# what can springtails eat.



## dylanserbin (Apr 11, 2009)

I bought some oats the other day and am wondering if they can eat that? Has anyone had any expierience with them before?


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## ggazonas (May 11, 2008)

springtail food, fish flake, mushrooms, baker yeast, basically anything that gets mold to grow on it. They actually dn't eat the fish flake or muchrooms as far as I understand they just eat the mold that grows on it.


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## dylanserbin (Apr 11, 2009)

oh ok cool. thanks


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## salix (Mar 28, 2008)

I feed mine a couple of slices of mushroom (they devour it completely) and a big pinch of baker's yeast each week. They are constantly in full production.


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## fraser2009 (Jan 4, 2009)

mines do best on damp koi food. feeding on the pellets at first but now within a day or so they are coated in fungai which they also enjoy.


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## boogsawaste (Jun 28, 2008)

I also use fish food and rice. Mushrooms whenever I have them around. Pretty much anything that rots lol.


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## crentania (Jul 22, 2008)

I just throw in a pinch of fish food every few days (whenever I notice the giant mound of gray mold is missing). They've been thriving since August in their starter culture - cuz I'm lazy like that.


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## merk1_99 (Apr 19, 2009)

I use a pinch of yeast a week, and add sliced mushroom as needed. My biggest tip is a piece of corrugated. I peel the out layer of corrugated off so the liner is visible on one side and add it wet to the culture. I get great production. Also makes it easy to transfer to the tank.


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## boogsawaste (Jun 28, 2008)

merk1_99 said:


> I use a pinch of yeast a week, and add sliced mushroom as needed. My biggest tip is a piece of corrugated. I peel the out layer of corrugated off so the liner is visible on one side and add it wet to the culture. I get great production. Also makes it easy to transfer to the tank.


I like that cardboard tip. I'm going to have to try that, thanks.


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## CHuempfner (Apr 27, 2008)

I use the mushrooms and yeast the most, but I also add rotting avacado that really seems to get them going!


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

boogsawaste said:


> I like that cardboard tip. I'm going to have to try that, thanks.


Its probably due to the corn starch used as the binder in the cardboard. The starch readily breaks down as a food source for microbes and fungi... 
You can probably get the same results for other corn starch products. 

I don't use any grainbased products in my springtails as they can readily lead to mite outbreaks. 


Ed


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## dylanserbin (Apr 11, 2009)

there is a big patch of mold in my tank from the plain oatmeal i gave them. Should i remove the mold or will hey eat it?


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## crentania (Jul 22, 2008)

Mold is what ya want  Are you feeding them within your frogs' tank?


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## boogsawaste (Jun 28, 2008)

Ed said:


> Its probably due to the corn starch used as the binder in the cardboard. The starch readily breaks down as a food source for microbes and fungi...
> You can probably get the same results for other corn starch products.
> 
> I don't use any grainbased products in my springtails as they can readily lead to mite outbreaks.
> ...


Thanks Ed!


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## dylanserbin (Apr 11, 2009)

what is the bakers yeast for?


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

dylanserbin said:


> what is the bakers yeast for?


food. Its the only thing I use to feed springtails... (yeast (at least the last I checked) are a type of fungi....) 


Ed


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## MauricesExoticPets (Jul 9, 2009)

I feed mine brewer's yeast, powdered lentils, and active yeast. 

I keep mine on charcoal and distilled water. 

This the dry food gets soaked quite quickly and is consumed with gusto. 

Maurice Pudlo


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## james67 (Jun 28, 2008)

they DO eat mushrooms BTW (i see someone noted in the beginning of the thread that they do not eat the mushroom) mushrooms are fungi, the fruiting bodies of fungi to be precise, and the same way the the springs consume the fungi in a tank, they consume any that is given to them as food.

just thought i would mention that 

james


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## dylanserbin (Apr 11, 2009)

you wont gas them with co2 by giving them yeast?


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## frogfreak (Mar 4, 2009)

james67 said:


> they DO eat mushrooms BTW (i see someone noted in the beginning of the thread that they do not eat the mushroom) mushrooms are fungi, the fruiting bodies of fungi to be precise, and the same way the the springs consume the fungi in a tank, they consume any that is given to them as food.
> 
> just thought i would mention that
> 
> james


That's all we feed them is mushroom powder and they do very well on it.


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## MauricesExoticPets (Jul 9, 2009)

dylanserbin said:


> you wont gas them with co2 by giving them yeast?


No, if that were the case all of mine would be dead.

Maurice Pudlo


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

dylanserbin said:


> you wont gas them with co2 by giving them yeast?


Not unless you really add a lot to the culture but then you can get the same result from adding too much of any food source. 

Ed


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## bobberly1 (Jul 16, 2008)

I actually just tried oats and they barely touched it. Horrible food. People have already suggested most of the good stuff up above.


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