# springtails ?



## calandlew (Jun 17, 2013)

hi everyone , doing alot of research at the moment finding out all i can regarding darts and wanted to know are springtails the best tank cleaners and if so why ? thank you


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## sammyp (Jun 8, 2012)

No idea if they are "the best" but they are certainly good. Also simple to culture and breed/feed, As well as cheap. They eat frog and plant waste that is in/on the soil which keeps the mini eco system inside the tank thriving. I will be using them in my tanks.


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

'Best' is relative- as Sammy says, they are good, but bear in mind that most of our frogs come from areas with thousands (if not more) of local invertebrates and detrivores- we can only hope to provide a simple approximation of their natural habitat. My personal prefference is to make the 'viv diversty' as wide as possible.


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## calandlew (Jun 17, 2013)

ok thank you , as im new and researching at the moment what else can be put in the tank to clean please? the books ive read detail mainly on species and care of frogs .


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## Galactic Mushroom (Mar 8, 2013)

You can get tropical woodlice or European woodlice that also will help clean up, I went to some woods near me with a little tub and gathered some woodlice from under logs


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## soundstounite (Sep 6, 2009)

There seem to be 3 or 4 types of woodlouce that reproduce quick enough to be viable feeders,that are used here and possibly 3(or more)types of springtail,both beasties are great as clean up crew. We culture all and also add all to vivs. i'm with Ron we simplify one of the most complex ecosystems on the planet. More constrains are applied to darts by size of food they can munch

Stu


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## Luke (May 19, 2005)

I'm with everyone on this, I've got dwarf white wood lice and springtails in my wtf set up, I would like to add more to it to make it more diverse but its knowing what to do for the best and getting the right custodian to go with what I've already got.


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## SnakeBreeder (Mar 11, 2007)

Springtails will certainly keep your cage clean with just a small number of frogs.
However, Like so others on here, I have found that having a variety of cleaners seems to work best.
In my larger bio-active setups, which I use for corns and rat snakes I have European and British springtails, woodlice from Britain, America and Panama. 
I have tried a variety of worms in my set ups but been unable to get them to thrive.


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

SnakeBreeder said:


> Springtails will certainly keep your cage clean with just a small number of frogs.
> However, Like so others on here, I have found that having a variety of cleaners seems to work best.
> In my larger bio-active setups, which I use for corns and rat snakes I have European and British springtails, woodlice from Britain, America and Panama.
> I have tried a variety of worms in my set ups but been unable to get them to thrive.


I've found that compost worms do best at the higher viv temps- the ones found in compost bins and piles of horse manure: Dendrobaena attemsi | Natural History Museum


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## aberreef (Aug 10, 2010)

Springtails are a bit boom and bust. Their population will initially explode but soon gets reduced by being eaten or simply running its course, that's why it's good to culture your own along with seeding your viv.

As others have said, woodlice are also a good addition and different species can be introduced for different jobs. Whites, for example, spend most of their time buried in the substrate helping to keep it aerated. Greys and Browns spend more time on the surface.

All 4 species are great additions and those that don't get eaten will multiply in the viv, providing a slow steady stream of calcium rich treats:2thumb:


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## Meefloaf (Mar 24, 2013)

dartfrog sells brown, white and european woodlice, and two types of tropical springtails (altho not all in stock atm), is there anywhere else that sells a range of these guys ? i've seen rickslivefoods (1 type springtails) and rainforest vivs (out of stock atm).

i'm wanting to culture my own for seeding and feeding


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## Galactic Mushroom (Mar 8, 2013)

Livefoods direct


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

Rainforest Vivs would have been my recommendation- I have also heard of a site/place called LiveFoods Direct which could be worth a search.


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## Meefloaf (Mar 24, 2013)

yeah i forgot to mention that one lol i'd love a look at these orange ones and all these different springs tho.


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## aberreef (Aug 10, 2010)

Other forum members:whistling2:


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## aberreef (Aug 10, 2010)

Meefloaf said:


> yeah i forgot to mention that one lol i'd love a look at these orange ones and all these different springs tho.


I've just got my grubby little mits on a few species of larger woodlice including the orange ones. Geeky I know but I enjoy the woodlice almost as much as the frogs:blush:


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## Meefloaf (Mar 24, 2013)




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## calandlew (Jun 17, 2013)

thanks for all the advice guys youve all been a great help


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## Meefloaf (Mar 24, 2013)

Sod that, we are so close to finding orange woodlice


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## aberreef (Aug 10, 2010)

Meefloaf said:


> Sod that, we are so close to finding orange woodlice


Only got about 12 atm but fingers crossed they'll start to reproduce pretty soon: victory:


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## Meefloaf (Mar 24, 2013)

apparently they arn't that prolific breeders, but hey, i doubt you need thousands like the dwarf woods


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## soundstounite (Sep 6, 2009)

aberreef said:


> Only got about 12 atm but fingers crossed they'll start to reproduce pretty soon: victory:


pull adults on 3 months Huw start new culture,keep slightly dryer than DW,fast greys CR puplle whatever the bloody hell they are wettest

G.O. with red eyes,ha just too cool...the problems start when you name them mate...slippery slope there:gasp:

Stu


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## aberreef (Aug 10, 2010)

soundstounite said:


> pull adults on 3 months Huw start new culture,keep slightly dryer than DW,fast greys CR puplle whatever the bloody hell they are wettest
> 
> G.O. with red eyes,ha just too cool...the problems start when you name them mate...slippery slope there:gasp:
> 
> Stu


 
lol, there's Steve, Alan, Mary, Susan.....................

:roll2:


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## Meefloaf (Mar 24, 2013)

So, where'd you get em?


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## Meefloaf (Mar 24, 2013)

aberreef said:


> lol, there's Steve, Alan, Mary, Susan.....................
> 
> :roll2:


With them being oranje, it'd have to be cruijff, neeskens, rep, suurbier lol


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## soundstounite (Sep 6, 2009)

aberreef said:


> lol, there's Steve, Alan, Mary, Susan.....................
> 
> :roll2:


:2thumb::2thumb::welcome::lol2:

Stu


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## aberreef (Aug 10, 2010)

Meefloaf said:


> So, where'd you get em?


I got mine from Germany, swapped them for some of my dwarfs: victory:


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

aberreef said:


> lol, there's Steve, Alan, Mary, Susan.....................
> 
> :roll2:


 Susan is my personal favorite...

I'd like some of the orange at some point- although I suspect they'd be big enough for my frogs to notice, and therefore eat; the white ones and the small fast brown ones (as we term them in scientific circles :whistling2 are too tiny for them to pay attention to, on the whole.


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## Meefloaf (Mar 24, 2013)

Ron Magpie said:


> Susan is my personal favorite...
> 
> I'd like some of the orange at some point- although I suspect they'd be big enough for my frogs to notice, and therefore eat; the white ones and the small fast brown ones (as we term them in scientific circles :whistling2 are too tiny for them to pay attention to, on the whole.


i'm thinking if i managed to get those orange ones culturing well i could use them for food. plus i'd just love to have a load of orange things crawling about


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## vukic (Apr 9, 2010)

How do you guys culture your springs and woodlice... I bagged some British woodlice from the garden I'd like to start..  not sure what the springtails are.. They found me!! They were having a swim in the scorpions water bowls.. Lol.. 

Tiger

Sent from my LT18i using Tapatalk 2


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## Meefloaf (Mar 24, 2013)

soundstounite said:


> Woodlice
> Culture mediaart rotted leaf litter(oak and beech mix is what we use) we also add part rotted wood(plum),this is an edible substrate for woodlice:2thumb:
> 
> Container,morrisons value range 3L tupperware £1 or later on 4.5L tupp. from tescos £1.50
> ...


from da dart room thread


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## Meefloaf (Mar 24, 2013)

aaaaand this 



soundstounite said:


> Guys I'm going to go through our method of culturing springtails,I'm being constantly asked about this, .There are many methods of doing this and many types of springtail so they may well need different methods to the one I'm using. I've just got a couple of different types in to try out,so in time we'll all find out whether this method that is working for us is universal .......to some degree or not. yes i have tried many methods!!! This ,to follow, is the most stable, is providing us with enough to feed many kids,and gradually expand our stocks,without buying in,just working from one starter,ok a good un ,thanks Darren
> Before i go any further I'll thank Mike (frogman 955i) and Glenn(frogfreak) for making me think about things in a slightly different way,whether we use the same methods is irrelevent what is important is their imput to mine and Shaz's personal quest to never being short of springs and not being reliant on buying other cultures in, cheers to both of you really nice folks from far off strange talking lands:Na_Na_Na_Na: ie Scotland and Canada
> 
> Anyway for you lot,the charcoal method
> ...



and this (pics dont like quoting)

the rest
the grub








poured into little piles note Ca source on the side









fresh piles of yeast misted gently


















Morrisons containers









fat ball containers plus trusty turkey baster,an essential tool for dart guys









clearly marked culture set up date and (WC) = water change,mark this up you'll notice a year on the date,yup they will do this long,mark every one you'll forget this stuff for sure this means even guys like me can keep track of these important dates









enough springs from one starter culture to feed god knows how many kids plus adults and every container we have got our grubby mitts on

















overal view of a culture








and , well the reason for it all










One method for springtails that works

QUADRAT ET DEMONSTRANDUM (QED= proved and demonstrated)

bring it on 

Stu


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## knighty (Feb 27, 2008)

I purchased 1 tub of spring tails, and have never ran out since.

There may be better ways (which im sure there are) of doing this but heres what i done.

I got a container and filled the bottom with eco earth. I then got loads of old pieces of cork bark (not the substrate kind) and bog wood and broke them into chunks. I placed the cork and bog wood ontop of the eco earth and emptyed the spring tail culture into there new "home". Finally I misted the container with dechlorinated water and shut the lid.

Now all i do is once a week sprinkle some sera micron and fish flake over the top and give it a quick spray if it has become dry. Placing them in the viv is easy, i just grab a piece of the cork or bog wood and tap it against a rock in the viv.

Any ways back to the original question.

yes they are a great terrarium cleaner if they get much chance to do so.
When using them with dart frogs my advice is to put them into the terrarium late at night when the lights are off to give them chance to hide. Leaf litter is there friend, and remember the old saying "saftey in numbers", dont be shy with the ammount you add.

Personally i use them just as much as a "snack" food item as i do a clean up crew.

Dave


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