All about Springtails: Their benefits and how to culture them easily yourself

Springtails (Collembolla) are true a powerhouse for the bioactive vivarium. These fascinating albeit diminutive Anthropods are an integral part of the micro fauna of the forest floor.
Today we tackle this most requested topic in All about Springtails...Everything you wanted to know or perhaps not know about what they do, How they are beneficial to an ecosystem and how to easily culture them yourself.
I hope you'll join me today.
Take care,
Biggs
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[@RichardBronosky]

5:42 As a BGE BBQer I have years worth of charcoal bits that are too small to use. As a Polish immigrant raised in the Appalachian Mountains, I struggle to throw away anything that might be useful in hard times. I was MADE for this! 😀

[@themadaquarist]

Lol

[@beastamer1990s]

Charcoal works great, my springtail culture though is just a jar with no lid that i chuck random crap in. Rats chew their seagrass? Chuck that in. Spill potting mix inside? Scoop that in. Eating fruit? Throw in a peel. Sometimes grass grows out of the jar. Its an experience aha. Practically 0 maintenance though and its cool watching them create airpockets to nest in against the glass, its like looking into a little organic geode. Been using it to seed my pot plants and terrariums with springtails for near on a year now. Tl;Dr: dont drown them or suffocate them and youre probably good

[@jesnoggle13]

Organic geode. Nice! Thanks!

[@beastamer1990s]

Currently watching this while surrounded by two types of springtails, these guys + some native brown ones. Was shocking the first time i saw them escape the rain by climbing on to my back veranda, but ive gotten used to shaking them outta my pants now. Can confirm that they are easy to cultivate though, bought one little tuppaware nearly two years ago and now i find them in my sock drawer and (as previously stated) on the ceiling aha

[@k2a2l2]

shout out to springtails all my homies love springtails

[@jamesgreen9372]

One of the best aspects of this channel is learning about a species one has no knowledge of. Thanks Biggs ! There is so much here. I may have to watch it twice. With great respect, Jim

[@themadaquarist]

Truly kind my friend

[@PitsFam]

Wow this was simple and to the point, VERY WELL DONE and so helpful. Thank you!

[@themadaquarist]

Thank you very much

[@johnnygalaxy9022]

Love your vids..! Always very informative, to the point, entertaining, and no clickbait needed :)

[@themadaquarist]

That is truly very kind Johnny thank you

[@MattMajcan]

nice. im really poor and dont have any charcoal lol but i have some tupperware with moss in it from outside, its also got a bunch of soil i scooped up, leaves, other debris. its probably 6 months or older now. Its full of white springtails. They arent as big as these though and not nearly as numerous. but im trying to get them to thrive and add them to all my terrariums

[@themadaquarist]

You are in the way to success my friend

[@Mothobius]

You can never be poor when you have a pure life. But I get what you mean though, same man.

[@mukeshchaturvedi]

I had no money. But I had hobbies like you have. Terrarium or Bonsai cost next to nothing. They are great for relaxing between your bouts of work. Also, lack of money means ideas. I have seen my wife, mother people from the extended family using creative idea to do things with very little or mostly free.

[@11chago11]

Great video with great info.

[@themadaquarist]

Thank you

[@samanthab4631]

Thank you

[@themadaquarist]

Thank you kindly

[@warlordzephyr]

Usually when you see an "all about springtails" or isopods video it's pretty basic but no this is actually all about springtails

[@themadaquarist]

even though this was only a couple years back we've gained so much more knowledge about the. I may need to revisit

[@RDPproject]

Brilliant video mate. Ive only recently got into making Terrariums. And ive now got 8 of them. Two have multiple variety of isopods and centerpedes...but all have springtails. Greetings from London. Rob.

[@charlesroy7646]

Spring and summer are big seasons on the farm eh lol looking forward to see updates on the lair take it easy Biggs

[@themadaquarist]

Thank you my friend. I’ll be back

[@SkullAquatics]

Great info 👊👊👊

[@themadaquarist]

Thank you

[@davidbock201]

How cool. Had no idea.

[@themadaquarist]

Thanks for watching David

[@maanerotte]

Great and very informative video! Thank you! :)

[@themadaquarist]

That’s very kind thank you. Glad it was helpful!

[@MIsopods]

Thank you for such an education video, made sure to leave a like! I muse over the fact that many of my springtail cultures in my isopod bins tend to do better than the isopods themselves!

[@themadaquarist]

Perfect combination

[@Bubba_fett]

I just got some yesterday at Pet Smart. I have them on hardwood char and de-ionized water and rice plus a bit of flake fish food. If anything will mold its that stuff. lol

[@themadaquarist]

Should be good to go

[@eyeballpirate5274]

Hey Biggs! Where are you? Wondering when your next vid will be uploaded. I have been enjoying your content.

[@themadaquarist]

That is truly kind my friend. Some things in life made it very challenging to keep up so I had to take a bit of a break. There’s a video today and a few coming up right away. I need to still take care of a few things around the farm and family before I’ll be back on a regular schedule

[@eyeballpirate5274]

@@themadaquarist I understand. Just glad you are okay! Looking forward to learning more on your channel.

[@bunnyxxjay4189]

Something has hatched in the soil substrate in one of my heated enclosers I have no idea what these are barely visible to the eye. they seem to move fast and I only noticed because they are climbing the glass near the dirt. This is also the first time cricket eggs have hatched from feeder crickets

[@themadaquarist]

So much to explore in the micro world

[@bunnyxxjay4189]

@@themadaquarist it's springtails! Also baby crickets hatched! 🤣😅 Tailess Whip Scorpions needs a new tank and substrate now! Oops! 😬

[@themadaquarist]

@@bunnyxxjay4189 lol

[@michelleniedfeldt68]

Just bought for a 1.5 gallon terrarium, added springtail, and they talk you will always have a supply. How often do you need to add to tank?

[@charliecurtis8852]

I hear charcoal isn’t good to put in the soil tho if your growing plants? So you have to dump the springtails out, wait a while then pick the charcoal out?

[@themadaquarist]

Charcoal is completely inert. Acts as a ‘sweetener’ to make solids last longer by absorbing toxins

[@familiestraver9400]

But where do you keep them stored, dark space, in de direct sunlight. Where do you place the containers?

[@themadaquarist]

just on the shelves behind the door, doesn't seem to matter to them

[@TeriLaFaye]

I think I have these in my pot plants by the barn. Are they okay to leave alone?

[@themadaquarist]

Yes totally harmless

[@daviddawdy3023]

Will tree frogs eat up all your sprintales to the point you'll need to add more, or will they breed enough you won't have to worry?

[@mraquaticnews5676]

Wow!! Awesome setup!! Nice work. In your previous video you mentioned good quality food we should use, what pellet food is good for Tanganyikans specifically a tank full of Caudopunctatus, neolamprologus multifasciatus, julidochromis and Cyprochromis leptosoma? Thanks

[@themadaquarist]

I’m a very big fan of the European formulas from both Sera and JBL, the formulas also containing soldier fly larvae. All all 100% natural. As well the foods from North Fin (Canadian) are exceptional quality. I’m he Xtreme formula cichlid peewee is another wonderful choice but only that sku as it is still used daily on the farm so has not been changed or cheapened like most foods on the market. Those would be my choices

[@mraquaticnews5676]

@@themadaquarist Sera and JBL are available in abundance around here. I use NLS Thera A and will include Sera in to the mix and maybe Dr Bassleer biofood. Thanks for the suggestion ✌✌

[@themadaquarist]

@@mraquaticnews5676 Bassleers I have never had access to in Canada but I can attest I have heard nothing but exceptional reviews about it. NLS I will reserve my opinions but needless to say it wouldn’t be fed in my Fishroom.

[@mraquaticnews5676]

@@themadaquarist Thanks Chris

[@leannmarshall28]

This is so interesting. I want to collect and culture my own springtails for a medium sized terrarium I'm putting together. My question is--after I've transferred some to the terrarium, what should I do with the rest of them? I see videos here on KZbin where people open their culture container and they are teeming with the little creatures. I'm not going to need that many! Will they cause problems if I put that many back in the yard?

[@themadaquarist]

If collected locally and released locally the same species no issue however definitely do not under any circumstance release non endemics into the wild. If you have extras that you do not need it is far better off to freeze the remainder and discard

[@ShinakoX2]

I usually see Sinella curviseta labled as "pink springtails" online

[@junkyardparadise]

Do they crawl out of the terriemum to other places of the home?

[@dragonflygenetics420]

How much do you sell your springtails for? Been trying the raise worms and I can only keep a outdoor compose when I try to put the worms in something like a fabric pot I lose them and I end up with a bunch of springtails

[@SNJTerrariums]

Any videos about globular springtails? I was going to but some but have no idea if they are as easy as tropical white springtails

[@themadaquarist]

Sorry for the delayed response, I have two species of globular but they do not reproduce at the same rate nor are they kept the same. Once well established I will do a video on them and their care

[@rdnkenki]

I recently sat a culture upsidedown on top of damp leopard gecko organic top soil and play sand substate with Pachysandra plants and pothos plants. Unfortunately 3 days in the clay dried out. Do you think most of the culture or enough could have left the container and are dispersed through the substrate? I do have cork bark, leaf litter etc too??? I appreciate your help and videos

[@ColossalSwordFormAndTechnique]

I just received my springtail container. I barely saw 2 🤣 i read on amazon where i bought it from. It takes weeks for them to show? 🤷

[@sanjaykumarcs4365]

where i live, i cant commercially buy a culture, so please teach us how to get or gather isopods and springtails from the environment, im from souther india but in my locality winters are mostly dry ground conditions, please help

[@imagineparrish]

So tiny. The plants are very pretty.

[@themadaquarist]

The forest floor cleanup crew

[@thedeadalgorithmmusicchann1994]

So...always keep water in the container?

[@themadaquarist]

Yes

[@summera4077]

What type of yeast are you using? great video thank you

[@themadaquarist]

Just quick rise bakers yeast we had in the fridge

[@ChantalsCritters]

I breed and sell white sprintails. Want to get some orange sprintails.

[@themadaquarist]

My culture is far from thriving yet

[@mohamedzuraidi136]

so you dont need any air vent holes for them in the culture jars?

[@themadaquarist]

I placed small Pin holes on the lid. As long as the container is deep enough so they couldn’t escape

[@ShinakoX2]

Is that a Merulanella tri color isopod in the opening shot?

[@themadaquarist]

Yes

[@angelcarrion8607]

I had a question about culture substrates. I don’t have any charcoal on hand, but I do have a big box of Fluval Bio-FX and was curious if this could be used as a culture substrate similar to charcoal?

[@themadaquarist]

Won’t hurt as it is fully inert

[@angelcarrion8607]

@@themadaquarist thank you, much appreciated!

[@anthonymcclain6475]

Where are the spring tails coming from??? I see you adding water charcoal and yeast but where are the spring tails?

[@AraneaRegnum]

Can you use bottled natural mineral water ? Thanks

[@themadaquarist]

Yes, absolutely

[@AraneaRegnum]

@@themadaquarist Thanks !

[@norcore8504]

nice audio leveling

[@themadaquarist]

Thanks

[@dmitrimikrioukov5935]

Is it true they eat plant seedlings and are thus argricultural and houseplant pests?

[@themadaquarist]

Some species can cause issues yes

[@dmitrimikrioukov5935]

@@themadaquarist so should you and how should you get rid of them?

[@simpledisorder]

Good video, however please turn down the volume of your logo cut. That sound is toooooo loud. Thank you for your time.

[@okthen.2235]

Adorable my foot, once they invade the house, RIP....that constant crawling sensation... especially arround moist body parts like eyes, nose, genitals......is shear madness inducing!! 😭

[@themadaquarist]

Lol

[@charliblake8551]

Wear a mask when you break up the charcoal!!! I’m not sure why I very foolishly did not but was blowing black out of my nose a couple of hours later🤦🏻‍♀️

[@themadaquarist]

Lol yes very true. I usually do it outside in the bucket of the tractor

[@charliblake8551]

@@themadaquarist I was doing it outside as well…didn’t keep me from having black boogies for the rest of the day lol!🤧

[@Elle111L]

does bonfire wood work?

[@themadaquarist]

I can see why not

[@Elle111L]

@@themadaquarist Thank you!

[@lisakoelemeijer]

your voice in the vid is very soft, and the music very loud.

[@themadaquarist]

I wish I had the original files to be able to adjust it for you but it’s an older video now. The video has been viewed now almost 10k times and I’ve had not had had two people, yourself and one other mention any issues with the audio.

[@lisakoelemeijer]

@@themadaquarist maybe its diffrent when you watch the vid on pc or mobile. Great video tho!

[@chacetheace8240]

Master roshi?

[@PeppersnGlowworms]

I don't like those annoying little ones (2:43)! Springtails are cool, though...

[@carsongarnett1700]

Lol

[@jerumd]

Gnats are beneficial too when breaking down organic matter. Well, except for their notorious kamikaze habits of dive bombing into my cup of coffee in the morning, and irritating me while buzzing around my face lol So I try to eradicate them as much as possible.

[@tiedupsmurf]

That music interlude was irritating. Please refrain

[@themadaquarist]

This video was from several years ago. Audio issues no longer a factor but thank you

[@tiedupsmurf]

@@themadaquarist Great vid though Thanks

[@positivelivingmindbodysoul9292]

Something is biting me & causing major damage to my skin

[@themadaquarist]

Esther doubtful it would be springtails

[@clintparsons3989]

Globular are horrifying looking.

[@themadaquarist]

Lol

[@zappedcustomdesigns788]

your commentary is volume 1 your intro music is like 48.

[@berthaday3473]

The volume is so annoyingly low on this video , & I turned it up as loud as it will go. Maybe skip making videos until u can improve the audio.

[@themadaquarist]

Thank you for your input however the video has been viewed over 5300 times and 100% positive response with 53 comments so I’m not sure why it’s not working well for you

[@angelmorales7143]

Yeah bro fix your phone lol

[@mariotheslut]

1 min in and my ears exploded...stopped watching video