# Why do you use charcoal?



## raelaf (Jan 10, 2011)

I can't find anything about WHY you use charcoal in springtail cultures. I read about which brands to buy and whatnot but nothing about the purpose of it. I just started a springtail culture and bought some natural charcoal (cowboy brand). I just want to understand why I am using it. Thanks!


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## JJuchems (Feb 16, 2004)

raelaf said:


> I can't find anything about WHY you use charcoal in springtail cultures. I read about which brands to buy and whatnot but nothing about the purpose of it. I just started a springtail culture and bought some natural charcoal (cowboy brand). I just want to understand why I am using it. Thanks!


Springtails eat bacteria, charcoal is a good growth media for bacteria. I also use coco fiber saturated in water as a springtail culture media.

EDIT: Here is a good article on springtails: http://insects.tamu.edu/extension/publications/html/e214.html


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## raelaf (Jan 10, 2011)

Alright that makes sense. Thank you for clearing that up for me!


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

The reasons people use charcoal for their culture can be found here http://www.stevehopkin.co.uk/publications/2005_ARE_50_201-222.pdf

There are a number of reasons.. 

Ed


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## stemcellular (Jun 26, 2008)

thanks for the link, Ed. Good weekend reading.


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## Speg (Nov 9, 2010)

They eat bacteria or fungus? I've been told to feed mushrooms and the springails will literally cover a mushroom...

I've never used charcoal..only mushrooms..and I have enough springtails to start a springtail selling business


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## jeffr (May 15, 2009)

the charcoal is the medium used


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## raelaf (Jan 10, 2011)

Oh boy, another journal article.. I have to read about 5 articles/ write papers on them every week for college. Thank you for the link though. I'll skim through it.


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## BOOSHIFIED (Jun 23, 2009)

Speg said:


> They eat bacteria or fungus? I've been told to feed mushrooms and the springails will literally cover a mushroom...
> 
> I've never used charcoal..only mushrooms..and I have enough springtails to start a springtail selling business



eerrrrrrrrrrr do you know what mushrooms are?


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## DJboston (Oct 25, 2008)

I take it for granted that most people that come into this hobby lately aren't people with science backgrounds. To not know a mushroom is a fungus just blows my mind! lol I know you don't need a degree in bio to be into dart frogs, but I figured most people were at least science and nature nerds like me.


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## JJuchems (Feb 16, 2004)

It is a question of "are you smarter than a fifth grader?" (I teach fifth grade.)


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## MountaineerLegion (Apr 8, 2008)

I don't understand your response. An early response said they eat bacteria. A later response said they had heard they eat fungus and so they feed mushrooms and have great success. Yes, I have a biology degree, and I know mushrooms are a fungus....the persons question is a good one...is it bacteria or fungus they prefer.




BOOSHIFIED said:


> eerrrrrrrrrrr do you know what mushrooms are?


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## Speg (Nov 9, 2010)

lol these people are so quick to question whether or not >I< know that a mushroom is a type of fungus...but unfortunately they can't read :'(


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

MountaineerLegion said:


> I don't understand your response. An early response said they eat bacteria. A later response said they had heard they eat fungus and so they feed mushrooms and have great success. Yes, I have a biology degree, and I know mushrooms are a fungus....the persons question is a good one...is it bacteria or fungus they prefer.


 
The question can be answered here http://www.stevehopkin.co.uk/publications/2005_ARE_50_201-222.pdf try pages 6-9... 

Ed


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## BOOSHIFIED (Jun 23, 2009)

Ill offer my apologies and just say upon first reading of his statement it made it sound like he didnt know mushrooms were fungus.

I read it again and it seems like it was just worded a little weird so it wasnt too clear.


ALL GRAVY BABY


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## MountaineerLegion (Apr 8, 2008)

Thanks Ed,

I just finished reading it...well a good portion of it. I really wasn't interested in collembolas effectiveness as a metric for pollution only what it eats and how to culture it, but I got my answer. Thanks again.



Ed said:


> The question can be answered here http://www.stevehopkin.co.uk/publications/2005_ARE_50_201-222.pdf try pages 6-9...
> 
> Ed


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## Freeradical53 (Jan 25, 2008)

Wow! and Charcoal doesn't stink!


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## Speg (Nov 9, 2010)

BOOSHIFIED said:


> Ill offer my apologies and just say upon first reading of his statement it made it sound like he didnt know mushrooms were fungus.
> 
> I read it again and it seems like it was just worded a little weird so it wasnt too clear.
> 
> ...


I respect that.


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## Dartfrogfreak (Jun 22, 2005)

I never knew that part about Charcoal use, I thought it was 1 for making a nice loose media and 2 because its much easier to shake some sprintails into a tank and nthen put the chunk of charcoal back into the culture. thus keeping your culture from needing constant media replacements.


Ill have to read this article!


Todd


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## Judy S (Aug 29, 2010)

Ed...good to hear from you after such a long time!!!


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## nurse3766 (Apr 8, 2010)

i had my springs in charcoal, for about a year, 3 shoe boxes of them. but they never really took off. i feed mushrooms.
so last week i took a big under the bed storage box and made a huge spring culture using organic soil and the charcoal they were in. i tossed about a dozen mushroom slices on top with some leaf litter. then i made the whole thing fairly wet closed it up. i went in there yesterday to spray water on the culture and i have zero shrooms left and 5 gazillion springs 
charcoal may have its uses but these guys really seem to love being in real sub strait.

this is just my observation on a new experiment im trying. i wont say anything is wrong with charcoal just that i doubt ill be using it again.


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