# springtail trouble



## Tadpole4 (Mar 16, 2006)

I have a culture of springtails that is just doesn't seem to be doing well. I have them in a charcoal mix with an inch of water and some uncooked rice sprinkled on top. I never see the little buggers. so I don't know if they are doing well and of course I have no idea how to get them into the tank. I have tried several suggestions, flushing with water, putting a slice of cucumber on top and then shaking them off into the viv, blowing them off, scooping the mix out by the cup and dumping into the viv. still no luck. If I dig down to the water level I can find some, even little itty bitty tiny ones. I just can't figure these bugs out. Please help!


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## DaSlackMan (Feb 3, 2006)

Try starting a culture in coco fiber. I to had a problem with springtails multiplying using charcoal as a media.

Not so with coco fiber. There was a major population explosion within a couple of weeks of starting the 'coco/springtail farm'.


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## Tadpole4 (Mar 16, 2006)

are they sensitive to temp? We are having warm days and relatively cool nights. would that pose a problem?


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## DaSlackMan (Feb 3, 2006)

I believe that they are sensitive to temp to a certain degree.

Regardless, I had a charcoal cultrure and coco fiber culture set side by side. Hardly any life in the charcoal culture while the coco fiber culture was booming. Keep in mind that I did not set it up this way as an experiment. It was such a noticable differnce between the two that I switched completely to just 'farming' them in coco fiber.


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## Tadpole4 (Mar 16, 2006)

would substrate mix work? I don't currently have any co-co fiber. I threw it all out when I ... long story never mind. but I have lots of top soil and some substrate mix.


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## DaSlackMan (Feb 3, 2006)

I don't see why not. The coco fiber that I used pretty much has the same texture as the substrate used in my viv.

I got it from Ed' Flymeat. I think it is called coco brick on his site.


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## KeroKero (Jun 13, 2004)

Probibly the biggest reason I can think of that the coco fiber did better was that it gets fungus growths on it when in humid conditions (like springtail cultures) so they had plenty of food to munch on.

I currently have my springtails mostly on what I call "slop" media. Oh, it was a bit of peat, coco fiber, and what not once upon a time (I think) but has now become a layer of mud on which they live (so unlike the moist coco fiber culture, I can just open the containers, blow on them, and a cloud of springs will go in the tank). The cultures do ok if I ignore them, but if I give them their fish flakes 3-4 times a week, the slop is covered with white. Its all about keeping these guys fed... feed them heavy, population explodes, keep up the feeding heavy to maintain the population so it doesn't crash.


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## froglet (May 18, 2005)

*I personally have much better results with charcoal.... Cocco biber is a pain when its time to gather springs where as with charcoal you just shake... *


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## jsagcincy (May 2, 2005)

Hey Froglet, what are you feeding that culture of springtails?


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## froglet (May 18, 2005)

I just feed my cultures rice.. thats all. I Think some cultures do not make it due to temps. But all my springs preaty much look like this after a few months.... Just rice and add water once a week......


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## DaSlackMan (Feb 3, 2006)

froglet said:


> *I personally have much better results with charcoal.... Cocco biber is a pain when its time to gather springs where as with charcoal you just shake... *


My charcoal culture never even came close to that... Does your rice have a secret ingredient? It could be the water... :wink:


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## Jordan B (Oct 8, 2004)

Is there any coco fiber in there?


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## DaSlackMan (Feb 3, 2006)

Nope.

That's a picture of froglet's charcoal springtail culture...


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## kyle1745 (Feb 15, 2004)

Rice works great... I need to find some large charcoal though which I have yet to find.


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## froglet (May 18, 2005)

http://www.orchid-supplies.com/

Charcoal


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## DaSlackMan (Feb 3, 2006)

froglet said:


> http://www.orchid-supplies.com/
> 
> Charcoal


Which size chunks did you buy?


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## joshsfrogs (May 6, 2004)

I have found that smaller charcoal works better than larger charcoal (I assume surface area, but could be a whole host of other reasons).


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## froglet (May 18, 2005)

Well i only use the larger ones, they make it so much easier to collect. But thats just how i do it :lol:


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## gturmindright (Mar 15, 2006)

Do springtails escape all over the place when you open the container?


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## froglet (May 18, 2005)

No they do not at all.. and if one or two do they will die in no time. They can not survive unless its humid


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## gturmindright (Mar 15, 2006)

and they will eat all the mold in my tank?


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## Dancing frogs (Feb 20, 2004)

Some of it...
Things I have learned...
Using either scraps of tree fern panel or pieces of coconut fiber matting will make it easier to feed... tap them together a few times and you get a shower of springtails, as they can live within the media, rather than just on it...I think charcoal will give a longer culture life though...

Also, springtails love leaves, I usually have a layer of leaves in every culture...

Things I wonder: 
Why do some cultures, even when set up pretty much the same as others, boom, while some seem to barely support the springtails?

Why do some cultures go good for a while, then peter out to producing almost nothing, while still apperaing to be in the same state of decomposition as when it started?


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## Tadpole4 (Mar 16, 2006)

It must be the higher temps here in sunny GA cause I am having NO luck with my culture. In fact i really think I have lost them all- I just cannot find a single one anymore. It is very frustrating!!! This is the second culture I have lost  I really want to have some established and going before I get my frogs. I have more fruit flies than I can possibly feed to the frogs I have so there is a generous plenty for the new commers ( when they arrive) I just wanted to have a culture of springtails established and some going in the viv before I added the frogs. Even in the viv I just finished I can't find any springtails, I put half a culture in there and there are little puffs of mold popping up all over the wood already but no springtails. I guess I will need to get yet another culture of these little buggers and maybe keep them in the fridge this time :lol:


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## DaSlackMan (Feb 3, 2006)

I just ordered some of the charcoal chunks from Calwest Orchid Supplies. I'm planning to lay them on top of the coco fiber culture. Hopefully the springtails will congregate on the charcoal pieces as shown in froglets picture of his culture.


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## Guest (Apr 17, 2006)

I always used peat as the main matrix in my culture. I would put a little plop of food on top and put a piece of bark over the food. I would just shake out the bark to feed. 

The food was a moistened mix of dry oatmeal, nutritional yeast, and some commercial FF mix for the mold inhibitor it contained.


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## joshsfrogs (May 6, 2004)

> The food was a moistened mix of dry oatmeal, nutritional yeast, and some commercial FF mix for the mold inhibitor it contained.


Why do you want a mold inhibitor in with springtails?


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## Guest (Apr 17, 2006)

I dunno! My cultures used to get covered in mold and they seemed like they did better without it.


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## joshsfrogs (May 6, 2004)

Springtails eat mold/fungus. The mold inhibitor probably just keeps the mold in check allowing for more food to be given (since it won't mold as fast).


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## stchupa (Apr 25, 2006)

sounds to me when you received them you harvested more than what you were given?
The large tropical needs consistant food, moisture and warmth mid-upper 80s to do well.
Don't overwater (moist...ure)


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