# Trick for feeding out springtails



## Dendro Dave (Aug 2, 2005)

Ok this isn't revolutionary or anything but I stumbled on this idea recently. I found a piece of scrap outdoor carpet and got it wet then smeared fish food onto it. The food will mostly stay put being smeard and stuck to the carpet and the springtails will find it and congregate on it.

You want the really thin kind, and in small pieces it is rigid enough that you can pick it up without it folding over on you to much. Then you just hold that in the viv and *thump it a few times and springtails go flying * Give em a sec between thumps and more will come out of the fibers, and then you can thump those into the viv too.

Sadly I wasn't smart enough to take the pic before I fed out the springtails :roll: So that is why you don't see to many on the carpet.










Ok enjoy!

Oh bonus tip:
You could try spraying down some paper towels, cloth, whatever to make impromptu mite paper. Many of the sprays kill/repel insects for several months. Just theory though, I've yet to try it.... Oh and try to avoid touching it to much if you do try it, and keep away from pets/children.


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## frog dude (Nov 11, 2011)

Yup, you can also use tree fern panels as well. You can get many thousands of springtails that way. I use the tree fern method myself, it works great .


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

You can also use matala or other filter pad material as well.


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## hypostatic (Apr 25, 2011)

my favorite way is to just use a straw and blow on them


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## JohnVI (May 1, 2013)

I tried to get a method dine and used a meat injector..

Fill your culture with water to float the st's, pour that into a tube or narrow glass and take your large meat injector suck up the springs and I inject them directly into the substrate


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## Keister (Mar 5, 2013)

I use the good old fashioned flood the culture and let them jump into a spoon and then just dump them. It keeps me from messing around with any other stuff like dirt or tree fern panels. Nothing like pure clean springs!


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## Dendro Dave (Aug 2, 2005)

I figured out that with my trick if you add water to the piece of carpet all the springs down in it will come out, and also bending it along the lines of the carpet "grain?" will kinda pop them out so you can knock them into the viv.


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