# Feeding springtails and isopod?



## Klinger4077 (Oct 2, 2018)

So I ordered springtails and isopod and they’ll be getting here in the middle of the week or so. However I’m getting my enclosure this upcoming Saturday. Will they be okay to stay in the containers until then? 

I’m completely new to isopod and springtails cultures so really, ANYTHING HELPS haha. I’ve bred Dubia Roaches for my chameleon but never something like this. What are their reproducing habits? Food preferences? I’m still several months away from getting a pair so I have time to get stuff situated. 


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## Andrew Lee (Jan 21, 2014)

In this case, the search bar is your best friend. There are numerous threads answering your questions but let me try finding one for you.


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## Andrew Lee (Jan 21, 2014)

Here is a good one. Don't know how to properly link it in the mobile version of dendroboard but here it is: https://www.dendroboard.com/#/topics/66991


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## PhylloBro (Sep 21, 2018)

I am new too and am getting my starter cultures sometime this week. It sounds like you want to put your cultures directly into your vivarium. I apologize if i am assuming incorrectly. I have gathered from online sources that you should put your cultures in a separate "master culture" that you can use to seed your vivarium and other cultures. We are in the same boat. Good luck !


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## cdeutsch (Sep 1, 2015)

You can put your isopods and springtails directly into your viv. After about a month of doing nothing you’ll have a big population of springtails. Isopods take awhile to get going which is dependent on species. What I would suggest is buying culturing kits (josh frogs, glass box tropical, NE herp all make kits to list a few) and culturing your own. It allows you to constantly add more to your Vivs to give a little variety in their diets. 

Both are easy to culture:
Springtails I do on charcoal. I keep about a 1/4” of water at the bottom of the container, add yeast ~2x a week (misting the container after adding yeast). In about a month you’ll have enough to pull from (add water, pour extra water into tank, the springs float).

For isopods I culture on ABG with some leaf litter. I have a piece of cork bark laying over part of the substrate. About once a week I add repashy bug burger and mist. If I want to feed out the isopods I make sure the cork bark is in contact with the big burger. The next morning the food is swarming with isopods (so there is a bunch on the cork bark) you can then tap them into a container for feeding.

Hope this helps. Be aware isopod cultures can take months to get going (dwarf purple/white seem to be pretty quick) where my giant orange seem to take quite awhile.


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## LostIsle (Sep 19, 2018)

cdeutsch said:


> You can put your isopods and springtails directly into your viv. After about a month of doing nothing you’ll have a big population of springtails. Isopods take awhile to get going which is dependent on species. What I would suggest is buying culturing kits (josh frogs, glass box tropical, NE herp all make kits to list a few) and culturing your own. It allows you to constantly add more to your Vivs to give a little variety in their diets.
> 
> Both are easy to culture:
> Springtails I do on charcoal. I keep about a 1/4” of water at the bottom of the container, add yeast ~2x a week (misting the container after adding yeast). In about a month you’ll have enough to pull from (add water, pour extra water into tank, the springs float).
> ...


Would you say having fruit flies, springtails and one variety of isopods is a solid meal plan. Also do the isopods and springtails actually add nutrition to the diet or is it more to give them more stuff to hunt throughout the day/between fly meals.
Obviously the springs and isos aren't dusted or anything.


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## Okapi (Oct 12, 2007)

EllisGreenDesign said:


> Would you say having fruit flies, springtails and one variety of isopods is a solid meal plan. Also do the isopods and springtails actually add nutrition to the diet or is it more to give them more stuff to hunt throughout the day/between fly meals.
> Obviously the springs and isos aren't dusted or anything.


They do provide a steady stream of food to your frogs which enriches their captive environment by giving them something to hunt between fruit fly feedings. Springtails are also invaluable as food for froglets that are still too small to eat fruit flies. Isopods have a more calcium rich exoskeleton than undusted fruit flies and both isopods and springtails can bring calcium containing soil particles to your frog when ingested if your substrate contains calcium. As for nutrition, the frogs gain whatever nutrition is in the microfauna's stomachs at time of death and thus will be more nutritionally complete than a fruit fly that has escaped predation long enough to clean itself of supplement dust and "go to the bathroom." 
Besides being food, they also provide a general cleaning service and they break down organics which makes them available for plants to use.


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## cdeutsch (Sep 1, 2015)

Springs, FF and isopods are a great start. Dusted fruit flies are my staple feeder. Ideally you could provide an even more varied diet. Some more easily cultured ideas are bean Beatles and rice flour beatle larvae which are very low maintenance if you have the space. I like to occasionally give mine Phoenix worms/pinhead crickets but I don’t have a local source so they are pretty rarely given these tbh.


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## Andrew Lee (Jan 21, 2014)

https://www.dendroboard.com/forum/food-feeding/66991-how-culture-isopods-woodlice-springtails.html

Here is the proper link, I guess my first attempt didn't turn out so well.


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## varanoid (Jan 21, 2011)

I feed my isos fish food. The cultures are booming and have been split, sold and reseeded hundreds of times. Feed just enough that the flakes are consumed before they can mold.


Springs do fine on yeast. Don't over due the yeast though (the CO2 it creates can nuke and entire culture its happened to me a couple of times). Just a few pieces sprinkled onto your preferred media (I prefer charcoal and water) is enough. A little goes a long way.


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