Tropical springtails (soil police for terrariums)

Breeding setup with tropical, white springtails (Collembola). Springtails are small, soil-dwelling hexapods that feed on dead plant material and fungal hyphae. They are used in naturally designed tropical terrariums as so-called "soil police," consuming plant and animal waste, preventing mold, and keeping the soil loose and well-aerated. In the terrarium, they reproduce on their own and form a self-sustaining population.

In newly set up terrariums, they should initially be given supplemental food, e.g. with some fine fish food, wheat bran or brewer's yeast flakes.

Tropical springtails are also a popular food source for small terrarium animals, e.g. Ranitomeya , Oophaga or juveniles of many other terrarium inhabitants.

Unlikewhite isopods, they tend to inhabit the upper layers of the substrate. To populate both the upper and lower substrate areas in the terrarium, it's best to combine the two.