# Springtail culturing success/questions



## mattolsen (Feb 26, 2009)

Just posting a couple things that work for me, so far, in culturing springails. I do, however,
have a few questions for those of you with more experience. Is it possible to have mite free cultures? Ever have a snail invasion in a couple of your cultures? How do you keep these two pests under control?

My methods have been a little different for different species.

For the temperates or all kinds I've had success with using Charcoal/leaf litter/peat moss/featherlite or hydroton/ tree fern fiber as my substrate. The 7-8 dollar bag of wood charcoal from menard's is the most economical. 

I mix my substrate and portion it into said container, then microwave it for about a minute, give or take, to kill anything that remained in the substrate. 

Let it cool, add water depending on species preference, and add some springtails. Don't feed very much at all until a producing culture is established. Then feed a bit of mushroom, or been experimenting with repashy bug burger, about 1x a week. 

I find that temperates do better when about an inch of water is collected at the bottom, while tropicals don't need that at all. Just moderately moist soil. 

If anyone has anything to add I'm all ears. Always trying to improve my culturing methods.


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## Enlightened Rogue (Mar 21, 2006)

How the heck did snail`s get in your cultures?

John


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

Using the methods I have already posted, I see no signs of mites in any of my springtail cultures. The moment I see a single mite, that culture is removed and used up in the frog room or cleaned using the cleaning method I posted. 
Let me know, Matt, if you want me to link those methods here.


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## Herphappy12 (Dec 25, 2008)

I keep my temperate and tropical cultures in 4qt sterilites. Filled with carbon and about half full of water. Add some white uncooked rice on top and tadah....I opened the lids of both cultures last night and it was a sea of white. Added a bunch more to my tank and will be getting a couple more cultures going soon. I haven't had problems with mites or snails. Knock on wood.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using Tapatalk 2


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## JeremyHuff (Apr 22, 2008)

I gave up, for the most part, on master cultures because of mites. Now I have 50-100 16oz deli cups as cultures. I use the clear solo cups because I can open them one handed which makes feeding very fast. Numbers still reach into the thousands in these cups and if mites become a problem it is only a cup I am tossing/losing and not an entire master culture - which has happened a few times to me 

For substrate I use a very fibrous shredded coco (Coco Soft brand) and I keep the cups soaking wet. I mix in some leaves and the springs go crazy. I now only feed yeast as well. Just pour off water and floating springs into tanks or new cups and add some fresh water back in the cups. 

BTW, this is for temperate white. Still playing with different methods for other species.


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## goof901 (Jan 9, 2012)

JeremyHuff said:


> I gave up, for the most part, on master cultures because of mites. Now I have 50-100 16oz deli cups as cultures. I use the clear solo cups because I can open them one handed which makes feeding very fast. Numbers still reach into the thousands in these cups and if mites become a problem it is only a cup I am tossing/losing and not an entire master culture - which has happened a few times to me
> 
> For substrate I use a very fibrous shredded coco (Coco Soft brand) and I keep the cups soaking wet. I mix in some leaves and the springs go crazy. I now only feed yeast as well. Just pour off water and floating springs into tanks or new cups and add some fresh water back in the cups.
> 
> BTW, this is for temperate white. Still playing with different methods for other species.


you could also put some tree fern in each one for easy removal. i've found that they love tree fern


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## Gamble (Aug 1, 2010)

From my own experience, 

Tropicals do better on charcoal ... 
Temperates on soil/leaf litter/sphagnum. (Just keep it moist, but not damp.)
Silvers on leaf litter/sphagnum but kept drier (mist maybe once a week)
Pinks (same as Temperates.)

Also, i agree with the tree fern panel for collection. I got the idea from Doug (Pumilio) and it has made things so much easier when feeding out.

Good Luck Matt.
(Btw, it was nice meeting/talking w/ u at frog day)


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