Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i just got a culture of springtails. what i wanna know is how easy they are to breed and what do i need to know about them
thanks
Jon

Different people have different strategies for springtails. I'll give you mine:

Substrate: I use straight charcoal (1/2" pieces). It creates more surface area then other substrates and makes it easy to get the springtails out(just add water to the culture and pour the water out into the tank and the springtails come out). Always keep 1/2" of water or so in the bottom of the culture to keep the humidity up or they will die. I like to find a lid that is snug (to keep in humidity), but not air tight (C02 buildup will kill the springtails).

Food: A few kernels of uncooked rice weekly. I also add cucumber peels on a occasion and every few months feed straight baker's yeast.

Calcium: Springtails kept in captivity have no calcium content. In the wild, the springtails collect the calcium from the soil. Therefore, I add calcium powder to the culture.

Don't feed from the culture often (about once a week or so) and start as many cultures as possible. Also, if they show up dead, it is more than likely due to CO2 (the rice breaking down). Take the top off for a couple of minutes, put it back on and the culture will revive.

Some day I'll have this info posted on my site....
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Josh Willard
www.joshsfrogs.com

thanks, sounds easy enough. where can i get charcoal from? Walmart maybe?

I would tell you where, but I'm not allowed to sell anything in the forum section (wink).

I haven't seen it at wal-mart, but you may be able to get it at a nearby nursery. They sell it at orchid places too if you live near one of those.
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Josh Willard
www.joshsfrogs.com

Hey Josh,
How much calcium do you add to the cultures? Im keeping mine in a plastic shoe box, how much should I add? Thanks.

>>Hey Josh,
>>How much calcium do you add to the cultures? Im keeping mine in a plastic shoe box, how much should I add? Thanks.

Not sure how much I add. I just kind of sprinkle it on top the culture. I don't cover all the charcoal. Maybe a tablespoon?
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Josh Willard
www.joshsfrogs.com

I use the same method as Josh except add a 1 inch layer of cocoanut fiber under the charcoal. Rather than pouring the springtails in with water, I either blow them off the charcoal into the tank, or sometimes just put in pieces of charcoal which will be swarming with them for the frogs to gather around and lap up. The old fashioned hickory barbecue charcoal is nice if you can find some that hasn't been treated with starter fluid. I have kept the same culture going with only the addition of a little rice and yeast occasionally for up to four years before it began to die off and had to be renewed.
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Patty
Pahsimeroi, Idaho

4 D. auratus blue
5 D. galactonotus pumpkin orange splash back
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6 D. leucomelas
4 D. pumilio Bastimentos
4 D. fantasticus
4 P. terribilis
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2 D. azureus
4 P vittatus