# Springtails in Colorado?



## Chief Herb (Dec 6, 2011)

I have recently finished a viv build and am looking for some springtails to seed the tank. I have found some conflicting posts on this site and am not sure what to do. I found multiple people explaining how to collect wild springtails in order to culture them and they all said that it should be fine. Then I found some posts from people claiming that wild springtails could be harmful, and one person in particular who said that some of his frogs died from eating wild caught springtails. I know that pesticides could be a problem (however the guy whose frogs died claimed that no pesticides had been used in the area and thought it might be from acidity in the springtails), but if you collect springtails that have been near pesticides (or are to acidic) would they lose the toxin after several rounds of culturing?
I live in colorado and right now there are alot of the larger black springtails (snow fleas) around and I have been tempted to try to collect and culture them but I don't want to risk any chance of health problem to the frogs I am soon to get. Should I try to collect some wild springtails or should I just buy them from a vendor? Does anyone know where to locally buy springtails in Colorado?


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

That's too bad that one of the bug guys doesn't live in Colorado, huh? Oh wait!! I know a guy! 
I'm in Denver. We have temperates, pinks, giant black tomocerus, plus 4 types of isopods.


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## Chief Herb (Dec 6, 2011)

I live in Boulder but can definitely make a trip down to denver soon. What temperature do you keep your temperate springs at? What about the pinks? I have read that the pinks reproduce much slower than temperates but how much slower? Would you suggest keeping multiple types of them or would it be best to just go with one?


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

I keep all my bugs between 70 to 80. Pinks do reproduce slower, but are a bigger, meatier treat. Their behavior is different in the viv,(they crawl around more) and this can give your frogs different things to hunt for. I find that the pinks seem to establish better in my vivs. The temperates, on the other hand, reproduce so fast that they are great to culture too and have ready for froglets.
Variety is the spice of life and I like to give my frogs as many different foods as I can. All of my vivs are seeded with multiple types of springtails and isopods.


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