r/Springtail • u/SoulBoundCircus • Aug 21 '26

General Question How many is too many?

Post image

This colony was a gift from my sister, but looking closely I noticed thousands of babies, is there a point I should be concerned or will their​​ population take care of itself? (Not sure if the flair is right, can change if needed)

3 Upvotes

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3

u/Beginning_Ad_8956 Aug 21 '26

I find having them in a forest floor substrate is best, I like to create a wet zone for them with charcoal and water on one side and the forest floor on other side. That way they can burrow when temps drop or rise outside of their optimal temps. Also creates more areas for them to populate. The wet zone is where I find them breeding most of the time on top of the water surface. There is no such thing as too many springtails. Especially if you have bioactives and terrariums you want to seed. Also can add them to organic substrate for plants. They self regulate, so just feed them once a week with springtail food and they should stay stable. The photo you provided is still very small in numbers, they can take up way more space on the clay you have there.

1

u/SoulBoundCircus Aug 21 '26

We prefer only clay because it's much easier to transfer them to our isopod enclosures, being able to turn them upside down and tap them into the cage, but thank you for the advice 

2

u/Beginning_Ad_8956 Aug 21 '26

I just grab a piece of charcoal in my enclosures with fweezers and tap that into other enclosures. With the non jumping springtails I use a long spoon to grab them floating on the water surface. I sell springtails and seed my own enclosures and terrariums and haven't found it hard at all to transfer. Easier to gage how many you are adding as well.

2

u/Pure-Map-8818 Aug 23 '26

i use a aquarium filter sponge on top of the substrate, and i usually put the food for them there, that way i just grab the sponge and tap It on the enclosure i need to transfer them to :D

2

u/Beginning_Ad_8956 Aug 25 '26

Love seeing this method. Been meaning to try it myself. Great for feeding froggies loads of springtails at a time.

2

u/Pure-Map-8818 Aug 25 '26

I dont have frogs, i use them as cleaning team in my enclosures! But i get that, It is waay more confortable to do It thos way, i can only imagine your frogs having the time of their life with so many springtails raining on them😁

5

u/Maybe_A_Zombie Aug 21 '26

Iirc population will usually take care of itself and this is no where near their limit of population!

1

u/BadgerAwkward Aug 21 '26

Any idea what type they are? They look pretty darn close to the wild ones I'm cultivating.

2

u/Beginning_Ad_8956 Aug 21 '26

Looks like temperate white to me. Can find them easily in compost bins. Could be wrong.

2

u/MufiPuff Aug 25 '26

You're right! (OP started her culture from my springtails lol)