I love bugs...

[DigitalPunk]

Quick question...what kind of springtails do I want for my vivarium? Which kind reproduce the fastest but will still do good in a humid environment such as one for dart frogs?

Thats not really an easy question to answer. Some people will swear by tropical springtails and others see the same success with Temperate. What I have seen in my limited experience is that Temperate end up being just fine, especially if you are culturing them outside the tank. They will thrive in a breeding box probably more then they will in the vivarium. Not to say they won't breed in the vivarium it may just be slower than outside the tank which isn't a bad thing over all.

In short I use temperate springtails

Paul

[BCollie]

Thanks, Paul. I did end up placing an order through Josh's Frogs for a 32oz culture of Springtails. Shipping costs more than the culture, but for $20 it's not that bad. It was all my money lol!
However we seem to have a problem...I chose Priority Mail 1-3 day shipping for a couple reasons...one, because it was cheapest and the bugs should still arrive alive with no problem. Two, most importantly, because it was all I could afford. If I had chosen anything faster I would be paying $30+ for Springtails. The package was accepted at their local facility at 11:45pm on Monday. My expected delivery day? Friday!! That is FIVE days that my Springtails will be spending in a box, NOT the 1-3 days that I chose at checkout. I looked online and apparently USPS doesn't guarantee their 1-3 day delivery service.
I'm not happy. Are my bugs most likely going to arrive dead?

[DigitalPunk]

As long as the temps aren't to cold or to hot they will be fine. I however might reach out to Josh's frogs and voice your unhappiness with the shipping price versus the service you are receiving and see what they can do for you. My Experience is USPS generally hits close to the mark and may have it slated for Fri at the latest, but may still show up Tuesday or Wednesday.

Your Springs should be fine. Just open the container when you receive it and look for survivors. They are tiny tiny tiny white things. You can fill the container with water (Springs are to light to break the surface tension of the water) and see how many lost to the surface. Sometimes it may take a few hours from when they get inside your warm house for them to snap out of it and wake up.

[BCollie]

Thank you. If my bugs don't arrive in good condition I will definitely send them an email. Right now, though, I have a 3.5 page essay rough draft to write...due tomorrow. Yuck! I will update this thread when I get my bugs!! Hopefully they do come before Friday. I'm refreshing my tracking page several times a day lol

[Thomasbc]

Mine are tree hoppers. Fantastik animals.

[teslas intern]

I'm definitely a tarantula guy if we are counting those, I got 7 of them! I also rear lateralis and dubia roaches and temperate isopods. As a point of curiosity have you tried breeding your own white isopods? I noticed last night that I got all different color morphs in my bin, white, tan, dark gray, light gray, some with little spots... I started out with a handful of indiscriminately caught individuals from two properties a mile apart...

[Carisab]

BCollie, I am working on the Orange isopods. I didn't have much luck with the dwarf. Maybe I gave up because they aren't as big. If I get them booming, I will send you some (it may be a while). I have a medium size plastic bin and lots of dirt (AGB mix). I put some of my springtails with them and they are doing great. They love the egg shells, I may not see the isopods, but they leave poop on the shells. It's fun, like my little trash compactors. I put in shells, leaves, mushroom bits and the regular bug burger food. I have some springtail food from my local reptile store and I watch it make threads of fuzz and then the springtails jump on it. I keep adding to my dart frog tank, but once they are in, I never see them again.

Can't do roaches. They creep me out.