# Pink Springtails out competing everyone else



## Ulisesfrb (Dec 8, 2008)

I have some Pink, Temperate and Tropical springtail cultures. It seems that the Pink springtails have colonized in the temperate and tropical springtail cultures. They are pretty much out competing them, which means that I'll soon be out of temperate and tropical springtails. That sucks, since the Pink don't produce as fast as the others for me. Anyone else had similar experiences?


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## hypostatic (Apr 25, 2011)

Yeah, I had the opposite happen -- some whites invaded my pink culture. I ended up chucking that and starting over with pinks.

I think member Pumilo did a post on "how to culture isos and springs" thread on cleaning contaminated cultures.

I remember that my culture of pinks actually asphyxiated due to CO2 buildup, and it looked like absolutely everything was dead. I think like a week later after I opened the culture and aerated it, I saw several whites moving in the culture.

Maybe you could try that to clean the cultures? Maybe overfeed so that they produce too much CO2, or starve them so that only the whites survive.


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

Yes, I did. Basically you chill them to slow them down or knock them out. Then pick out enough of just one species to restart them. It is time consuming, but I've done it successfully on several cultures. So has at least one other guy. http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/food-feeding/66991-how-culture-isopods-woodlice-springtails-25.html
Make sure your culture container is very well sealed or it will happen again. I like to use the .3 micron filters for ventilation. It talks about those earlier in the thread.


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