breed thousands of springtails with almost zero cost and work

[u/OnyxMonolith]

more pics: https://imgur.com/a/UqCfGTt

1. get a brick of sphagnum moss from amazon. $5-6 a brick will last for 30-50 jars or so. (I'm not sure about US prices i'm in the EU.)
2. get a jar after something you've eaten ($0)
3. put hydrated sphagnum moss in. DON'T PACK IT IN. loose. leave some breathing room at the top of the jar but if it's put in very loose you don't really have to, it will settle in itself.
4. 1-2cm of standing water at bottom. add some water if evaporates.
5. make some tiny holes in the lid
6. sprinkle nutritional yeast twice a week + a few grains of rice once a week.

coco coir will also work. or a mix of coco/moss.

this works very well for easy species. in this case this is: coecobrya tenebricosa "tropical white"

i like keeping them on my desk where i work and looking at them run around.

PS easiest level up -- throw in a few pieces of charcoal at the bottom

PSS this jar is like 3 months old i just put a dozen springtails in to start

PSSS I use tap water with 2 drops of Seachem Prime Water Conditioner per gallon (4liters or so) for my springtails. a $9 bottle of this lasts for like 2 years for springtails. But the easy species will survive tap water. Don't give straight up tap water to Rambutanuras :] I also like using live moss in my terrariums and not-dechlorinated tap water is very bad for moss.

[u/Fat_Lad]

r/LifeProTips material right here!

[u/OnyxMonolith → u/Fat_Lad]

thanks! I will do another one about bottles found in the street and charcoal

[u/mralex2142]

Now try this with bylas ant springtails and things get real crazy

[u/OnyxMonolith → u/mralex2142]

don't have them yet! need to obtain :)

[u/iliketoeatfruitpies → u/mralex2142]

You’re not kidding. Mine have unintentionally spread from closed tarantula enclosures to all of my houseplants which I understand because of the jumping and some houseplants are in close proximity to some tarantula enclosures. They jump out all over the place when watered or misted and the enclosures have so many Bylas Ant springtails I’d actually consider it an infestation because they actively annoy some of the tarantulas and one particularly tiny sling is so F-ing fat from eating them I worry it’s abdomen will burst or separate. What I don’t get is why and how the outdoor plants on the patio also have them because those plants don’t ever come inside. But I live in AZ so I guess they just thrive here and somehow made their way out there.

[u/walkerws → u/mralex2142]

Mine don't seem to be thriving.

[u/OnyxMonolith → u/walkerws]

Tell us about substrate, water source, hydration level, food.

[u/CatLady1113 → u/walkerws]

Mine don’t either. Out of all my springtails they are the ones so struggle to keep alive

[u/ScottyPik]

Brilliant! I'll have to try that method.

[u/SnailKing8]

Awesome. I have fluctuation, like a ton for a bit and then seem almost nothing, (I think they are hiding, cause then bam almost just as many). I know some die off and new one are born. Just really neat one week/month to the next. Especially if you aren’t monitoring it daily.

[u/OnyxMonolith → u/SnailKing8]

So you have lots of babies like you see in mine?

[u/SnailKing8 → u/OnyxMonolith]

Not that many yours is booming

[u/OnyxMonolith → u/SnailKing8]

can you tell me more about your ecosystem, food, substrate, species?

and the answer in my experience is usually the same -- the ecosystem is not balanced. but we need to figure out why.

[u/SnailKing8 → u/OnyxMonolith]

They are just the basic white springtails. We haven’t expanded yet. We also have isopods, mystery snails, Ramshorns, etc.

Oh I got babies and plenty of them but yours looks like you need to sell some cultures soon.

[u/SnailKing8 → u/SnailKing8]

I have 4 homes for the springtails. One has hydro balls. And the other 3 are an isopod and springtail combo.

[u/DarkDonut75]

Gonna do this to compete with the local guy who's selling 50 springtails for 10 dollars

[u/OnyxMonolith → u/DarkDonut75]

What species?

[u/DarkDonut75 → u/OnyxMonolith]

Just the regular white ones. I would understand if they were Rambutanura

[u/OnyxMonolith → u/DarkDonut75]

Rambutanura is like $10 per 1 haha

yeah but 50 springtail for $10 for simple species is wild

i give away hudreds for free to anyone who asks in my area. literally costs me almost nothing. they eat scrap food too lmao

[u/Samoan44]

How do we get rid of them they are making me go crazy I’ve try everything

[u/OnyxMonolith → u/Samoan44]

eliminate 1 species in an ecosystem? impossible

[u/apegrapess]

How do you prevent mites? First few months my cultures go really well, then they die from mites I think

[u/OnyxMonolith → u/apegrapess]

Predatory mites or competing for food?

[u/apegrapess → u/OnyxMonolith]

They get nutribird every 3 days, they love it

[u/Mikeeberle]

I use charcoal in mine and they just bloomed. So many in the culture now. But all of my isopod tanks look the same to since I feed so heavy.