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Breeding and renewing

Expand and renew springtail cultures

Split a healthy culture without emptying it, know when a culture is past its best and keep spare cultures so you never lose the line.

4 min read · For Keeper

Split a culture

When inoculating a new container, take only a half to two thirds of the springtails and leave the rest to keep breeding. Do not tap them all out, or the source culture stalls while the new one gets going. Anecdotal 1
Start new cultures from a well populated culture from a reputable source. Anecdotal 1
Wash new or reused culture containers with soap and water. New tubs carry more grime than you would expect. Anecdotal 1

Know when to renew

Frog and Frond finds clay cultures slowly decline and keeping an old one stops making sense around or after 6 months, though some keepers use them past a year or two. Springtails US says a plaster culture lasts 6 months to a year or more. Hobby consensus 2, 3
Tip Keep one master culture and expand from it. NEHERP notes its cultures can be divided into more than one enclosure. Anecdotal 4

A note on sexes

In wild collected springtails the sexes are lopsided, with far more females than males. Collect more individuals to improve the odds of getting a male. Anecdotal 5

Sources for this guide

  1. 1

    How To: Starting a White Springtail Feeder Culture on Clay

    MI Beneficials

    Link works · Retailer

    Cited at Inoculating a new container; Starter cultures; Containers.

  2. 2

    Calcium Clay Springtail Cultures FAQ and Care

    Frog and Frond

    Link works · Retailer

    Cited at How long will the clay cultures last?.

  3. 3

    Plaster Springtail Culture Guide

    Springtails US

    Link works · Retailer

    Cited at Setup Instructions.

  4. 4

    Springtail Care & Breeding Information

    New England Herpetoculture

    Link works · Retailer

    Cited at Introducing Springtails Into A Vivarium.

  5. 5

    How to find, collect, and culture wild springtails

    Pavy R. 2023. Springtails US

    Link works · Retailer

    Cited at How to collect springtails.

Reviewed Oct 22, 2026