Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello,
I am wondering where i can get springtail cultures, I would like to have a backup of springtails if my fruit flys die off, also, do i buy cultures or do i just collect them in the garden? if so, any ideas on catching them? thanks, and sorry for all of my newbish questions... :[
-Spectabilis

LFS cultures has them and so does eds fly meat, there websites are lfscultures.com and edflymeatinc.com , I say dont bother with the kit they sell just get a starter culture and put some plain charcoal(without lighter fluid) into a 1 quart plastic ziploc container then mist the charcoal until there is about a centimeter of water on the bottom. Then add about 10 grains of bakers yeast on top of the charcoal this will grow fungus which the springtails will eat, and in a few weeks you will be able to feed from that culture. Some of my quart cultures have so many springtails in them I have to put around 70 grains of bakers yeast on top every 5 days. I have 6 of these cultures and they produce enough that I can feed a few thousand to my older frogs(my leucs love hunting these guys) and put some in with my baby frogs as a backup food source if they finish all there flies, and I still dont run out of springtails. Springtails are also great for some of frogs that morph out small or froglets that are stubborn to eat. Every week you will probably have to increase the amount of yeast as the springtail population grows.
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As of 1/7/04
1.2.3 Leucomelas (the 3 juveniles are the brightest orange I've seen there almost red, there not from my trio)
1.1.14 Green and Bronze Auratus
0.0.2 Imitators
0.0.1 Vents (more soon)
0.0.2 Nicaraguan Green and Black Auratus
0.0.3 Citronella Tincs
0.0.2 Powder Blue Tincs
0.0.2 Yellow Back Tincs

I might be able to give you some if you live somewhere near Bergen county NJ. As for trying to collect them from a garden or something is just a pain. ordering just one culture could end you up with a lot of them even at the end of the first week

does anyone know wat else would eat the springtails other the PDF? such as fish? or other pets?

I know fish eat them because they stay on top of the water, but I am not sure what kind, I think it says on lfsculture.com
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Jacob Pott's collection
As of 1/16/04
1.2.3 Leucomelas (the 3 juveniles are the brightest orange I've seen there almost red, there not from my trio)
1.1.16 Green and Bronze Auratus
0.0.2 Imitators
0.0.1 Vents (more soon)
0.0.2 Nicaraguan Green and Black Auratus
0.0.3 Citronella Tincs
0.0.2 Powder Blue Tincs
0.0.2 Yellow Back Tincs
1.1.0 Surinam Cobalts (extremely soon)

Top feeding fish love springtails, especially small fish. I feed them to my dad's Aphyosemion pyrophore RPC 18's when I visit (I used to raise them when I was in high school). They love 'em, and it makes them throw eggs like mad. The only thing better for them is floating a few 'skeeter rafts and waiting for the larvae to hatch out.

That's probably something that most froggers haven't tried to feed their tads . . . and most cities probably have health ordinances against.
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Homer W. Faucett III, esq.
Purveyor of Trivialities and Fine Nonsense