mangoandlemon
Achatina tincta
Animals are not a choice for me. They are a lifestyle!
Posts: 671
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Post by mangoandlemon on Jul 6, 2015 2:19:54 GMT
I was noticing that my snails were acting annoyed and grouchy so I started to clean their peanut house. However when i was brushing off the baby woodlice (they had babies ) I noticed little grey black bugs? They look like really tiny and skinny woodlice, and the jump. Am i correct in assuming that they are spingtails?
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Post by morningcoffee on Jul 6, 2015 21:09:27 GMT
Yes, they sound like springtails. They are harmless but I've found that snails can appear to be irritated by them if there are a huge number in the tank.
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mangoandlemon
Achatina tincta
Animals are not a choice for me. They are a lifestyle!
Posts: 671
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Post by mangoandlemon on Jul 6, 2015 21:13:27 GMT
Ok thanks. I shall have to decide if i want them or not.
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snailed
Achatina achatina
Posts: 106
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Post by snailed on Jul 7, 2015 22:09:20 GMT
I hate springtails! I had so many in my tank, so I finally decided to get rid of all the dirt, even tho you aren't sopposed to and start over, and they have reappeared. Where do they even come from?
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mangoandlemon
Achatina tincta
Animals are not a choice for me. They are a lifestyle!
Posts: 671
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Post by mangoandlemon on Jul 7, 2015 22:28:47 GMT
I think that they come for natural things, like wood.
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Post by morningcoffee on Jul 8, 2015 9:19:57 GMT
I hate springtails! I had so many in my tank, so I finally decided to get rid of all the dirt, even tho you aren't sopposed to and start over, and they have reappeared. Where do they even come from? Springtails lose water through the surface of their body, so they seek out humid or moist places, which is why they are so attracted to snail tanks. They move from dry environments to damper ones, and they can come from soil of houseplants or hidden places already in your house where they are hiding and living (could be areas with moisture damage, in a humid bathroom, inside wooden furniture that's suffering from damp, etc etc), or even from outside seeking a more humid environment when it's dry outside - they are so small they can get in under doors, through windowframes etc. Because they are so attracted to humidity and moist areas, it can be very very difficult to completely eliminate them from snail tanks as they will just come back. However, they are basically harmless and in fact can be somewhat beneficial as they will eat leftover rotting food and snail poop. If you're getting them in your snail tank, when they reach huge numbers, you can dispose of most of the substrate, saving some, clean the tank and any ornaments thoroughly (including the lid) and wash the snails, then put fresh substrate in and mix in the old stuff you saved to keep beneficial soil flora. Yes they will return and start to breed again but it will keep their numbers under control for a while.
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