Something new for springtails - lentils

[Mahjimoto]

I am not sure if anyone uses this method but i have been using it for a few years and it works wonders. I know springtails can be raised on things such as rice, fish flakes etc but has anyone ever tried lentils ? I use them now for all my springtails and the production rate has doubled.

[cbreon]

Do you pulvarize or cook them? Or just feed them the entire, dry lentil?

[Mahjimoto]

I just drop the normal seeds in there and let the lentils grow. Of course after a few days growth they will start to rot and be consumed. U will notice a significant amount of eggs all over the stems, its just an easy great way to feed them.

[cbreon]

do you get any mites?

[RichFrye]

Anything fed can produce mites. It's as much a husbandry issue as the food they eat. Using plain baker's yeast can produce mites.

[Philsuma]

and there are many different species of mites which feed on many different substances - grain, soil,blood, fungus...

[cbreon]

All true, but some of the foods we use seem much more prone to mites than others...

[Philsuma]

^^ yep...some foodstuffs coupled with the perfect storm of temps, humidity and other factors seem to result in...

Mite jackpot !

[cbreon]

exactly, and its one of those jackpots you don't want to win...

some mites are ok, but infested springtail cultures suck. At least infested ff cultures you can stick in your tanks and the frogs seem to enjoy them, even bigger frogs like terriblis...

[RichFrye]

Grain mites are probaly 99%+ of what you'll see in our hobby.
I don't think a living legume would quite qualify as a grain , but I'm not a grain or bug guy.
Dried rice, dried fish food, dried whatever consisting of grains are the worse.

BTW, terribilis love mites.

[fieldsmith]

I have one spring culture that is full of mites and seems to produce just as quickly as my "mite-free" (I think low-mite load is more fitting) cultures...I just view them as another tiny food source. Haven't tried lentils though, I'll give them a shot.

[Mahjimoto]

For now i have been pretty good on mites, only a few infestations here and there which i still throw in the frog tanks, they will eat them just the same as springs. Mites are mostly attracted to humid places and specially love wet paper but try keeping your springtails in separate areas and if one gets infected it usually does not affect the rest. ( USUALLY)

[Mahjimoto]

I also keep some springtail cultures with isopods, to my knowledge isos kill mites, wether that being a fact or not those cultures that have large amounts of isopods do not have mites and have never gotten them.

[Philsuma]

Yeah, when most people talk about mites, springs and Iso...it's like rock-paper-sissors.

Iso's always win against mites, or so it seems.

[Mahjimoto]

As i stated i am not sure on those facts,does anyone know for sure ?

[Mahjimoto]

Anyone ?

[Stu&Shaz]

i have a bought in culture of giant orange this has mites,and the same with some little fast grey erm which also has springs plus mites,i can't seem to split them with out transferring mites as well,both are producing well.
Now i also have serious numbers of dwarf white,even if i stack a mite infested culture on top of a dwarf white i never get mites in the dwarf white.so maybe dwarf white are munching the mites,who knows i'v had thoughts of actually chucking a shed load of DW in a mte infested culture to see if they clean it for me,so i can then pull adults of the GO and fast grey to start some clean cultures,haven't got there yet but its definitely going to be done,this one clean starter culture of these 2 iso has been driving me nuts to try and get going i've tried various mad time consuming methods to no avail.....SO FAR !!!!
Stu

[Mahjimoto]

That is very interesting, maybe only certain isos eat mites. The isos i have are the tiny grey tropical ones, not sure where i got them from but Ive had them for years and def no mites in their containers. I never tried normal isos from yard.

[Stu&Shaz]

That is very interesting, maybe only certain isos eat mites. The isos i have are the tiny grey tropical ones, not sure where i got them from but Ive had them for years and def no mites in their containers. I never tried normal isos from yard.

thats i point i forgot i do culture our natives too,ha no mites there,mind they much anything :lol: .
I got so wrapped up in mites and iso i must apologise for not mentioning your lentils idea,which fascinates me thanks for a great tip,jees i'm so into making our springtails better at the moment,i'm counting them to go to sleep :oops:
Stu
ps note i'm in UK