# Springtails whoa!



## Guest (Apr 16, 2004)

Thought i would share this experiment with you guys. My spring tails been producing very slowly and i keep them around 65F. I made a new culture to see if that would help out put them. I was reading up on them and decided to see what happens when i add a few things to my spring tail cultures. In my shoe box i had charcoal, half inch of water and spring tails and yeast. I added some more yeast, fish flake food and dead magnolia leafs. Well that was 2 days ago and i thought i would check on them to see how there doing. I never seen so many spring tails as look like i had white leafs there was so many spring tails. This may be a fluke but i think im sticking to my new mixture for spring tails. frogs are eatting good today


----------



## kyle1745 (Feb 15, 2004)

Where did you get the larger charcoal? I have some but it is very fine.



Beriss said:


> Thought i would share this experiment with you guys. My spring tails been producing very slowly and i keep them around 65F. I made a new culture to see if that would help out put them. I was reading up on them and decided to see what happens when i add a few things to my spring tail cultures. In my shoe box i had charcoal, half inch of water and spring tails and yeast. I added some more yeast, fish flake food and dead magnolia leafs. Well that was 2 days ago and i thought i would check on them to see how there doing. I never seen so many spring tails as look like i had white leafs there was so many spring tails. This may be a fluke but i think im sticking to my new mixture for spring tails. frogs are eatting good today


----------



## melissa68 (Feb 16, 2004)

Kyle,

Try Lowes or GFS. Last time I was there they had it.

Melis


----------



## Guest (Apr 16, 2004)

I got it with a spring tail kit from Ed's fly meat, but they sale big charcoal at heath food stores and plant stores that is perfect for spring tails. look in a plant store and look thru there bags of peat moss top soil and you shoudl see some chunks of charcoal.


----------



## kyle1745 (Feb 15, 2004)

I plan to go to lowes today to check out some stuff. I'll look... Right now I am just using peat moss and it is working well, but the charcoal is easier to use.



melissa68 said:


> Kyle,
> 
> Try Lowes or GFS. Last time I was there they had it.
> 
> Melis


----------



## melissa68 (Feb 16, 2004)

*location*

It will be in with the grill supplies. They usually put it on the bottom rack next to the hickory/miskete (sp?) chips. 

Hope that helps....


----------



## kyle1745 (Feb 15, 2004)

*Re: location*

AS always yes it does. So the the large charcoal. Don't they have midsized chips? I have some from franks that I add a little to my dirt mix, but it is too fine. hmm.. I'll have to look..



melissa68 said:


> It will be in with the grill supplies. They usually put it on the bottom rack next to the hickory/miskete (sp?) chips.
> 
> Hope that helps....


----------



## melissa68 (Feb 16, 2004)

*It will be mixed sizes*

There will be some of every size in there. You really only get a few really large pieces in there - everything else is midsized.


----------



## Guest (Apr 16, 2004)

John,

Throw some apple skins in the culture and see what happens 

-Bill J.


----------



## edwardsatc (Feb 17, 2004)

BillJohnson said:


> John,
> 
> Throw some apple skins in the culture and see what happens
> 
> -Bill J.


Or cucumber skins. I tried this after reading Greg Sihlers post on Frognet and wow!

For substrate I use Sean Myers recipe:

3 parts peat
1.5 parts crushed oak leaves
0.5 part vermiculite
0.5 part sand
0.5 part crushed charcoal

Sometimes it seems as if there is more springtails than dirt!


----------



## Guest (Apr 16, 2004)

Kyle, 
I just bought some from http://www.oakhillgardens.com.I got a 1lb bag that cost me $1.00. It is large size.About 1/2 the size of a quarter thereabouts.I had them put it in with my order of 5lbs or corkbark I bought from them.Their corkbark is $5.00 a pound so it is a good price and I now have plenty  
Mark W.


----------



## kyle1745 (Feb 15, 2004)

I found some at lowes, not cheap though, I will order some next time... I made a couple. Just trying to get ready for the babies... If they turn out.



Mark Wilson said:


> Kyle,
> I just bought some from http://www.oakhillgardens.com.I got a 1lb bag that cost me $1.00. It is large size.About 1/2 the size of a quarter thereabouts.I had them put it in with my order of 5lbs or corkbark I bought from them.Their corkbark is $5.00 a pound so it is a good price and I now have plenty
> Mark W.


----------



## melissa68 (Feb 16, 2004)

*?*

Every time I have looked one of those bags have been under $10. Did you get the stuff for the grill?

Melis


----------



## kyle1745 (Feb 15, 2004)

*Re: ?*

The only stuff they had for a grill had lighter fluid on it. Must not have all the spring stuff in yet. I picked up a back from scotts for potting plants and it will do for now. It is more corse than what I had. I ended up at Home Depot also, just happend to be in that part of town. 

THen ended up renting a electric rake, and thatching my yard... More work than I can explain. Electric rake digs up all the thatch, but you still have to rake it up. 4-5 hours later i'm beat.



melissa68 said:


> Every time I have looked one of those bags have been under $10. Did you get the stuff for the grill?
> 
> Melis


----------



## kyle1745 (Feb 15, 2004)

*Re: ?*

It was like $3.50 or so, so nothing bad.



kyle1745 said:


> The only stuff they had for a grill had lighter fluid on it. Must not have all the spring stuff in yet. I picked up a back from scotts for potting plants and it will do for now. It is more corse than what I had. I ended up at Home Depot also, just happend to be in that part of town.
> 
> THen ended up renting a electric rake, and thatching my yard... More work than I can explain. Electric rake digs up all the thatch, but you still have to rake it up. 4-5 hours later i'm beat.
> 
> ...


----------



## Guest (Apr 17, 2004)

I have found the charcoal at grocery stores before, just look for "Hardwood charcoal chunks" most the pieces are about 4"-6" long.
I just soak them in water for a week and then add them to the culture. When you want to feed them off just pull 2 pieces and bang them over the tank and the fall right off. Works great!


----------



## Dancing frogs (Feb 20, 2004)

*springtail charcoal*

I get mine from menard's. The brand they carry here is called cowboy charcoal. It is hardwood lump charcoal, with nice big chunks ranging from 2-7 inches, I forget what I paid for it, but expense isn't really an issue, since the stuff don't really break down or wear out. 
Besides, I do most of my cooking on the grill year round, and it works great for that too, belive it or not!


----------



## Guest (Jun 1, 2004)

:evil: I seem to be having trouble with making springtail cultures... The derned charchoal turns to mush when I soak it!


----------



## khoff (Feb 18, 2004)

Don't use briquets. Use lump charcoal. It is basically black chunks of wood.


----------



## kyle1745 (Feb 15, 2004)

I have yet to find this stuff yet. I have been using normal planting charcoal.

I'll have to look again.



khoff said:


> Don't use briquets. Use lump charcoal. It is basically black chunks of wood.


----------



## steelcube (Mar 17, 2004)

Try Walmart. 

SB


----------



## Arklier (Mar 1, 2004)

Got mine at Fred Meyer, $5 for a 7 pound bag. I can make at least 5 cultures with that much. There are places where you can order the stuff online, too.


----------



## Guest (Jun 2, 2004)

edsflymeatinc.com sells all your springtail needs.


----------

