Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I finally see a few tadpoles alive and well in my pumilio tank and was hoping that I could start to get the springtails going so they have a food source for when they morph out. My substrate is a concoction of peat, top soil, sphagnum, ogimunda fiber, and bark. Do I just add them to the subtsrate and hope for the best or is there more of a science to this? Thanks for any help.
-----
Justin
stk18119@loki.stockton.edu

D.auratus
D.leucomelas
D.tinctorius (lorenzo, yellowback, citro, pb, oyopock,etc.)
D.azureus
D.ventrimaculatus (yellow/gold)
D.pumilio (blue jeans, solid red)
P.aurotaenia (narrow bands/green)
P.bicolor
E.tricolor (Santa Isabel)
H. leucophyllata
P. hypochondrialis azurea
P. resinfictrix
etc.......

Hi Justin,

In my tanks it seems that the largest springtail populations seem to be in the wet areas. Under water dishes, in lower areas where the soil is in contact with the water, pretty much anywhere that is kind of soggy. They feed on decaying and rotting things so in most established terrariums that have dart frogs in them springtails will have enough food. I would do exactly what you were thinking of doing, just tap a bunch in there from your cultures and see what happens. You could also take some moist leaf compost from outside and place little piles around in the tank to introduce other tiny invertabrates. Good luck with the pumilio,
-----
Devin
devin@amphibiancare.com
www.amphibiancare.com
3.2 Dendrobates tinctorius 'Dwarf French Guiana'
1.1 Dendrobates tinctorius 'Powder Blue'
5.1 Mantella aurantiaca
2.1 Mantella crocea
1.0 Ceratophrys cranwelli
1.0 Bufo americanus
0.0.1 Salamandra salamandra
1.0 Ambystoma tigrinum
0.1 Chamaeleo calyptratus
0.1 Phelsuma dubia
1.1 Uroplatus ebenaui
0.0.1 Chrysemys scripta
0.0.1 Chrysemys picta belli
1.0 Terrapene carolina triunguis

Devin,
Thanks for the advice. I will give it a try. Myabe I'll try some of those critters that i get when I take out my termite traps.

Thanks
-----
Justin
stk18119@loki.stockton.edu

D.auratus
D.leucomelas
D.tinctorius (lorenzo, yellowback, citro, pb, oyopock,etc.)
D.azureus
D.ventrimaculatus (yellow/gold)
D.pumilio (blue jeans, solid red)
P.aurotaenia (narrow bands/green)
P.bicolor
E.tricolor (Santa Isabel)
H. leucophyllata
P. hypochondrialis azurea
P. resinfictrix
etc.......

I don't think you can get springtails to "thrive" in a terrarium substrate like you can in a culture, but they will certainly live and reproduce there. I just broke down a critter keeper the other day which hasn't seen use for at least 3 months. The substrate I threw out still had hundreds of springtails crawling through it. Of course, the pothos was still alive as well. Maybe I'll pot that up elsewhere.

I would definitely continue to seed the tank from your springtail cultures to keep the population high enough to ensure feeding success. There's nothing like a well fed culture to keep springtail numbers high enough to make froglets look sumo style!
-----
Homer W. Faucett III, esq.
Purveyor of Trivialities and Fine Nonsense

Hey thanks for sharing. "Sumo style" is definately what I'm looking for. We should have a photo contest in here of the fattest darts.....I don't think I would win...although my vents look like those rubber bouncing balls I used to get when I was a kid....lol.
-----
Justin
stk18119@loki.stockton.edu

D.auratus
D.leucomelas
D.tinctorius (lorenzo, yellowback, citro, pb, oyopock,etc.)
D.azureus
D.ventrimaculatus (yellow/gold)
D.pumilio (blue jeans, solid red)
P.aurotaenia (narrow bands/green)
P.bicolor
E.tricolor (Santa Isabel)
H. leucophyllata
P. hypochondrialis azurea
P. resinfictrix
etc.......