Springtails dangerous in a viv?

[Ketaped]

Hi folks,

I've been working on a 29 gallon viv for my grey tree frogs. I went to the local reptile show this weekend to pick up some plants as well as springtails to help populate the tank before I put the frogs in.

When I was talking to one of the folks at Black Jungle, they told me springtails can be very dangerous in a viv where any of the animals like to bury into the substrate as the springtails will eat them to the bone in a matter of days. I'd never heard this before, but the gentleman stated that he'd had a couple lazy and sick frogs that sat on the substrate and just disappeared in a couple days, and all he could find were bones. Naturally, this has me very nervous about dumping the container of springtails I bought into the viv since my tree frogs love to nestle into the substrate to snooze on occasion, not to mention they're all currently fully buried in the substrate in their current enclosure as they're brumating.

Has anyone else heard of this, or had any experiences, positive or negative, with frogs that like to bury themselves in the substrate and springtails? I don't want to introduce them and then find the springtails are eating my frogs!

Thanks.

Jen

Viv, prior to plants...


IMG_3113 by Ketaped, on Flickr

[clownonfire]

I'm not aware of horror stories in my surroundings, which doesn't mean there are not out there. In my experience with thumbnail frogs, which some like to hide in leaf litter, seeding springtails is recommended. I have seeded my vivarium with springtails, and like other hobbyists I know, the only ones devouring are the very active frogs...

[wesleybrouwer]

Springtails will help you clean your viv.

The only frog they will eat is a dead frog

[Ketaped]

Glad to know so far no one else has heard these horror stories. I was at least partially more concerned because the tree frogs are too big to be interested in the springtails, so I know their population is going to surge.

So long as no one else has had critters chewed on by springtails, I'll probably toss them into the substrate in the next day or so. I guess if they won't eat the roots on my live plants, not much risk of them eating my frogs -- though the idea of brumation in the substrate with the springtails is still faintly concerning. I don't really know how deeply the frogs sleep.

[wesleybrouwer]

It really is no problem.

I use springtails and woodlice in all of my vivs,
not only with small darts but with large tree frogs as well.
I even use it in the terrarium of my Chameleon,
helps me clean up the poo and fallen leaves.
Just an ecological way to clean up the mess

I only clean my viv when there is to much on the bottom,
but that is more a lack of balance in the tank.
When you have enough space for the amount of frogs,
critters that clean up and life plants.
Everything may balance out.

The frogs eat (maybe the critters cleaning up), they poo which will be converted to nutritions for the plants, the plants will take this up to grow.
When you get this into balance, it will safe a lot of time cleaning up your'e viv.
This way you won't have to disturb youre frogs to often as well,
Causing them to stress out less.

[Leefrogs]

I googled springtails and decided not to include in my whites viv for two reasons, 1 springtails( in a garden situation) love to eat bulbs and2 they can infest a house. Although this is not a concern for most froggers, my viv is old and has low vents for springs to escape. Ok, three reasons, my house us full of old and very valuble plants. Some of my 100$ bulbs would be devoured. I don't know if garden springtails (googled) and viv springtails are of the same variety, but I'd rather not risk it. So it's all realitive, I would think if they didn't have enough to eat, they would eat plants. So maybe someone can answer are springtails just the same springtails that come up on google

[Eric Walker]

I dont think you have to wory about them "infesting" your house. they need a very humid enviornment to thrive. Normally things like silverfish and others are confused for springs in a home infestation.

I keep them in my theloderma asperum cage and sometimes I find one under a leaf on the bottom where there are tons of springs and havent lost any yet. they have been in there for quite some time.

and I dont think they will cause to much harm to the bulbs either, but not compleatly sure.

[wesleybrouwer]

Don'tworry to much .
As I said , in all of my vivs I use them , with only benefits .
They never infested my home as well, besides, they are already around you're home in humid areas of the garden , as said, they confuse them with silverfish that might invest you're home in humid/dark places.

I also use only live plants, some of them creating bulbs, like syngonium.
They still multiply, so I don't think the springtails harm the bulbs,
To my knowledge they only clean up dead plant parts, they do like to get between plant roots though.
Suppose the humidity is good there and a lot of stuff to eat for them.

I can assure you, nothing wrong with them, they just help you balance the micro biology.

[Iratus ranunculus]

When a frog dies and you dont catch it, their flesh will basically disintegrate away leaving only the bones. Little detritivores like springtails may speed this up, but the frog was already dead.

[Poly]

I know this is an older thread, but I have a question, will it be safe for my to inculde springtails in my 20 gallon Tomato frog vivarium? Will they bother a 100% terrestrial frog like a Tomato frog?

Thanks,

~Royce