How to Culture Springtails 

I really appreciate everything in your comment! It is great to be appreciated and supported! Thanks for supporting the channel by watching and by buying that shirt. Enjoy it!

Nice idea on the coffee filter, thanx!

Megan Ma I really appreciate your positive feedback, Megan! I am very glad to know the video is helpful, and am humbled by your excellent attitude as we deal with postal issues. 👍👍👍

Thanks for the post! I am gonna try to breed from my yard 1st. But if it does not work good. I'll check with Rus!!

Aquatic Ma That is a good method too, I have used it myself with success 👍

I was going to ask if that would work! Thanks for posting this comment. 👍

You can also put a few layers on the inside and outside of a hole with this first aid paper tape, which is breathable. (1) www.dollartree.com/assured-first-aid-paper-tape-for-sensitive-skin-10yd-rolls/974328 A better looking option that is more visually appealing, is to buy this material along with hot glue sticks, and make several holes and then hot glue the scarf material on both the inside and outside of the lid. You could put more than 1 layer on the outside if you would prefer better pest resistance over better air venting. (2) www.dollartree.com/solid-color-fashionable-scarves/262701 (3) www.dollartree.com/crafters-square-hot-melt-glue-sticks-16pc-packs/290739 How many holes should I make? Just remember, it's better to filter the vent so tightly that it can't vent any air, then it is to vent it too sparse and have pests get in. If fermentation starts occurring in the container, having a vent hole covered or stuffed with material to the point that is way too dense for air to travel on it's own, will still easily function has a vent from the added air pressure. You can use a filtered vent hole(s) as an emergency backup to buy you a little more time. You could cut a huge hole in the lid and use a ton of the breathable tape or fabric, but a large hole is more likely to get accidentally destroyed by something falling onto it or being bumped into something. You could drill 50-100 holes, but each hole you drill, risks cracking the lid (you can modify a bit with a large taper to lower possibility of cracking, along with putting it on a flat surface that you can sacrifice being drilled into.) I think 1 to 5 holes is maybe a good number. If you do want to have 1 huge hole in the lid, you can replace the cutout area with Hardware Cloth (galvanized wire mesh) and then put the filter material over that (the tape or fabric) to add strength and prevent sagging. Another option would be window screen in place of the metal fabric, which is not nearly as strong and needs to be pulled very tight while gluing in place. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE be aware that there is no window screen that is fungus gnat or mite proof, DO NOT rely on window screen to filter out pests, I know this from personal experience. Gnats and Mites do not all grow up to be the same size, some are smaller than normal, and they can both lay eggs on the window screen or though the window screen. The outer most venting material you use, MUST be fine enough that they can not insert their mosquito like tube and push eggs through it.

How do you fix the filter floss or cotton over the holes?

@@markcoutts1796 probably with staples or hot glue

Rod Kirt excellent! Best of luck with them! 👍

Permanax_patb Thank you! I agree...springtails are crucial in bioactive enclosures. 😊

Excellent! They go great together 👍

stinky poopie glad to help!!

iddybiddyladybug Leeza you’re very welcome! 👍

Great North Reptiles Glad to hear it, thank you! 👍

Supreme Gecko Thank you Wally! I have found that it is a quick and easy way to jump-start a culture 👍

@@Aquarimax I have several cultures of dwarf whites with STs in them that are just exploding. I've thought about doing the water thing but am staying with the 'dirt' mix substrate as it is just so much easier (IMHO).

Supreme Gecko They do really well with dwarf whites, that is for sure. I agree! Unless you want to harvest large numbers of ‘clean’ springtails, which I often need to do, the ‘dirt’ method is usually more than sufficient, and quite easy.

@@Aquarimax Good point. Sometimes get some DW and actually dirt included when harvesting.

maybe one day a dart frog, that would be awsome

Hex Diagonal Welcome to the wonderful world of isopods and other microfauna!

@@Aquarimax Im in it for life, I just love the small isopods

Some Guy I have tried many methods, and this has proven the easiest and most consistent for me. 👍

Helveteshit indeed! That would be an interesting video 👍

For what it is worth, just got my first FREE starter woodlice from under some old roof tiles on the ground next to my greenhouse. Replace them in the same spot and as if by magic you will have more in a few days - just keep repeating the process - just be patient and keep these tiles in the same location. If it ain't broke, don't fix it - good luck. P.S. This is just one idea, there must be a million other locations for you to locate your non Isopod critters. The compost bin is another good source of critters - The Good The Bad and The Ugly. Much patience is essential for getting them to move in and then search for your required critter. As regards to your question, a good video by THE MAN would be well received.

airplane george sorry to hear that. Don’t give up quite yet...there may be eggs or tiny juveniles that will mature within the next couple of weeks, so your money may not have been wasted. Here’s Hoping that is the case. It happens with springtails sometimes. 🙏

Thanks for adding this information. I was planning on catching springtails, in Tennessee, so this is a useful tip. Now I just need to learn how isopods are kept ;-)

Zachary Person You had snails show up in the culture?

@@Aquarimax yeah, I am not sure why, only one of the three of them.

@@zacharyoates5264 I had this same issue but I wild harvested my springtails and I guess that the glass snail eggs were on some of the litter (though I thought I had handled ensuring it was clean and safe for indoor use). not really a big deal to me as it's a mixed bin with basic garden worms, common isopods and the springtails.. the bin gets any left overs my iguana's don't eat so everything seems to be thriving. Depending on the snail I wouldn't worry too much, my glass snails are a non issue as they eat the same things as the isopods and springtails without bothering them.

@@Roseles89 I started the new colony from an old one, and my best guess is they got in on food I gave them, mostly I feed them apple or cucumber my millidepes don't eat, and I make sure to clean it before and after putting in the millis tank.

Progressive Discussions good to know that dwarf whites aren’t a problem when your scorpion molts. 👍

Aquarimax Pets Actually I have the tropical purple dwarf Isopods from Costa Rica. This is the first time that the Asian forest scorpions stay jet black with no mites ever and no deaths like in the past. Also fungus is disposed of quickly. But I am sure the dwarf whites are just as effective at cooler temperatures. Maybe the dwarf whites can be used with let’s say salamanders that require cooler temperatures? Dwarf Isopods appear to require less maintenance than springtails. For dryer environments there is the powdered blue or orange Isopod. They require a calcium source such as a cuddle bone.

Progressive Discussions I have the Costa Rican purples too, an underrated cleaner! I may put some of them in with my Asian first scorpion. In my experience, dwarf whites thrive at warmer temperatures too, and breed very prolifically. I love powder blues/oranges, I use them with my leopard gecko. Very efficient cleaners!

Aquarimax Pets So the powder blue and orange isopods can actually thrive in the dry environment that leopard geckos prefer? I am amazed. I know it is a good idea to spray or pour some water on one end of a desert enclosure since moisture is really not that far down into the ground of the worlds deserts. Desert creatures I have learned actually live in the moist microclimates of their burrows. What substrate do you use for the leopard geckos? Is it half sand and half coconut fiber? Various humidity loving isopods are ideal for arboreal terrarium set ups for Horrido assassin bugs., which surprisingly are very communal and actively out in the open even in daylight.

Progressive Discussions Yep, P. pruinosus really do well with the leopard gecko. They have a moist Hide under slabs of cork bark, and the substrate (The Biodude’s Terra Sahara substrate) holds moisture at the lower levels, and stays dry at the surface. This allows the gecko to regulate its own humidity needs by burrowing, just like you mentioned. 👍

I have never tried with pine specifically…so I am not sure

Some ambient light is good, nothing too intense or too dark seems to be best, room temps are good, no additional heat needed.

@@Aquarimax Okay, thank you very much!! I'll do that!

Workof Rice grains work well too, that is a good method 👍

They are very adaptable!

Hi Jim, Great question! If the charcoal enclosure is large enough, you can make sure the outside of the small starter cultural is free of contaminants and set it inside the charcoal culture without a lid, and the springtails will make their way out , given time

@@Aquarimax Rus, thanks for super fast reply, nearly got it before I finished asking the question :-) Please,Please, don't feel the need to respond so quickly. I am a very patient OLD GUY, and know that you must have other pressing matters to attend to. I get it, but in my case I will have to source a larger master culture container, it also raises further thoughts and questions. It's amazing what you pick up on with a second viewing of the video. 1. I overlooked the fact that your charcoal is REALLY WELL SOAKED before the transfer takes place, and that it still looks WELL SOAKED long after the srings have moved in AND reproduced. I deduced that they really LOVE to live, and breed on wet charcoal (all things being equal), at least in their temp quarters before going into their forever homes. 2. That said, I must deduce that springs would NOT do so well on top of dry charcoal, even if there is a base of water down below - tell me if I am wrong on this one. 3. Your words "given time" equates to how long is a piece of string, at least in my mind. I suppose I would just have to make a guess as to when the soil has been vacated. Even then, It would play on my mind just how many unseen were left behind, plus their children, and beneficial micro stuff etc., :-) 4. I think that concern could be set aside if I were to just tip and wash the vacated tub of soil straight into the (experimental) ISO tub containing FREE (I love that word) common or garden Woodlice - my first experimental tub of ISOPODS. 5. I know I am on a learning curve here, but that's all part of the fun and enjoyment of starting a new project, I am sue you would agree. Thanks again, Regards, Jim (UK)

Mine seem to do fine in normal ambient light. When I use charcoal chunks as medium, they have dark hiding places available, and when I use clay, the clay on the sides of the container shields them from some of the room light. Works well!

ALL KNOWING BILLY I do! www.aquarimax.com/price-list/

archie sauls Hi! I haven’t worked with globular springtails...but if they thrive in your isopod enclosures I am guessing they would do well cultured in the same way as other springtails. Worth a try!

Ethox Maxwell / Toxic Lemonade Ii keep isopods with all of my geckos as well. 👍

Scott H I definitely recommend keeping springtails with your dairy cows, but if you want to produce large numbers of springtails, I recommend a separate springtail culture as well.

@@Aquarimax Thanks Rus! I sent you an e-mail through your site but I haven't heard back...

Scott H I must have missed your email, but I just did a search and found it! I’ll answer right away.

What if I won't use destiled water?

@@katarinasebikova2669 just make sure it is properly dechlorinated. If it's good water for fish , u can use it.

Rod Kirt I would say around 72-80 F.

Aquarimax Pets Thanks

For springtails, I recommend a Berlese funnel to collect springtails from moist leaf litter. You will likely collect other creatures along with them, so it may be a bit tedious to separate them out, but definitely possible. Here is a link to instructions for creating a Berlese funnel: www.carolina.com/teacher-resources/Interactive/constructing-berlese-funnels-study-invertebrate-density-biodiversity/tr19101.tr Instead of directing the insects into alcohol, direct them into a jar with some damp paper towel at the bottom. You may catch some isopods this way as well, but isopods may be easier to collect by carefully flipping over flat rocks and logs in moist areas.

@@Aquarimax thanks

Scott Comella Great question.I haven’t kept soldier flies, do it they function as their own cleanup crew?

UltraBrix Studios you could definitely use a taller container. A ladle might be better than a turkey baster, because they don’t sink, so they would be difficult to aspirate with a baster

They can do well on the substrate they came in. 👍🏼

@@Aquarimax Thanks for the speedy reply.

Great question! Grain mites can be a pest and harm some invertebrates if their population becomes too dense, and can outcompete springtails in a springtail culture, but a few soil mites in an isopod culture are rarely a problem…I think people overreact to them In many cases.

Andreas Klostermann actually, though the setup is messy, this is a pretty easy and clean way to keep them. you can culture springtails in the same medium you use for isopods, but I find this is the best way to enable me to harvest nothing but springtails. Another advantage is that in event that a culture becomes contaminated with pests, they are very easy to detect.

Carter's Critters it depends on the species and the shipping method. I use 72-hour heat packs. I wouldn’t ship tropical species, but most of the others are still ok this month if it doesn’t get too cold.

It seems to work for many springtail species 👍🏽

sue rostoni I don’t usually rinse the lump charcoal, but it would make dealing with horticultural charcoal less messy. 👍

A layer of damp, decaying litter will almost always hold springtails.

I have done something similar with filter floss, I imagine micropore would work well 👍🏼

The Green Resolution the first thing to do is determine if the small moving dots are mites or springtails. Do they hop when disturbed? If so, they are not mites and are likely springtails. Damp charcoal should work to attract them, especially if you sprinkle a very small amount of yeast on it.

@@Aquarimax Thank you so much brother.

No.

Jose Ramon Agüera Aceves thank you for watching! I would like to have captions available for all available languages. RU-vid is unable to caption certain videos, that may be the problem in this case. Are any of my other videos available in aSpanish?

It depends on what is in your tap water. Do you have access to dechlorinator?

Every day, ideally, though if you miss a day here and there, it isn't an issue.

Should be just fine!

streetdog75 I would say that the charcoals pore structure helps provide a uniform humidity and absorbs waste, as well as providing a substrate that is relatively free of unknown organisms. Some people do fine with wood chips...I have experimented with that. And found that they do better for me on charcoal. 👍

If the cocofiver container is small enough, you can clean off the outside well (to avoid introducing mites) and then set the cocofiver culture down in the other culture. If not, set a small piece of charcoal On the cocofiber. Leave it there for a few weeks and use it as a feeding/misting station, then carefully transfer it to the new culture.

@@Aquarimax Ok thanks. I will try using a single piece of charcoal. It was sent in an 8 ounce deli fill to the top with coco fibers. They are probably hungry after being in the mail for two days.

You can used the bentonite clay sold for springtails, various organic substrate mixes, organic compost, or even simple coconut fiber.

@@Aquarimax Thanks, I used Coconut fiber and they do amazing!

Yea!

Yes!

Good question…the charcoal will have accumulated some toxins, but at the same time is is likely to have accumulated a biofilm which might be beneficial to the springtails. Hard to say!

Yes, springtails usually thrive with isopods!

@@Aquarimax Thank you!

Cien Ten It helps maintain the high humidity they need. 👍

Big Fish Boss if you can dry out the area where they live, they cannot survive there. If that won’t work, try researching food-grade diatomaceous earth.

Look for an outdoor mulch pile, or perhaps under half-rotten logs. (Might not be the species mentioned here, but they'd be a free source.) Tend to be common in moist micro-environments where you'd also find millipedes and isopods.

I have very little experience with cockroaches...but someone at Arachnoboards.com may be able to help. There are many experienced roach keepers there. 👍

@@Aquarimax thank you 👍

That would probably work

Yep! That is generally how cultures work 🤣👍

Sure does!

DPowered Smith charcoal provides a LOT of surface area, which helps ensure good water absorption for the high humidity springtails need. It also adsorbs wastes, making a clean environment for the springtails. Finally, it is easy to harvest nothing but springtails from the culture...no other creatures, and no dirt, whether you tap them off the pieces of charcoal, or float them out with water. 👍

Dudley Williams I wish I could...I don’t currently, but www.bugsncyberspace.com has them for sale .

That should work well!

They clay culture is fine for species that are usually sold in one, I would leave them there. 👍🏽

Tuberface They can nibble the tips of the roots, but it has the same effect that pruning does...the roots branch out and grow more.

Aquarimax Pets i am osrry i dont undestand. please could you explain in more deteos i have a very expensive plant and i seen this ones inside the soil. looks. weird dont know what to do.

Aquarimax Pets also how do i get rid if them please as the inside the soil potting mix. is botthering me. a lot

Tuberface They are good for plant roots in general, they help the plants to grow strong, bushy roots.

That should work!

@@Aquarimax thanks very much.