[NICKP]

So today I was taking a close look at my vivarium that has been growing out for a couple months and noticed a major increase in couple of uninvited guests... They appear to be two species of springtail that were not part of the initial seeding... I then noticed that I could not find very many members of the original colony (they were the temperate variety, the very thin white slinky ones) that had been really taking off. The white-ish ones in the top pick are everywhere now (much more active and visible than the temperates). There were also a couple of the darker fat ones on a piece of ghostwood. Is this another roll with the punches/count myself as lucky situation or should I be concerned? Thanks!

Viv progress pics https://imgur.com/gallery/Ek0Crvt

 

[hypostatic]

Don't be worried. It's all frog food in the end.

BTW, if you can isolate and culture the globular springtails, you can make some nice $$$ selling to the hobby haha

 

[Kmc]

You should do it!

Dang those things are cute as hell.

 

[Pumilo]

If you have to deal with uninvited guests, springtails would be about the best you can hope for.
The bottom one is a globular springtail, Collembola symphpleona. So far, it would seem that symphpleona may not be the best species to culture. I know of a couple people who tried to start colonies without much luck. Too bad, as their are a lot of very intricately patterns and intense colors. All of the globular forms fall into symphpleona, making it an easy id.

The other one is much more of a guess for me. I'm going to guess the top one falls into the order Entomobryomorpha.
I am currently working with a springtail I believe to be Entomobryomorpha, that looks similar to yours.
Mine appears to like dryer conditions, which may limit it's use to froggers, however it could be a hot ticket item for reptile lovers, and perhaps isopod keepers.

If you decide to try and culture either one, and are successful, let me know. Perhaps we can find something to trade. I am collecting as many springtail morphs as possible.

 

[NICKP]

Thanks for the replies. I will see what I can do then. My only fear would be sending out any other unintentional guests (having a gnat problem...hopefully temporary) to someone if I was successful..It seems like nature just knows how to find it’s way in..Would It be best to go with the standard charcoal medium method with these? The white ones have pretty much taken over the leaf litter and vertical spaces. The globular ones seem to be only interested in what is growing on the ghostwood. A couple weeks ago I thought I might have been developing a mite problem on my wood decor but now looking at these I think they were just baby globular springs....wish I hadn’t gotten rid of a few of them... I only see the temperates that were originally purchased towards the bottom of the substrate and in the drainage layer. I have been watering less (think I was overwatering before) and misting more so I’m sure the substrate is less damp (not dry though). I’ve been trying not to fill my drainage layer up and it’s been sitting pretty steady at about 3/4” standing water. There should also be some dwarf purple isopods in there but I haven’t seen them since emptying them into the viv.. thanks!


Viv progress pics https://imgur.com/gallery/Ek0Crvt

 

[fishingguy12345]

You may never see the drawf purple isopods... They tend to stay hidden

 

[Broseph]

Regarding vivarium microfauna diversity: it's been my experience that each group will find its own niche in the tanks, and they tend to stay with their own kind. For groups with overlapping preferences, one group might completely outcompete the other, and that's fine.

Regarding purple isopods: I never see them out and about, but if I grab a handful of substrate, there are more purple iso's than anything else.

Regarding gnats: they will come and go, but there's always a population boom with a new setup.

Regarding mites vs baby springtails: every viv has detritivore mites and its fine.

Also, those pics are super cool.

 

[hypostatic]

I am collecting as many springtail morphs as possible.

Doug, I KNOW that somewhere out there in this great big country, there are some orange/red poduromorpha species. If you get you hands on a producing culture before I do, let me know

 

[Pumilo]

Doug, I KNOW that somewhere out there in this great big country, there are some orange/red poduromorpha species. If you get you hands on a producing culture before I do, let me know

I'm all about the horse trade. So far, I only have a blue Poduramorph, but it does not require swamps or standing water to culture. They do great on clay, and decent on moist sphagnum. So tiny, but these are a cleaning crew that can't be stopped. Only the full adults are even recognized as prey, in a frog's eyes. If they don't get eaten, they can establish, even in froglet and pumilio vivs.
Of course you would probably know all that, being familiar with poduramorph.
Is it not crazy how fast a thin film of blue dust can eliminate a huge pinch of baker's yeast?

The janitorial potential of Poduramorph has been totally overlooked in the hobby, due to their diminutive size. You guys are going to start seeing the names Poduramorph, Podura, and Podura aquatica, a lot more often around here.

 

[varanoid]

Amazing pictures! I can't take closeups of anything. And the pictures I do take look like they are way far away. Ugh, photography is definitely not one of my strong traits.

 

[varanoid]

I'm all about the horse trade. So far, I only have a blue Poduramorph, but it does not require swamps or standing water to culture. They do great on clay, and decent on moist sphagnum. So tiny, but these are a cleaning crew that can't be stopped. Only the full adults are even recognized as prey, in a frog's eyes. If they don't get eaten, they can establish, even in froglet and pumilio vivs.
Of course you would probably know all that, being familiar with poduramorph.
Is it not crazy how fast a thin film of blue dust can eliminate a huge pinch of baker's yeast?

The janitorial potential of Poduramorph has been totally overlooked in the hobby, due to their diminutive size. You guys are going to start seeing the names Poduramorph, Podura, and Podura aquatica, a lot more often around here.

Do you happen to have pics of the blues you are working with? Any chance you can share your experience in your culture threads for some of the species you have worked with that we are not that familiar with that may be on their way to the hobby? Sorry for the run-on

 

[Pumilo]

Thanks for the replies. I will see what I can do then. My only fear would be sending out any other unintentional guests (having a gnat problem...hopefully temporary) to someone if I was successful..

Viv progress pics https://imgur.com/gallery/Ek0Crvt

I would accept a new species, even with unintentional guests. Honestly, I assume that every culture i receive is going to be contaminated with something. I quarantine and clean any and all bug cultures I bring in to my home. I'm getting pretty good at cleaning new species. I've developed a quicker way of doing generational turnover cleaning methods that are a good bit quicker than when i did it 8 or so years back. Clay culturing has made generational turnover cleaning, soooo much quicker!

If you have a species that is reproducing in captivity for you, I would love to try and clean them, via generation turnover, for you. I would 50/50 split the cleaned cultures with you, and of course you would name them should they prove worthy of hitting the hobby.