Not exactly sure where this should go so i went to the general help section. In the gecko area of the forums i saw some people talking about using springtails to help keep their vivariums clean. Could i use them in my brown anole tank? and if so, how do i get them? Thanks!

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~Chelsea~

To see a world in a grain of sand
And Heaven in a wildflower
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand
And eternity in an hour...

Hehe, if you're hoping they'll clean the tank so you don't have to, I'm afraid it doesn't work like that. They do eat organic matter from the habitat, but they're so tiny that they have little impact. They're smaller than a pinhead. They're hard to find available for purchase. If you could find them for sale at all they'd probably be available from some biological supply company, or maybe as feeders for young dart frogs. But I've personally never seen them for sale anywhere. Usually they just kind of show up somehow in habitats that are suitable (I don't know how it happens either, lol). I had some in my old anole habitat, and although they don't do any harm, they don't do much good either. They're just kind of there. And they'd probably suffer significant losses when you clean your substrate out anyway.

What sort of habitat do you have anyway? Particularly the substrate and moisture levels.

Here's a photo of a bunch of springtails compared to a US penny, so as you can see, they're pretty small:
http://www.extension.umn.edu/yardand...gtails-ygl.JPG

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I seem to always get them when I use dried oak leaves from the fall. They must lay eggs on them while they're moist.

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Mike
"Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time, and always start with the person nearest you."

you can get them at reptile shows. I know they do help, but they don't take away from daily poop scooping.

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My name is Liz
Do what's best for the animal, not what's best for you.

Here's a reputable online source for springtails: AZDR.com

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~~Steph

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The substrate is organic potting soil i got from lowes (no white balls) it stays at about 70-75% humidity

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I'm full of useless facts to know and say!

~Chelsea~

To see a world in a grain of sand
And Heaven in a wildflower
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand
And eternity in an hour...

Ok they could live in that...although they prefer shade and some litter. But as mentioned, just because they'll survive doesn't mean they'll do anything

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"Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines." - John Benfield

well the soil is covered with sphagnum moss and there's a pothos and some bromeliads in there. stupid crickets always try to hide under the moss

__________________
I'm full of useless facts to know and say!

~Chelsea~

To see a world in a grain of sand
And Heaven in a wildflower
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand
And eternity in an hour...

That actually sounds pretty good for springtail habitat. But again, they're not really going to keep your floor free of poo or anything like that. You'd need something substantially larger than they are. You can get some if you want, just don't expect them to do anything.

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"Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines." - John Benfield