How do I do this again?

[Wallace Grover]

I have a shoebox sized plastic container
Cowboy brand charcoal
Coco husk
and and order of mixed woodlice and springtails

So how do I go about making this into a culture?

[JaredJ]

I don't believe you use the coco husk. The instruction video on Josh's frogs show to pour the charcoal into the 5qt container and fill with about one inch of water and dump in the springtails and feed them. Is cowboy charcoal the big stuff? If so you may want to break it up into chunks.

[Wallace Grover]

Ahhh, ok then. Thanks for reminding me about his video...

[yours]

The coco husk is more in line with the coco fiber substrate method....

I'm doing both ways myself



Alex

[frogparty]

the woodlice wont do well in the charcoal. They need a different substrate. U need to be ordering pure cultures if you want to make more. In my opinion, the mixed cultures are only good for dumping in to seed vivs. You will get much better production of all species if cultured individually
Try shredded cardboard, lightly moistened for woodlice. Feed cucumber and dog food. Keep at 70 degrees or more

[Wallace Grover]

I want to seed my viv, but I just need to keep the culture alive for a week then I'll split them. Would the woodlice and springs do ok in a substrate of moist coco husks?

[earthfrog]

Originally Posted by Wallace Grover

I want to seed my viv, but I just need to keep the culture alive for a week then I'll split them. Would the woodlice and springs do ok in a substrate of moist coco husks?

You need to feed them something if you're not dumping them right away---perhaps a small amount of crushed dog food and a sprinkle of cornmeal---leave them in the original container.
I think charcoal would be fine for both if you have to move them out of the original container.

[Philsuma]

Originally Posted by Wallace Grover

I want to seed my viv, but I just need to keep the culture alive for a week then I'll split them. Would the woodlice and springs do ok in a substrate of moist coco husks?

Yeah....never totally use up a cx (culture). Always "buy a cx - split a cx". Keep one or 2 going for reserve or emergency use.

I would think dog food would become stinky and just gross when wet.

I use quality fish flakes for all my Isopods - same stuff as tad food (a couple diff brands) and either dry powdered baby cereal or dry powder mushrooms or bakers yeast for my springtails.

[frogparty]

Mark Budde got me onto the dog food thing for isos. You just put a single piece of dry food in.. lightly moistened. Mold will begin to grow on it, and the isos love it. I get equally good results with sliced cucumber though.

[fleshfrombone]

I agree, I use dog food and they love it.