Quick facts
- Types we carry: white and orange springtails
- Size: tiny, about 1–2 mm
- A culture keeps breeding for as long as you care for it
- Difficulty: very easy
- Used as a clean-up crew in bioactive setups and as food for tiny frogs
Enclosure
A small plastic container with a lid works great. Poke a few tiny air holes or open the lid for a moment every few days.
They jump, so keep the lid on.
Temperature
Normal room temperature, about 65–80°F.
Lighting & UVB
None needed. Keep the culture out of direct sun.
Humidity
Springtails need it damp all the time. A culture that dries out will die off fast.
Substrate
Most keepers use one of two setups.
- Charcoal chunks with a little water in the bottom
- Moist coconut fiber or organic soil
Diet & feeding
Sprinkle a tiny pinch of dry yeast, fish flakes or uncooked rice once or twice a week.
Feed less than you think. Old food can sour the culture. Remove anything that grows fuzzy mold.
Water
Add a little water whenever the culture starts to look dry. Don't flood it.
Handling
No handling. To add them to a vivarium, tip a bit of the culture onto the soil.
In a bioactive setup they eat mold, leftover food and waste. They pair well with isopods.
Common problems & the vet
- Culture crashed: usually it dried out or was overfed
- Bad smell: too much food, so clean out the old food and feed less
- Mites: keep cultures separate and start a fresh one from a healthy batch
Questions about your setup? Stop by and ask us.
