Springtails aquatic

[rick]

Is there any way to get the springtails to go aquatic. In my cynops terrestrial cage I notice a swarm of springtails moving as a group through the water dish. Like a school of krill or phytoplankton. It was actually fascinating to see. I poured the water dish contents into my aquarium, and the white cloud minnows went nuts picking them off the water surface. So since I have cultures for the newts is there a way I can dedicate some to become water floaters to feed to my minnows every so often?

[Michael Shrom]

Many springtails will float and jump around on the surface of water. Podura really like the water a lot. Just put some cork bark, drift wood, tree fern root, real charcoal, or something the springtails will crawl in and on in your springtail culture. Pick it out and knock the springtails off in the tank. Springtails can also be removed from cultures by flooding and floating off.

If the organisms were swimming in the water column they weren't springtails. If they were floating and jumping on the surface of the water they probably were springtails. Removing things from one animals habitat for food in another animals habitat can eventually cause problems. I wouldn't advise collecting springtails from your newts habitat for food in another tank.

[rick]

You are right about picking springtails off the newt bowl and potentially introducing disease. I think I will try foating some moss or cork bark in another brand new dedicated culture and see what happens.