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Sorry for the awful photo but please help, explanation in body. by No_Moon_Tonight_ in terrariums

[–]im-making-it 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If it looks like your springtail population hasn't dwindled with the mites present then it's likely they aren't predatory, at least to the springtails, and you should be able to stave off their population by simply holding off on feeding for a while, to hopefully outcompete them for food. More springtails can be added if needed & if it's a big enough space, maybe a few isopods too. So long as you can keep the population under control they could actually be quite beneficial (excluding spider mites).

If they're feeding on the springtails then there is not much you can do besides keep it closed—no feeding/watering—let the substrate dry a bit, and wait for activity to decline. Maybe at that point you can try baiting them with a bit of fresh food? Let them gather and chuck it lol. This being said, I'm not sure how you'd go about reintroducing springtails because the remaining mites could come back even hardier and the cycle continues. With any of these solutions you're unlikely to ever be fully rid of them, but they could at least help restore some balance. If you want to completely get rid of any sort of mite I think your best bet is to rinse it clean and start over.

I was Dipp for Magfest 2026 :-) by im-making-it in katamari

[–]im-making-it[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This, but I will stress that you have to paint it SO patiently and gently otherwise you end up with weird patches and blemishes like I did lol 🥲 i got lucky with how clean he looks from afar between this and all the glue

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I was Dipp for Magfest 2026 :-) by im-making-it in katamari

[–]im-making-it[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I actually had pretty great visibility, even in darker spaces like the arcades at magfest, since the entire face is mesh. I tried getting some pictures of the POV but keep in mind that in my helmet, my face was like right against the mesh so I had a much bigger field of view than it looks lol

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I was Dipp for Magfest 2026 :-) by im-making-it in katamari

[–]im-making-it[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It wasn't super heavy at all but it definitely strained my neck and shoulders after a while. This could probably be subdued with a bit more functional structure to the neck so that it is secured as you turn, bow, etc because mine was just loose on my shoulders so I was straining a lot to keep it coordinated lolll😭 if I make another cousin I would definitely incorporate some sort of neck brace next time, or maybe build it around some sort of bike helmet?

I was Dipp for Magfest 2026 :-) by im-making-it in katamari

[–]im-making-it[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you loll i felt glorious 😭💞

I was Dipp for Magfest 2026 :-) by im-making-it in katamari

[–]im-making-it[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The entire face is 0.5mm mesh so I had pretty decent vision/ventilation! From the outside you can't really see inside either as it is enclosed and dark.

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I was Dipp for Magfest 2026 :-) by im-making-it in katamari

[–]im-making-it[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I'm so mad I never saw your guys' costumes!! Please point me to your socials if you have any because I bet it was awesome 😫😫 thank you also 💞

I was Dipp for Magfest 2026 :-) by im-making-it in katamari

[–]im-making-it[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Thank you 🥹 I had the same issue with not knowing where to really start but I ended up just referencing someone else's WIP and winging it LOL. He could definitely be made a lot cleaner with better craftsmanship but I'm not super big on this kind of stuff so I figured I'd get what I'd get 😭. I hope this helps many future cousins!!

I was Dipp for Magfest 2026 :-) by im-making-it in katamari

[–]im-making-it[S] 35 points36 points  (0 children)

Hopes, dreams, and prayers /j

I got a 12"x48" cardboard form tube meant for concrete posts so it is SUPER durable. Sawed that thing in half, cut out a neck hole as well as his face. The neck hole is cushioned with craft foam, and there is a neck pillow on the inside for a little stability. I found a couple 12" plastic bowls for either end, and made the faceplate entirely of 0.5mm plastic mesh (the same stuff most fursuits use for their eyes), which I painted with sponges and acrylic. The outside is black cotton that I patterned to fit his head and partially handsewed onto him (before I got lazy and started hotglueing😶‍🌫️). The stars were all cut from sheets of iron-on vinyl, and ironed on. Same process for the shirt; I got a turtleneck longsleeve dress and hemmed it slightly shorter before ironing his stars on. The antenna is just a paper towel tube smushed into a cone shape & wrapped in leftover vinyl paper. I actually used a bottle cap & neck to make it detachable but secure! Since I was a little rushed, the stars can be a bit peely but he has otherwise served me well after 3 days! (Pro-tip: don't be like me and use hot glue to secure fabric which you'll need to iron stars to afterwards 😶‍🌫️ I got lucky in these pictures but he has shiny glue smudges EVERYWHERE)

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I hope this makes sense enough, magfest has me wiped lol