# Feeding the Springtails



## MonopolyBag (Jun 3, 2007)

I know I already asked this, but I never got a straight answer...

I have some spring tails I have acquired from Black jungle, what is the best food for them to eat?

Right now I have put some fiber glass mesh in there for them to climb on (I know many use charcoal, just wanted to try something different, I use fiber glass mesh in the fruit flies and so far it has been working well.) and three pieces of broccoli stalk for them to eat, any specific foods for them to eat? Or what? I want to get 2-3 good cultures going, they are the tropical springtails.


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## evolvstll (Feb 17, 2007)

Mine seem to love sliced english cucumbers. 
Fish food sprinkeled on the medium. This however attracts pests, unwanted insects.
rice and quinoa blended to a powder then add some yeast also works.
Some people feed primarily yeast, as to not attract unwanted guests.

Josh frogs sells some food as does eds fly meat.
azdr has a recipe


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## Dancing frogs (Feb 20, 2004)

A lot of people that have been in the hobby a long time swear by yeast.
I don't have such good luck with it.
I like to use instant oatmeal baby cereal.
Ground up rice works well too.
Cucumbers are known to give a good boost to production as well.
Fish foods are oftentimes associated with mite problems.


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## KeroKero (Jun 13, 2004)

"Food has proven just as easy and varied... some favorites include fish flakes (handy if you've got expired flakes laying around), cous cous, rice, leaf litter, or even specially developed springtail food is offered by some vendors. What it really comes down to is do what is easiest for you!" - An Introduction to Springtails

The lack of straight answer was likely due to the high variability in what people have fed their springtails  As long as it decomposts, they usually go for it... kitchen scraps have worked well :lol: Test the various items on the lists above and see what works for you, your schedule, and your specific techinique.

The key to getting good populations isn't the food exactly, but feeding.... 
"Population levels and booms are controlled by feeding... if you start feeding a lot of little feedings, you'll notice a boom of babies, little minature adults. As these gain in size, slightly increase how many times a week you're feeding, and keep feeding them the same amount to slightly more. If you stop feeding, or reduce the amount you're feeding, you can crash the population, and have to start over from the few adults that would be left in the culture. The key to a good boom is lots of small feedings (big feedings can result in more fungus/mold than the culture can consume, small feedings provide a consistant amount of food) and to just increase the amount of feedings, rather than the amount that is fed. Cultures can take a lot of abuse, and not be fed for long periods, but the population in the culture will reflect that."


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## 955i (Mar 23, 2006)

The thing that I have had best results with is 'Bug Grub', a powder that you are meant to mix to gut load crickets. Think it is a VetArk product.

I sprinkle it dry on to the cultures and they seem to thrive on it


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## kj (Jan 15, 2006)

I have good stuff from readybrek


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