Springtails?

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!

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

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.

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

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

Originally Posted by furryscaly

What sort of habitat do you have anyway? Particularly the substrate and moisture levels.http://www.extension.umn.edu/yardand...gtails-ygl.JPG

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

Originally Posted by RES/AnoleLover89

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

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

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

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.