Do you use springtails in your tarantula enclosures?

[MikeofBorg]

I have a A. hentzi freebie sling that was was tiny (1/16 in) when I got it and ignored pre-killed prey for some reason. Springtails got it through a couple of molts till it was big enough to take pinhead roaches. I've fed them to small true spiders and centipede babies as well.

My Brachypelma hamorii slings loves baby pillbugs. It takes them like crazy. The entrance to its burrow is cover in little bleached out pillbug shells. Well pieces of shell

 

[MikeofBorg]

I use mainly just instant yeast. Buy a jar and keep it in the fridge and lasts me a long time. Just like mentioned above I have used successfully fish flakes, rice, small pieces of vegetables, and various moldy things. All get devoured i just like the convenience of just using the years since I use it for fly cultures, isopods, and the springs. I will say though springtails will feed a lot of different things from dartfrog poops to pieces of dead prey items and a lot in between

Pic of yeast sorry for quality pic is on my fire
View attachment 287429

I’ve seen my springtails devour a clump of Hyla versicolor (Gray Tree Frog) poo in the frog’s enclosure. They had it gone in 4 days. I keep my culture of springtails on crushed lump hardwood charcoal. I drop a few grains of rice or a slice of strawberry every couple weeks. I have thousands in the little Tupperware container I keep my culture in.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Yep. Use them in all my pet enclosures that will support them. Tarantulas, spiders, centipedes, vinegaroon, Tokay gecko, Tiger salamander.......

I’d I catch some in a jar should I keep them in there alone ? What do you feed them . Caught some in my lp tank! Or should I place them all in a large tank?
I can’t afford to buy more right now I’d like to increase there numbers by a lot.

 

[SonsofArachne]

I’d I catch some in a jar should I keep them in there alone ? What do you feed them . Caught some in my lp tank! Or should I place them all in a large tank?
I can’t afford to buy more right now I’d like to increase there numbers by a lot.

They will eat any dead organic matter but prefer fungi (mold, mushroom, yeast). Just keep the substrate DAMP - too damp would be underwater.

 

[The Grym Reaper]

I randomly found them in my H. laoticus' water dish and started a culture from that, I use them in any enclosure that will support them.

 

[FrDoc]

I voted no, not because of an aversion to their use, but because I currently do not have an enclosure that “needs” them. However, I wil if/when I obtain a specimen for which I know they would be helpful, e.g., T. stirmi. The answers to this thread however, have a catalyst for me rethinking what I thought was their necessity, to them being overall beneficial.

 

[antinous]

I’ve seen my springtails devour a clump of Hyla versicolor (Gray Tree Frog) poo in the frog’s enclosure. They had it gone in 4 days. I keep my culture of springtails on crushed lump hardwood charcoal. I drop a few grains of rice or a slice of strawberry every couple weeks. I have thousands in the little Tupperware container I keep my culture in.

Can you use coco fiber as a substrate with them?

 

[Minty]

I didn't vote in the poll because my answer is not yet. I'm not sure where the best place in the UK is, to buy them. If anyone can point me in the right direction then give me a shout. Thanks.

 

[nicodimus22]

I am the cleanup crew.

I'm glad that people have had positive experiences with them, but I've never found them to be a necessity as long as you stay on top of your spot cleaning of boluses and poop. That step takes ~10 seconds per enclosure as I go through my feeding and watering.

 

[Gaherp]

Coco bedding is fine for springtails. The mix I use for springs and pods is mainly coco bedding mixed with topsoil, and leaves. I used to use lump charcoal back in the late 90's early 00's, but it became easier to use coco bedding since I use it for everything. I add a layer of leaves on top which makes for easy transfer.

Now for spot cleaning I do that everyday, but with the amount of T's I have I let the clean-up crew take the nightshift. The added benefit of feeders for smaller T's makes them a added bonus. They are in no way necessary for the health or well-being of your T's. Think of it like one of those little vacuum robots, neat and a little beneficial, but you can do without it.

 

[antinous]

Coco bedding is fine for springtails. The mix I use for springs and pods is mainly coco bedding mixed with topsoil, and leaves. I used to use lump charcoal back in the late 90's early 00's, but it became easier to use coco bedding since I use it for everything. I add a layer of leaves on top which makes for easy transfer.

Now for spot cleaning I do that everyday, but with the amount of T's I have I let the clean-up crew take the nightshift. The added benefit of feeders for smaller T's makes them a added bonus. They are in no way necessary for the health or well-being of your T's. Think of it like one of those little vacuum robots, neat and a little beneficial, but you can do without it.

How much water do you add into the coco coir? Just enough to make it moist or do you actually make it wet?

 

[Teal]

I use springtails and isopods

I culture the springtails in my centipede enclosures and a few of my roach colonies. The isopods I culture alone (for some species) and with roach colonies (for other species that won't eat toach ooths).

I am the cleanup crew.

I'm glad that people have had positive experiences with them, but I've never found them to be a necessity as long as you stay on top of your spot cleaning of boluses and poop. That step takes ~10 seconds per enclosure as I go through my feeding and watering.

I don't see them as a way for me to get out of doing the work, I see them as a way for my enclosures to function as bio-actively and naturally as possible. I don't like the idea of having critters in unnatural, sterile environments.

 

[antinous]

I use springtails and isopods

I culture the springtails in my centipede enclosures and a few of my roach colonies..

How fast do they reproduce (how long from the initial starter colony did it take for you to be able to seed cages with them)? Do they reproduce in higher or lower temps?

 

[Teal]

How fast do they reproduce (how long from the initial starter colony did it take for you to be able to seed cages with them)? Do they reproduce in higher or lower temps?

Sorry, I won't be very helpful here... they just showed up lol As in, I never bought or intentionally had a starter colony. I started noticing a few on the veggies/fruit I fed to my roaches who are in moist sub, and one of my pede enclosures exploded with them.

I don't regulate temperatures for my critters (outside of extremes) and I haven't paid attention to their population in regards to temperature.

 

[SonsofArachne]

How fast do they reproduce (how long from the initial starter colony did it take for you to be able to seed cages with them)? Do they reproduce in higher or lower temps?

How fast they reproduce depends on how much food they get, and remember if the food gets moldy, so much the better. They reproduce faster in warmer temps (70 - 80 degs f.)

 

[antinous]

How fast they reproduce depends on how much food they get, and remember if the food gets moldy, so much the better. They reproduce faster in warmer temps (70 - 80 degs f.)

Do you happen to keep them on coco coir? Was wondering if I should keep the sub moist or actually 'wet'

 

[SonsofArachne]

Do you happen to keep them on coco coir? Was wondering if I should keep the sub moist or actually 'wet'

Mine are on the charcoal they came with. If you use substrate, the only way it can be too wet is if it's underwater.

 

[antinous]

Mine are on the charcoal they came with. If you use substrate, the only way it can be too wet is if it's underwater.

Got it, I'll keep the culture in my incubator and make sure to moisten/add water every now and then. Is keeping them in a deli cup without any holes in it good?

 

[SonsofArachne]

Got it, I'll keep the culture in my incubator and make sure to moisten/add water every now and then. Is keeping them in a deli cup without any holes in it good?

They can be kept this way, a few pinholes wouldn't hurt though. No big openings though, sewer flies can get in, lay eggs, and their maggots compete for food.

 

[nicodimus22]

I don't like the idea of having critters in unnatural, sterile environments.

The following things are unnatural:

-Keeping them in glass or plastic boxes in your house
-Keeping the temperature in the 70s all year round
-Keeping them out of storms and floods
-Keeping them away from parasites and predators
-Giving them water other than collected rain water
-Feeding them roaches they would never come into contact with in their native area
-Using ground coconut husk as substrate that they would never encounter in the wild

Nature kills over 90% of tarantulas before they reach maturity. We should not be trying to model that system. We should be trying to keep ideal conditions that maximize survival and health.