# differnt ways to culture springtails



## *GREASER* (Apr 11, 2004)

I dont have any of the charcoal and dont want to wait to make some new cultures. So I layered a shoebox with dead leaves and seeded it with springtails added some yeast and gave it a good mist. This should get them produeing right? I was also thinking about doing the same thing with sphagnum moss. Has anyone ever tryed anything like this or know how well it works.


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## geckguy (Mar 8, 2004)

People usually have them going pretty good in leaf litter, after all in the wild thats what they live in. I have large colonies going in all my shoeboxes, which have sphagnum as a substrate, so they should work.


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## Guest (Oct 19, 2004)

I have a culture that is basically that,leaf litter and sphagnum, and it has been going good since April.
MW


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## AJ_Cann (Oct 6, 2004)

Many species of springtail will reproduce well on a wide range of substrates, and some species will do much better on soil/leaves, etc, than on charcoal.
The great advantage of charcoal is the ease with which the springtails can be harvested.


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## bbrock (May 20, 2004)

From what I've seen, leca works about as well as charcoal.


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## AJ_Cann (Oct 6, 2004)

How do yu harvest from LECA Brent?


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## jbeetle (Feb 8, 2004)

I have noticed that I have less problems and more production with the LECA, but it is *much* cheaper to just use charcoal. I keep a some cultures going on both, and also some on a peat substrate... but I like the charcoal/LECA method *a lot better*. I harvest from the charcoal/LECA cultures in the same ways.


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## JJuchems (Feb 16, 2004)

I blended in an old blender leafs and soil that have a compost/moister absorbent product from Miracle Grow together and it worked great. Be sure to dampen Once a week sprinkle fish food across the top for food. I also a few big pieces of Cypress Mulch chips for the springtails to climb on and tap or place in tank for frogs to feed. 
Later and Happy Frogging,
Jason Juchems


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## tikifrog (May 11, 2004)

I use rehydrated coco bricks as a base substrate. On top of that is a 1/2" layer of approx. 1" to 2" squares of the woven coco fibers. I feed the cultures on top of the squares. This brings the springtails into the squares which I shake into a delicup to feed out.


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## bbrock (May 20, 2004)

AJ_Cann said:


> How do yu harvest from LECA Brent?


Same way as with charcoal. I just tip the container up so water pools in a corner and I scoop up the floating springtails with a strainer. 

The only problem I have with charcoal is that it can be hard to find the natural charcoal in the right size in the States.


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