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How to culture Springtails ?
#1
I am thinking of ordering some of these guys. Any advice on how to culture them?


Thanks

Mike
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#2
Mike,

ED's Fly Meat has a $10 special on a really nice kit that usually goes for $14.95. I just picked one up myself. It comes with a nice Rubbermaid 6 1/2 quart clear storage box w/lid, 16 oz. container of springtails, 1 lb. bag of charcoal and 1 oz. packet of yeast!

1. Keep the culture on the cooler side (60-60 degrees).
2. Feed them about once a week or when the yeast has disappeared.
3. Keep the culture moist, but not wet.

Plus, they are having a 25% off sale on all their FF media, which starts on March 1st! I picked up a split case of ED's Super Instant Fruit Fly Media - D. hydei Formula and ED's Enhanced Formula.


Thanks,

David

DartFrog Wrote:I am thinking of ordering some of these guys. Any advice on how to culture them?


Thanks

Mike
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#3
I get better results feeding white rice (uncooked) and cucumber peels (they really congregate on the peels). I feed once a week and keep them in rubbermaids that have 3"-4" of charcoal with 1/2" of water in the bottom to keep the humidity high. Since I live an apartment, I don't have a place to keep them in the 60s, but they do fine at room temp.

To feed, I pour in a bunch of water and then poor the water out of the culture into a cup or directly into a tank.
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#4
I ordered a springtail culture from Eds last year, and its still producing heavily, and now i have several cultures from it. As for their Media, i wasn't too impressed with it, supposedly it has mold inhibitors in it, but i had a culture turn completely black with mold, this was the only culture to ever do that to me.
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#5
He does sell a mold inhibitor that I thought about buying. Anyone used this before ?

Mike
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#6
I'm sure he adds mold inhibitor to his media. I can't imagine he wouldn't. I don't know what inhibitor he uses or sells, but I use methyl paraben mix (stuff used in lotions and shampoos) and have had no problems with mold.

Before I started making my own, I used Ed's and never had mold with his stuff.
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#7
I think most people use methyl paraben, where do you get it?

Thanks

Mike
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#8
I have heard that you can raise these little guys right in the aquarium. Is this true or would I be making a big mistake ?
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#9
Just make sure to get the tropical kind and not the temperate variety, which will not reproduce in great numbers. In fact, they will probably be eaten to extinction.
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#10
They wont hurt anything will they ?
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#11
Hurt? No, not even a fly.
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#12
That is terrific, how would I know what species they are ?
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#13
I had a large tank with only a few frogs in them and added springtails and they just kept going after a few times of adding them to my tank. Very easy to raise I used a plastic shoe box to raise mine in. I got them from Eds fly meat and just followed the directions they sent with me.
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#14
The only reason I want to add them to my tank is because I have 3 16oz fruit fly cultures an 2 4oz flour beetle cultures so I am just trying to eliminate as many other feeders as I can. for once I have too much food and not enough frogs Smile sounds like a reason to get more frogs.
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#15
what the hell are springtails??!!

i mean i know what they are, i purchased the little set from eds at a frog show last week. what i mean is do i feed my frog these little maggot looking things, or will they hatch into something else??

i know that's bad, but hey i've never so much as heard of these little bugers before purchasing my dart so...
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#16
hey kelly,

what you see is what you get. you feed the little white things. i am experimenting with culturing mine on leca balls, but charcoal is popular and leaf litter and/or tree fern bits are also used, usually with a bit of peat or potting soil in the bottom of the culture. i make sure that the media is loose, then to feed my frogs i flood the culture (make sure the media is loose so that the springtails don't get trapped underwater), when you flood it the springtails will float and you can scoop them off the water surface and put them in the viv. others just take a piece of tree fern/ charcoal/ leaf and tap it over the viv so that the springtails clinging to it fall off.

also this thread seems to go back and forth between springtail and fruit fly culture techniques. i don't think people really use vinegar or homemade media to grow springtails. i use wheat spaghetti, and am trying ED's powder to feed them. brewers yeast and rice are other popular options. and they eat mold, so a little in the culture is fine.
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#17
Quote: charcoal is popular

Just to point out use natural charcoal -not the kingsford briquette stuff. I purchase my Charcoal at whole foods and I use brewers yeast to feed the springtails.
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#18
steve20 Wrote:The only reason I want to add them to my tank is because I have 3 16oz fruit fly cultures an 2 4oz flour beetle cultures so I am just trying to eliminate as many other feeders as I can. for once I have too much food and not enough frogs Smile sounds like a reason to get more frogs.

No other feeder insect should take the place or "eliminate" Fruit Flies, IMO. FF are the staple and they are able to be dusted, unlike most springtails.

All vivariums should have springtails seeded in them, though, if thats what you mean...
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