# How to add springtails?



## Arienette (Jul 30, 2006)

Hi everyone,

I bought a springtail culture at GNYADS last month and was planning to use it in a new D. auratus viv (the four which I also bought at that time.) The springtails are in orchid bark, I believe. 

How should I add them? Is it preferable/OK to add the orchid bark into the viv? (I was worried about decomposition of the bark, but now that I think about it, it might not be a problem.) 

How do you guys add springtails? I'd rather not have the bark in the tank...mushrooms?

Thanks!
Andrea


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## beachbabe18509 (Oct 29, 2007)

I was also wondering, do i just dump the entire culture in the viv? Mine is charcoal, I don't mind some extra charcoal in the substrate but don't know if I really want that much of it just chilling in there...


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## Arienette (Jul 30, 2006)

Hi Amanda,

I guess I found my answer (I did a bit more searching.) Here is the thread I found on this:

food-feeding/topic23464.html

I think I'll try the straw method with a banana peel or something. 

(and you have 5 horses? Wow...)


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## evolvstll (Feb 17, 2007)

I use tree fern plaques over the soil (your choice) and food (your choice) , pick up shake over a piece of plastic (try different types, some work better) , shake into a cup, pour into viv's.

best place to get them: http://www.orchid-supplies.com/treefern_supplies.html


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## slipperheads (Oct 17, 2007)

Blow on the culture


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## EDs Fly Meat (Apr 29, 2004)

I use and recommend evolvstll's way. Take a chunk of tree fern fiber 2"Lx2"Wx1"H. Smear some yeast or other preferred food on one side and place it food side down. The springtails will crawl into and occupy the tree fern chunk. When ready, take out the chunk and shake out the springtails from the chunk into the tank.


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## gary1218 (Dec 31, 2005)

I culture my springs on small coco chips. You can just scoop out the coco chips right into the viv. I scoop out the coco chips into a culture plate and then place that in the viv. After a few days I remove it. That way I'm not getting the coco chips building up in a corner of the viv.


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## Roadrunner (Mar 6, 2004)

I just let it build up and scoop it out eventually. I`ve switched to nested 12-16oz feeding cups. I dump the coco chips in there and pull out the top one, empty and replace, when there are no more springs left.


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## Dangerously (Dec 19, 2007)

Gentlemen, BEHOLD!

food-feeding/topic23464.html

(kudos to anyone who gets the reference)


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## MELLOWROO421 (Feb 21, 2007)

I have been using charcoal for my newest cultures and what I have found to work really well is to put a film canister with a little bit of fish food in it on top of the charcoal and close it up. By the next day your film canister will be full of springs feeding on the fish food and you can just pick it up and dump it in the viv. This is working better than all of the other methods I have tried so far.


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