# Springtail deaths. - A sad story



## brettlt (Oct 5, 2006)

I recently traded a temperate colony of springtails to someone for a tropical colony. I keep my temperate colonies on mainly charcoal with a lot of water for high humidity. They multiple like crazy, even over the winter, while being kept at normal to low room temps. 

When I received the tropicals, I was told that did not need much moisture, and keeping them warm was better for reproduction. They are pretty dry and kept on straight coco. A favorite food is bananas. I seperated my culture into 2 39oz containers, mainly so that I could put one of the containers into my "heat drawer". (This is a drawer in my dresser that is kept a constant 75 to 79 with a thermostat and heat tape, with water heater insulation.) In this drawer, I can keep 1 39 oz container of tropical isopods, 1 39 oz container of the tropical springtails, and 9 fruit fly cultures.

So everything is working fine for a week. Both containers of tropical springs seem to be doing well, even the none heated one seems to be growing. And then it all went bad.

I had a package of frozen collard greens. I do not eat collard greens, so I decided it would be good for the bugs to eat. After letting them defrost, I put some in each of my tropical spring cultures, in my tropical isopod culture, and in my 4 temperate springtail cultures. 

I usually check on and feed my bugs every two to three days. Two days later I go to check on them and the first culture I open is the tropical springtails that are kept at room temps. Only about half of them seem to be alive. I am extremely worried, and I smell a hint of ammonia. (My nose is not the best, it was probably more than a hint.) I quickly take out all of the collard greens and put the container aside to check on the rest of my bugs. I open the springtails that are kept in the heated drawer. Totally 100% dead. A strong smell of ammonia. Next I check on the tropical isopods. They seem fine, but there are little white worms crawling over all of the collard greens. Also, I smell ammonia.

Now I am almost panicked to check on my 4 cultures of temperate springtails. I open them up. They are great, and have already eaten most of the collard greens. No smell of ammonia.

I am now nursing back the tropical springs that I still have, but I wanted to warn everyone about this experience.

NEVER FEED TROPICAL SPRINGTAILS COLLARD GREENS THAT HAVE BEEN FROZEN. 

Also, if you have more than one culture of anything, it is probably a good idea to try out a new food on just one culture at a time, so that you do not unintentionally wipe them all out, as I almost did.

Edited to change custard to collard. (I do not know what I was thinking.)


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## zBrinks (Jul 16, 2006)

Holy crap! Ive never heard that before. Those springs you got from me eat collard, mustard, and turip greens all the time so it must be limited to custard greens. 

Just let me know if you need some more. The temperates I got from you are growing like crazy on the veggies I chop up for my beardies.

Ay chance you're goig to make it to the May meeting in Ft. Worth? May 5th, I believe. We'll be checking out the botanical gardens.


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## brettlt (Oct 5, 2006)

Sorry. it was collared greens. I do not think there is such a thing as custard greens. I think the fact that were frozen had something to do with it. Also, it might be that they do not have enough air circulation. I think will poke some small holes in the lid of their container.

Sorry Zach, I have plans for May the 5th already. Maybe we will be able to make the one after that.

Brett


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## zBrinks (Jul 16, 2006)

make sure to talk to Cindy - As of May 13th, Ill be in Michigan permanently. Yah, Id never heard of custard greens. I originally tried keeping them in a sealed container (gf was scared of escapees and infstations) and they did the same thing you described. Never have had problems ever since I switched to sterilite shoeboxes, though.


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## thekidgecko (Oct 30, 2006)

Just set up eight cultures and I'm feeding them whatever comes off as cooking scraps lol. Thanks for the heads up brett. Nice to meet you at Zach's BTW.


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## booboo (Jan 22, 2005)

I believe that your problem was they did not consume enough of the collard greens causing them to go bad causing the ammonia and other harmful gases ans substances. I am sure if you feed them collards on a smaller level they should be fine, I would just shy away from feeding more, but rather feed less more frequently.


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## brettlt (Oct 5, 2006)

I have really come to believe that booboo is correct. Not enough airflow and the heat. I cut holes into the containers now for ventilation. I am also opening them everyday to alllow more airflow. I still have some survivors, and I will nurse them back into a culture.

What is interesting is that the temperate springtails I have do not really need much ventilation, they can be in a totally sealed container without even opening it for three days and they are fine.


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## Curt61 (Jan 16, 2007)

Hey, I also have had a problem like yours, I had two small cultures going, I got them from Rich Frye a while back. I had some lettus in them and had them by my electric heater like always, when I left they were doing just fine, when I came back all of the springtails were dead, couldn't find a single living one. and I had just got some more charcole so I could make a bigger culture too. Could they have ate the food and died of starvation in one week? I don't know how they could have all died unless they starved, they were where they always have been.

Anybody have any idea what could have happend?

Thanks, Curt.


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## thekidgecko (Oct 30, 2006)

I think I just found a freaking miracle food for the tropical springs. I'll update soon when I can confirm this when I am more coherent, but when I just looked at my cultures I just started, they look like the one Zach gave me originally with the certain food, but like a normally growing culture w/ normal leftovers and such. And the food I used didn't cause any of the above problems and might have better vitamin content than most foods we are feeding springs. It molded over soon, they ate the mold, the food, and multiplied. Looks promising 

EDIT: The roaches are laying egg cases like crazy for me as well Zach, they are so much fun to watch! They grab their tiny share of food and dash back to their hiding spots to chow in peace and then slowly crawl back for more and repeat. I've learned to love watching their little antics LOL


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## thekidgecko (Oct 30, 2006)

posted new topic on above comment.


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