Looking for healthy springtails for your next bioactive habitat?
Springtails are one of the hardest-working members of a bioactive clean-up crew. Every day they recycle organic matter, support healthy living soil, help manage naturally occurring mold, and contribute to the biological processes that keep ecosystems thriving beneath the surface.
At Rubber Ducky Isopods, every springtail culture is raised on the same living soil we formulate ourselves and fed our own RDI Superfood blend developed through years of breeding bioactive clean-up crews.
Before a culture leaves our facility, we look for healthy movement, active adults, younger springtails, and signs of a thriving breeding population. Our goal is simple: send you a healthy colony that is ready to establish and continue reproducing in your habitat.
You are receiving the beginning of a healthy, actively reproducing colony.
Why Choose Rubber Ducky Isopods?
✔ Raised on living soil, not charcoal
✔ Fed our in-house RDI Isopod and Springtail Superfood
✔ Healthy, actively reproducing breeding colonies
✔ Carefully insulated and temperature protected for safe nationwide shipping
✔ Backed by hobbyists who work with bioactive habitats every day
How Many Springtails Do You Need?
| Habitat Size | Recommended Cultures |
|---|---|
| Up to 5 gallons | 1 Culture |
| 10–20 gallons | 1–2 Cultures |
| 30–40 gallons | 2–3 Cultures |
| 55+ gallons | 3–4 Cultures |
RDI Tip: Start with the recommended amount, allow your springtails time to establish, then simply add another culture if your habitat produces more organic waste than your colony can comfortably manage.
New to Springtails?
Whether you're building your very first bioactive enclosure or simply want to learn more about springtail care, we've created a free Learning Center to help.
Start Here!
Build Your Bioactive Foundation
Looking to build a thriving ecosystem? These products pair perfectly with your springtails.
• RDI Superfood
• Microforest Living Soil
• Leaf Litter
• Bioactive Starter Kits
• Isopods
Frequently Asked Questions
How many springtails should I add to my habitat?
The ideal number depends on the size of your habitat and the amount of organic waste being produced. A heavily planted terrarium typically requires fewer springtails than a bioactive habitat housing reptiles, amphibians, or large isopod colonies.
Use our habitat size recommendations above as a starting point. As your ecosystem matures, you can always introduce another culture if additional springtails are needed.
Can you have too many springtails?
In our experience, we have rarely found a downside to introducing additional springtails into a healthy habitat. As available food changes, the colony naturally adjusts its population over time.
When in doubt, adding another culture is usually a better solution than adding more food.
Why does Rubber Ducky Isopods raise springtails on living soil instead of charcoal?
Many hobbyists successfully culture springtails on charcoal, and it remains a popular method throughout the hobby.
Our preference has always been living soil because it more closely resembles the environments where springtails naturally thrive. Living soil also supports the broader biological processes that make bioactive habitats successful, which is why every springtail culture leaving our facility is raised the same way we prefer to breed them ourselves.
My springtails seem to have disappeared. Where did they go?
Springtails are incredibly small and spend much of their time beneath leaf litter, cork bark, moss, and within the soil itself. It is completely normal to see fewer springtails after introducing them into a habitat.
In most healthy bioactive habitats, they are still there. They are simply doing exactly what Mother Nature designed them to do beneath the surface.
Will springtails help manage mold?
Yes. Springtails naturally feed on many fungi, biofilms, and molds that develop as organic matter begins decomposing.
While they play an important role in managing naturally occurring mold, they are only one part of a healthy bioactive ecosystem. Healthy living soil, proper moisture, beneficial microorganisms, and a balanced clean-up crew all work together to create long-term stability.
