How do YOU culture Springtails and Isopods?

[BCollie]

I made a little money working for my parents....So, I'm placing an order for Dwarf White Isopods and Springtails. I do have a few questions so I figured I'd move it off my other thread since that one is just about how much I love bugs LOL.
I'm getting 100 Dwarf White Isopods for $18 shipped...not sure where I'm going to get my Springtails from. Any suggestions?
Josh's Frogs would be $20 shipped for a 32oz culture.
I can get an unknown size culture from Ready Reptile Feeders for $12 shipped
NeHerp is out of Springtails for the time being, and I'd like to order tomorrow since I have good weather this week
I can't seem to find any other places that sell temperate springtails(in my little research it looks like this is the kind I want to keep with Poison Dart Frogs?) Any suggestions?

But what I'm really curious about, is how do you culture Springtails and Isopods? I've read of several different ways for each. What have you found was the best way of doing it?

[DigitalPunk]

Isopods - Put some of your left over soil in a shoe box sized plastic container. (Soak the ABG/Soil before you add it to the tub). Dump Isopods into tub. Add a small piece of cardboard with no printing or glue on it to the tub (they love to climb on and in these. You can either feed them Cucumbers, Zucchini, Repashy Bug Burger. Just add a bit of food and check on them every couple days. If the soil looks dry Mist it and if the food is gone replace it. Isopods breed slower so it can take months before you see a noticeable size growth in the population. Once Isopods are added to the tank there is no need to add food for them. They will eat decaying leafs, plants, frog poop.. Basically anything organic that is dead. Oh these guys also love love love egg shells. Just crack the egg, cook egg, take shells with all that slimy delicious stuff still on them and toss them in the bin.


Springtails - Shoe Box size plastic container - Add Activated charcoal (Horticultural grade, preferable smallish pieces), add 1 inch of water to the bottom of the tub. Dump in Springtails. Feed brewers yeast. 30 days roughly for the first population boom. Springs feed on decaying organic matter in the vivariums. They need it very humid. The 1" of water will help keep the humidity up keep topping the water off as it evaporates. Feed every 2 days or when all food is gone.

[BCollie]

Springtails - I have some leftover charcoal but it is VERY small pieces. Can I buy the Natural Lump Hardwood Charcoal, as long as it has no additives such as chemicals or lighter fluid? That way I can easily see how many Springtails I have since the pieces will be bigger(but I can break them up so they're not too big)...or is it better that I use the charcoal that is leftover from making my ABG mix? Or does it even matter?

I plan on going to the store today after school to pick up all the supplies I need.

[scooter7728]

I'm doing 2 springtail cultures one in charcoal feeding just yeast and one in abg mix feeding rice and yeast. to me the charcoal one seems to be doing much better. isopods take much longer to start producing like springtails do

[BCollie]

I think I want to go with charcoal but I'm not sure if I should use my leftover, small size charcoal pieces(from making ABG) or if I should get natural lump hardwood charcoal, or if it even matters...

[DigitalPunk]

Left over is perfect.

[MatthewM1]

I keep my isopods on a mix of coco fiber and leaf litter. Cardboard on the surface. And feed fish flakes 1x a week, every now and then I'll give em a little fruit/veggie/oatmeal puree I feed my roaches. Mist 1x a week. Keep them warm and dwarf whites will grow and multiply like crazy.

[MatthewM1]

I spilt my springtails in 2 set-ups,one charcoal with distilled water the other cocofiber/leaf litter mix. Feed 1x a week with yeast. The coco fiber one has been starting to produce well. Upon initially setting up i put the charcoal culture too close to the heat lamp on my scorpion shelf and dried out the culture and almost wiped it out bit its starting to bounce back.

[irThumper]

Here everyone wants to get/produce springtails and I can't figure out how to get rid of them in my African violet water saucers! :P