Springtails, which are hexapods, (no longer considered insects) are one of the most abundant critters on earth. There are many species, which all live off detritus and decaying organic matter, perhaps feed off fungi, as well. They won't harm your animals or plants, but they may be hard to establish in a tank. The most available ones commercially require wet leaf litter and even some shallow pooling water. Since many frogs, especially darts, chow down on them, it's difficult to get them established in their viviariums. In any other situation, they will be helpful at best and not the least bit harmful to the animals. However, one can't expect miracles from them. How much they are able to degrade, or recycle by themselves, I don't know. They aren't going to make cricket carapaces disappear all by themselves. But all in all, they are a good thing to have in a planted, living vivarium.



Some people get nervous about them when they inhabit house plant soil and you will find advice upon how to get rid of them, but some housekeepers just can't stand to see anything hopping around in the house plants, and automatically think it's a pest of some sort.
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Patty

Pahsimeroi, Idaho



Dendrobates: auratus blue, auratus Ancon Hill, tinctorius azureus, leucomelas. Phyllobates: vittatus, terribilis, lugubris. Epipedobates: anthonyi tricolor pasaje. Ranitomeya fantastica, imitator, reticulata. Adelphobates castaneoticus, galactonotus. Oophagia pumilio Bastimentos. (updated systematic nomenclature)

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