Do you use springtails in your tarantula enclosures?

[Chris LXXIX]

No, never used those. IMO springtails (and the other, so called, 'cleaning up crews') are overestimated as heck. There's absolutely nothing that the mix of a spot on 'sniper' cleaning and a perfect ventilation can solve/prevent.

A 'cleaning up crew' is mandatory for mobsters/gangsters only

 

[Teal]

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.

Keeping any animal is "unnatural" if you want to go THAT far... which is not at all what I was talking about.

I was referring more to the reptile hobby enclosures and using man-made materials in enclosures... rack and tub systems for snakes with newspaper bedding and a ceramic water dish, tarantula enclosures with plastic skulls and plants, etc. on coco fiber that was baked to kill anything possibly in it.

Also... I don't keep my critters at a certain temperature. They feel the seasons just like I do. I mist a lot of my enclosures, which might be like a storm to them. I don't happen to have any Pepsis wasps handy to fascilitate that natural occurance, but it is tempting...
I agree about the roaches. And I just use topsoil for substrate... I'm pretty sure dirt is natural? LOL. I also use materials collected from nature like sticks, rocks, moss, etc (without sterilizing them). I use succulents and air plants, and other plants that can live in the conditions of T enclosures. I use clean up crews in my soil. I never said I was trying to mimic nature... I said I like *natural* things in my enclosures.

 

[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?

One other thing, if a T's enclosure has a bad mold outbreak, you're better off replacing the sub, then adding springtails. While they would eventually get it under control, it would take longer than I would care to wait.

 

[MintyWood826]

No. I don't have any moisture dependent species yet so I couldn't. When I do get some, I may or may not also get springtails. Don't know.

 

[MikeofBorg]

Can you use coco fiber as a substrate with them?

You could. Using broken up pieces of lump charcoal is better. When you want to transfer them to an enclosure you just pour some in from your culture. Did I mention you keep the container full with water with just the top of the charcoal dry. Charcoal also lets you see easily how your culture is doing, because the springtails tend to be white.