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WORMS in Springtail Culture

Messages
31
Location
Linz
Hello fellas,
I have two springtail cultures, which i use for humid terrariums. I have them for almost two years now and after a while these little white worms occurred in both of the containers! They are both from one initial Springtail container so are these parasites? And is it possible that they came from the Initial Springtail culture that i got from the pet store?

Does anyone know what that is and if i can still use them for the enclosure of my psalmopoeus cambridgei?

PS: I noticed, that the worms become more, when I recently opened the container to put in new rice corn (thats their food)…
 

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Konstantin

Well-Known Member
3 Year Member
Messages
967
Location
Preston,UK
Hi
you are overdoing the moisture if you getting those worms.Hold back on the water.I have my springtails without ventilation and I added few drops of water once for the last 6 months.Them worms are harmless anyway so don't stress about it.
Regards Konstantin
 

timc

Well-Known Member
3 Year Member
Messages
671
Location
Delco, PA
P. cambridgei? That enclosure should be neither wet nor messy enough for springtails. Just pick out the boluses (boli?) when you see them. It should be no where near wet enough in there for mold to be a concern.
 
Messages
31
Location
Linz
P. cambridgei? That enclosure should be neither wet nor messy enough for springtails. Just pick out the boluses (boli?) when you see them. It should be no where near wet enough in there for mold to be a concern.
P. cambridigei's should be kept at 70 to 80% humidity.

"a warm and humid environment is required consistently"

And also in Trinidad, where these little dudes come from there is between June and December a wet season so I think it is not too far fetched, that there could be mould, or am I wrong here?

And about my T:
Neither the substrate, nor the cork bars are mouldy but I added some thick branches because of the height of the enclosure and where they touch the substrate there has developed a little mould. Instead of a potential Tarantula attack while scratching of the mold with my pocket knife, I thought, hey - springtails.

I attached some pictures - does it seam to wet?
Funfact: the fern on one of the pictures is actually a spider fern :)
 

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octanejunkie

Well-Known Member
1,000+ Post Club
3 Year Member
Tarantula Club Member
Messages
4,163
Respectfully, forget "care sheets" as bibles; they are annecdital resources at best.

We cannot simulate the exact endemic conditions our Ts experience, and can choose from, in their natural environments. They live in boxes on a shelf in our homes, they can't choose to go 50' up a tree if the ground is too wet and there are too many worms for their liking when they are in a box.

Practical care for these animals has been well established and documented by many successful keepers. There is no harm in letting the substrate dry out if you have a water dish. There is also no harm in a bioactive setup that grows worms as long as your T has options to find the humidity level IT prefers, vs what a care sheet says it should have.

I'm glad you are asking the questions and are concerned for your animals success and health.

Your setup looks nice, I think ventilation/cross flow of air may be the issue. It's a common one vivarium and terrarium keepers struggle with.
 
Messages
31
Location
Linz
Thanks for the friendly reply:)
Make sense that they have more options in terms of hiding in the wild.

My T webbed her net in the inside of the huge cork bar at around the middle of the height - soo i guess she is okay with the humidity? Otherwise she would go higher?

Since you said there has been no harm documented when the substrate is a little drier I think I'll just water the enclosure less often and since it is really high I'll try the springtail - worm - ****tail i think:)

Also thats something I actually thought a lot about: I think that there is much incorrect information in the internet about optimal tarantula keeping. There are sings to see if your T is well but I dont think that all of the people who "give the advice" are able to read these signs perfectly or just misinterpret them. Also some of the mistakes you made may not be visible at the beginning, only when your female Tarantula dies after 4 years instead of 10.

I remember reading an article about Chromatopelma Cyaneopubescens keeping, that said, that in the beginning when this species was introduced to the tarantula hobby they thought that the enclosures should be much more humid than the actually should be - as they later realized. Until they where aware of this misinformation many of the animals have died because they could not escape the little wet enclosures they were in.
Since the T does not speak to you (in words) I think that with no experience it is really hard sometimes to do the right thing.

So that way more a general thing i sometimes think about and not against you or something:)
 
Messages
31
Location
Linz
Respectfully, forget "care sheets" as bibles; they are annecdital resources at best.

We cannot simulate the exact endemic conditions our Ts experience, and can choose from, in their natural environments. They live in boxes on a shelf in our homes, they can't choose to go 50' up a tree if the ground is too wet and there are too many worms for their liking when they are in a box.

Practical care for these animals has been well established and documented by many successful keepers. There is no harm in letting the substrate dry out if you have a water dish. There is also no harm in a bioactive setup that grows worms as long as your T has options to find the humidity level IT prefers, vs what a care sheet says it should have.

I'm glad you are asking the questions and are concerned for your animals success and health.

Your setup looks nice, I think ventilation/cross flow of air may be the issue. It's a common one vivarium and terrarium keepers struggle with.
Not quite sure if I hit the "reply"button in the afternoon - consider the thread above as my response : -)
 

timc

Well-Known Member
3 Year Member
Messages
671
Location
Delco, PA
In regards to the “70-80% humidity” don’t go chasing those numbers, it’s not practical and can actually harm the spider. As stated, they live in boxes when we care for them, and even ample cross ventilation can never actually replace living in open air. So what I’m getting at is if you’re after those numbers and you actually achieve them, you’re just making a steamy sauna for your pet to wallow in. Your set up does look good but if you just keep a water bowl and don’t over water your plants, the spider will be just fine. Tarantulas should and if kept right do get most of their hydration from their food.
 

MBullock

Well-Known Member
3 Year Member
Messages
667
Location
Arizona
those are nematodes, but not the bad ones, though.

these are either predatory nematodes or soil nematodes. predatory nematodes eat the bad nematodes that attack roots, or protozoans that cause other problems. soil nematodes break down decomposing matter and are used to increase nitrogen intake for plants by eradicating bacteria that steal nitrogen from them.
 

liquidfluidity

Active Member
3 Year Member
Messages
193
Location
USA
those are nematodes, but not the bad ones, though.

these are either predatory nematodes or soil nematodes. predatory nematodes eat the bad nematodes that attack roots, or protozoans that cause other problems. soil nematodes break down decomposing matter and are used to increase nitrogen intake for plants by eradicating bacteria that steal nitrogen from them.
I had these at one time and tossed the culture. They may be harmless but I don't want anything in my enclosures without proper ID. Mine had original came from a large dealer that rhymes with Posh Dogs.....

From what I understand, the harmless nematodes are also used for frog food. When you have cultures of both, it's inevitable for cross contamination. I freaked out in the beginning but as I said, I ordered a new culture from somewhere else and it's been full steam ahead.

As for using springtails - only use in damp/moist substrate that never is allowed to dry. I use them in any of my deep sub set-ups for fossorials. I also use them in my planted/ bio-active set-ups

I also grow my colonies in sealed containers - I do open them every few days for air exchange. I feed yeast. The recommended is brewers yeast but I have had difficulties finding it so I have been trying other types with luck.
 

MBullock

Well-Known Member
3 Year Member
Messages
667
Location
Arizona
I had these at one time and tossed the culture. They may be harmless but I don't want anything in my enclosures without proper ID. Mine had original came from a large dealer that rhymes with Posh Dogs.....

From what I understand, the harmless nematodes are also used for frog food. When you have cultures of both, it's inevitable for cross contamination. I freaked out in the beginning but as I said, I ordered a new culture from somewhere else and it's been full steam ahead.

As for using springtails - only use in damp/moist substrate that never is allowed to dry. I use them in any of my deep sub set-ups for fossorials. I also use them in my planted/ bio-active set-ups

I also grow my colonies in sealed containers - I do open them every few days for air exchange. I feed yeast. The recommended is brewers yeast but I have had difficulties finding it so I have been trying other types with luck.
have you tried dried mushrooms? ive been using dried ****ake and it works pretty well. you could pulverize it into a powder. i just toss the whole dry shroom in and let the penicillium attack it to break it down. Im a lazy person lol
 

liquidfluidity

Active Member
3 Year Member
Messages
193
Location
USA
have you tried dried mushrooms? ive been using dried ****ake and it works pretty well. you could pulverize it into a powder. i just toss the whole dry shroom in and let the penicillium attack it to break it down. Im a lazy person lol
Very interesting! I have never heard that. I will have to investigate that further. ;)
 
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