My "build"

[jarteta97]

Hey, I should be getting a springtail culture with attached food (yeast) from NEherp in the next couple of days. Would I have to order their charcoal, or would regular store charcoal for barbecues work if it is rinsed?

[DigitalPunk]

You need horticultural charcoal. Garden centers will have it. Don't use BBQ grill charcoal.

[awelcome]

so that was a task.... the bugs on top flew away immediately. I tried filling container with water and then slowly pouring, but I was getting more ABG than anything. So then I started pouring that into a cup, and spooning the springs off the top into the bin getting LESS ABG in the process. That was taking forever after a while, so I put the whole thing into a larger container and filled that with water.... then I poked through it for what seemed like hours moving the debree around to get as many springs as I could find.... and I mean even the TINY ones. Finally decided I didn't see any others so I drained that, put a little more charcoal in and set it up with some yeast to see if any more show up before I toss it. I sprinkled some (though I don't know how much I just know they said not to put too much) yeast onto the culture, sprayed that and will see how things go.

Honestly I don't know how many there were, but it didn't seem like that many. I am not sure in it's current state I have enough to put some in my tank AND leave them in there to hope they produce more. I will see what they say hopefully tomorrow regarding the bugs, but if they don't offer a new culture I am not sure what I should do in this situation. Would it be better to NOT have springs in my tank for the time it might take for this to become an abundant culture or to try and put some in now anyway, and hope for the best in both the tank and the culture?

Also regarding the eventual booming culture.... I definitely don't want to be keeping a bunch of cultures at a time. I am not even sure I want to keep more than one for now. Is it going to become an issue pretty quickly? If I am adding them to the tank periodically will I get too many in one culture still? If I DON'T want to make new cultures from it what would I do?

Regarding fly cultures... I have two premade ones now that I alternate from as needed. How many cultures should I have at one time? I got the stuff to make new ones, but again I don't want too many at a time for space reason, and just the hassle of it. Also if they have to be used within 30 days, I definitely don't want too many going at a time with just one frog, no matter how much of a pig she is.


I had a generous amount of charcoal in the kit, which filled it more than half way so I reserved a little and that's what I used in the left over thing.

[deranged chipmunk]

Hey, I should be getting a springtail culture with attached food (yeast) from NEherp in the next couple of days. Would I have to order their charcoal, or would regular store charcoal for barbecues work if it is rinsed?

You can use activated carbon the stuff you would use for aquarium filters.


Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world ~ Nelson Mandela

[awelcome]

ok, so let me wrap my head around this.... FF thing.

So I have the two... problem is I have no idea how old they are or how long they sat on store shelf. But assuming I can get production for that 30ish day timeframe, and I have had the oldest one for a week and half now, when should I start at least one new culture from the stuff I got? How long before it is safe to say it will be a producing culture? Thanks again! I know I ask a LOT of questions, I just really like to understand everything lol.

[deranged chipmunk]

Re fruit flu cultures: over time, you'll be able to gauge when your cultures are about to burn out. The media in the bottom gets more and more brown. I make new cultures when's start feeding from new ones. That gives me about 2-3 weeks for the new cultures to take off. Some people make them weekly, or biweekly. But they have many frogs to feed. 4 cultures is a decent amount to have. 2 active feeding ones to alternate with while the others are starting out.


Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world ~ Nelson Mandela

[awelcome]

oh and I kind of don't hate that the process of feeding the springtails smells like smokey bacon!!!!!

[awelcome]

ok, I will try to tackle making a new culture (or two) tomorrow then... Too burned out after that springtail chaos to deal with it right now lol. One more question on that for now... I bought 4 containers. When a culture dies can I wash out the container or would I have to get more each time? I have the two I bought in plastic jar type things with screw on lids, and the 4 from NEHerp.

[DigitalPunk]

I agree with bill. I would setup 2 cultures tonight and continue to feed from the 2 you have until they are gone. When you start feeding from the 2 you make start up 2 more.

The 30 day thing is a guide line more than it is a rule. Re cultures can last for longer.

[deranged chipmunk]

You can. But if you have a sam's club or costco or something like that around you, you can get deli cups (the plastic ones from ne herp) cheap. I pay $5 for 50 and $4 for 50 lids from a local restaurant supply store.


Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world ~ Nelson Mandela

[deranged chipmunk]

The 30 day thing is a guide line more than it is a rule. Re cultures can last for longer.

Yeah they can


Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world ~ Nelson Mandela

[awelcome]

so then how do you vent your own lids?

[DigitalPunk]

Regarding springtails - your tank will be fine for 30 days while you let the culture boom. Then add some to the tank. You won't need more than the one culture with just one frog. There isn't a magic point where you HAVE to make a 2nd culture. Just keep feeding the springs as they consume the yeast ( the amount of yeast I use varies depending on how fast they eat it).

[jarteta97]

If I wanted, could I simply add the springtail culture I ordered to the three bags of ABG mix I ordered in a large tub, and simply feed them with brewer's yeast on top of that soil? I don't plan on breeding, and that would be the ABG mix that I would add to my tank once it's completed.

[deranged chipmunk]

so then how do you vent your own lids?

Cut a hole, hot glue a coffee filter to it. When you make a new culture, just take the coffee filter off and replace with a new one.


Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world ~ Nelson Mandela

[deranged chipmunk]

If I wanted, could I simply add the springtail culture I ordered to the three bags of ABG mix I ordered in a large tub, and simply feed them with brewer's yeast on top of that soil? I don't plan on breeding, and that would be the ABG mix that I would add to my tank once it's completed.

If you aren't keeping dart frogs, or have tadpoles on the way, just dump the container in your Viv with the ABG and away they will go. They will feed if decaying plant matter in the ABG and from frog waste.


Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world ~ Nelson Mandela

[awelcome]

even my hair smells smokey after working over that charcoal for so long lol.

[awelcome]

here is a shot of one of the bugs on top... I trapped it in the lid so I could get a shot of it. It's not a great shot unfortunately since I had to use my phone and crop super close.

[DigitalPunk]

I don't have a restaurant supply store to use. I am in the process of converting glass jars into reusable fruit fly cups. If it works I'll let everyone know.

[DigitalPunk]

That is an odd bug to randomly be in a spring culture. I'd send that to them in an email tonight.