips.


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## joeyo90 (Nov 5, 2006)

i have to feed my big culture once a day altho i still have some of the stuff from vivaria so will switch to something else soon... i know they dont actually eat the food that we put in there but rather what grows on it ..but paper?


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## JL-Exotics (Nov 10, 2005)

I wouldn't recommend paper as the only food source, but shredded paper does add a nice amount of surface area and they make short work of a handful of it.


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## MJ (Jun 16, 2005)

I use baby rice cereal Gurber should make it in the US.

I have about 30 cultures going and all are booming i use the take out containers with dry peat and i mean DRY.. feed a little every few days stir them up and they explode.


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## Dancing frogs (Feb 20, 2004)

MJ said:


> I use baby rice cereal Gurber should make it in the US.
> 
> I have about 30 cultures going and all are booming i use the take out containers with dry peat and i mean DRY.. feed a little every few days stir them up and they explode.


I started using that a while ago, and so far it provides the most consistent results.


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## gary1218 (Dec 31, 2005)

sorry, double post


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## gary1218 (Dec 31, 2005)

MJ said:


> I have about 30 cultures going and all are booming i use the take out containers with dry peat and i mean DRY.. feed a little every few days stir them up and they explode.


You really mean DRY as in no moisture at all :?: I thought the springtails liked it WET.


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## Dancing frogs (Feb 20, 2004)

There is another thread on that by Aarron.
To sum it up, some do, some dont.


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## SusannahJoy (Jul 3, 2006)

i have two shoeboxes that i keep moist, but not wet and i toss a LOT of fish food in there once a week or so. i literally have millions of huge fat adults. they love it. i keep a little dish of water in there so i can easily scoop them out when i need to. they're almost as big as my melanos.


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## DPD4230 (Dec 1, 2006)

*SPRINGTAILS*

HI ALL,

NEW TO THIS STUFF, BUT; I HAVE (IN THE CITY) SOME BULL FROGS. I STARTED A WORM CULTURE FOR THEM.
AFTER READING THIS POST I CHECKED THE MEDIUM OF MY CULTURE AND FOUND: BLACK FLIES,SPRINGTAILS,LOOKS LIKE VERY SMALL BROWN SPIDERS, LITTLE WHITE GLOBAL THINGS THAT MOVE RATHER SLOWLY, AND TWO OR THREE OTHER MINUTE LIVING CREATURES.
DON'T KNOW IF THIS HELPS. ALL I PUT IN THE 80 GAL TUB IS LEAF LITTER,ALL OUR ORGANIC KITCHEN WAIST,& VERY LITTLE BONE MATTER.
THERE IS NO SMELL, ALL THE LIVE THINGS SEEM TO REMAIN IN THE TUB.
WOULD NOT ADD THIS TO VIV W/O CHECKING W/ ONE THAT KNOWS BETTER!!


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## BIGGUN (Dec 16, 2006)

MJ,

What size container? How much moss? and how much baby food?

Thanks,
Kevin


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## BIGGUN (Dec 16, 2006)

oh, and is the baby rice cereal a dry cereal?

If so where do the cultures get their moisture from????

Thanks,
Kevin


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## Dancing frogs (Feb 20, 2004)

The rice baby cereal is dry, and comes in a box, I've found it to be a great springtail food as well.
You might be surprized how dry springtails will tolerate. Aarron (frogfarm) made and interesting post on that a while back.
I tried making some "dry" cultures, the temperate variety seemed to do better with more moist conditions, while the "tropical" ones seem to do better with a drier substrate. My "dry" culture has a little moisture, but is still dry enough to look dusty, sounds strange, but it seems to work well.


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## wax32 (May 9, 2006)

Interesting thread. I have never thought about feeding the springs fish food. I guess I'll start seeing as how I have TONS of it! ( I keep a reef-tank )


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## Arklier (Mar 1, 2004)

Here's a pic of the rice cereal. You can generally find it in the baby food section of the grocery store.


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## KeroKero (Jun 13, 2004)

I feed so much stuff fish food that buying anything else doesn't make sense! lol. I've got a couple huge containers of expired fish food... some left over from when I last had fish, some left over from my sister's old fish tank, and it makes great (and cheap) springtail food! If you've got tadpoles that you feed fish flakes, then just steal some from them lol. So if you've got some laying around, just use that instead of tossing it out, or going out and buying other stuff.


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## joeyo90 (Nov 5, 2006)

they also seem to love yeast  dont feed saltines though... nasty...


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