Springtail culture

This might be a really stupid question, but what exactly do you do with the sprongtail culture?? ops: I have one in my room and I have no clue how to even go about using it. :?

[ChrisMc]

There are several ways to get the springtails into the frog tank:
1. If you are using charcoal, just place a piece with sprintails into the tank and let the frogs pick them off.
2. Bang two pieces of charcoal together inside the tank so that the springtails fall in.
3. Springtails also float so that you can mist them down and spoon out the clumps of springtails.

Hope this helps

So I guess the cultures doing well Just take a pinch of the soil, which will have a bunch of little springtails on and in it, and place it in your tank. When the soil gets low in the culture, just add some more. I haven't found a way to dust springtails, but I don't think its really required (unless you are exclusively feeding springs - not good idea).

Where is a good place to get springtails

Mick had a good point when we were talking about it yesterday. He uses charcoal wood pieces and then when you want to use them you just fill the culture with water and pour all of the collembola and water into the vivarium. It's much easier than the methods I've done in the past.
j

Would you be introducing a large amount of bacteria into your vivs by doing this?

[mindcrash]

furrizl:

try http://www.edsflymeatinc.com

That is where i purchased mine, i got the starter kit, and the thing is booming.

[Devin Edmonds]

Another option is to blow the springtails out of the culture and into your feeding container or terrarium with a turkey baster, that's what I do.

[Arklier]

I got my springtail culture from Ed's at last NWFF. It consists of a shoebox size plastic container, pieces of lump charcoal, and water. Put the charcoal in, about 2" of pieces. Cover the bottom with about 1/2" of water. I mist the container before I feed them by sprinkling yeast over the wet charcoal pieces. When I want to feed them out, I push the charcoal around or mist it, which causes them to fall in the water, where I suck them up with a turkey baster. I have a piece of lump charcoal in my frog tanks, and I just spray the springtails right on it where the frogs can just pick them off. The frogs love it.

[Homer]

Originally Posted by hicksonj

Would you be introducing a large amount of bacteria into your vivs by doing this?

You won't be introducing any more (or different) bacteria than by tranferring the soil as you propose in your method.

Besides, a large portion of bacteria that exists in the world is beneficial, or at least non-detrimental. A healthy viv will have a strong microbe base anyway. Now, if you're using fresh dung as your substrate for springtails, that changes things. :lol: However, if you're using the typical charcoal substrate, I wouldn't think pouring off water from the cultures would be a significant problem. That's how I feed off my springtail cultures, and it works quite well.