Culturing Springtails

[WallaceGrover]

I thought some people might be interested in this, it's a method I have been using for about a year for a vivarium and I thought it would translate well to feeding carnivores, particularly smaller sundews.
http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/food-feeding/66991-how-culture-isopods-woodlice-springtails-2.html#post585620

I'm not sure on their nutritional value as opposed to alternatives like bloodworms or betta pellets, but I thought it was a cool (and easy, I only have to feed them twice or so a week) way to get a reliable and natural source of food to smaller plants. Just thought I would share if anyone was interested...

 

[Not a Number]

I always advocate the use of springtails as a food source for almost all seedlings in particular Drosera. They are a cheap and constant food source. I normally just leave a small pot of old wet peat moss outdoors with some fish food flakes, potato flakes or peelings for a couple days to get infested or rotate a couple of my outdoors Drosera pots indoors to inoculate my indoors pots.

As far as nutrition goes I'd go with fresh food over dried or freeze-dried food any day.

Thanks for the cultivation tips.

 

[PaulJ69]

I have my springtails in a sterilite container filled with charcoal and about half way with RO/DI water. I toss fish flake in every once in a while and they last forever. Every time I start a new terrarium I always take a good portion of springtails and dump them in there. They manage to reproduce and get eaten by the plants. I also have them in my Crested Geckos tanks to take care or any poo and uneaten shed. I also heard they take care of fungus gnat larva. Springtails are an under rated cleanup crew/food IMO.

 

[31drew31]

Springtails wont eat fungus gnat larva... but are great for being janitors of decaying plant matter or animal waste like you said.

 

[Not a Number]

Maybe not but they'll probably compete for some of the same food sources as fungus gnats.

Springtails are probably a major source of food for seedlings in nature.

 

[31drew31]

I agree with that, was just stating they dont attack the larva directly.

I would assume they are too, both love it nice and wet.

 

[PaulJ69]

Maybe not but they'll probably compete for some of the same food sources as fungus gnats.

That makes a lot more sense.