# FF media recipes list



## james67

so since there is no concise list of media recipes on DB i thought it might be fun to compile a list in a thread (which i will create later) that can hopefully become a locked sticky.

so i'd like to hear everyones FF media recipes..... 

but there are some rules for this thread (so that it is easier to rearrange the recipes in one post later)

1) please limit your responses to ingredients and proportions only!!!!!! (a brief description of preparation may be included as well, but im not looking for "add boiling water" or "add tap water") 

standard cooking measurements are best (cups, tsp, tbsp, fl oz., etc)

2) please do not respond with ANYTHING other than recipes!!!!!!!

thats it! please contribute if you have a recipe    

james


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## james67

i'll start...

20 cups potato flakes
3-5 cups powdered sugar
3-5 cups brewers yeast
2 tbsp cinnamon
12 tsp methyl paraben

james


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## james67

thought i might compile some more from around the site 




Mikembo said:


> 1 cup white sugar
> 2 cups powdered/instant milk
> 4 cups instant mashed potatoes
> 2 table spoons of cinnamon
> 
> For melos I used 1/2 cup media, 1/4 cup water, 1/4 cup vinegar.
> -Mike-





SmackoftheGods said:


> Blend the following:
> 
> 8-10 overripe bananas
> (I always blend a large carrot and some vitamin A and D3 supplements into the media but this is not necessary for large production)
> 1 cup of water
> 
> Put the above into a pot and add:
> 
> 2 cups water
> 3 cups apple cider vinegar
> 1/4th cup Dark molasses
> 1 can of grape juice concentrate
> 1 tbsp honey
> 1 tbsp vanilla
> 
> Bring the above mixture to a rolling boil for five minutes.
> 
> After bringing this mixture to a boil, add the dry material
> 
> 1 cup malt of meal
> 1 1/3 cup potato flakes
> 2/3 cup Brewers Yeast (the key ingredient)





earthfrog said:


> 2 cups purified water
> 1/8 cup organic molasses
> 1 cup applesauce
> 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
> 2 bananas
> instant potato flakes
> Baker's yeast
> spirulina powder


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## frogmanroth

1 16oz box potato flakes
2 cups powdered sugar
2 cups brewers yeast
2 tbsp cinnamon
4 tsp methyl paraben


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## earthfrog

I'm posting further instructions below since without them the recipe may not come out right (BTW---got 1000 flies or so on the first hatching with this one):

2 cups purified water
1/8 cup organic molasses
1 cup applesauce
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
2 bananas
instant potato flakes
Baker's yeast
1 tsp spirulina powder

Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. 

Add potato flakes 1/4 cup at a time until it is no longer 'soupy', but 'pasty'

Blend well with whisk---separate into cups with four spoonfuls in each, allow to cool to 90 degrees. 
Sprinkle a coating of baker's yeast on top just to cover the media (about 1 TBS), and add 1 tsp spirulina powder. Stir into the media a bit. Allow some yeast to spill down the sides of the cup, which will encourage the sides not to collect condensation and drown flies/larvae.
Add a tuft of excelsior, pressing it into the media a bit, but keeping it away from the sides of the cup if possible. It should not be more than what will reach halfway up the cup.

Cover and place in freezer for up to one month before use.


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## Julio

http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/food-feeding/58072-best-homemade-ff-media.html


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## james67

_____bump_____


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## james67

_____bump_____

no one else has recipes?


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## ravengritz

3C powdered sugar
1/4C methyl paraben
24C potato flakes
2C brewers yeast

Mix up and keep dry. When ready to use mix 50/50 with hot water, sprinkle with bakers yeast and spritz with water (one spray does it).

Melissa


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## QRICH

Power Mix!
No Joke this one will produce so many FF!
2 cups of water
2 cups of Vinegar
1/8 cup dark molasses
1/2 can grape juice concentrate
2-3 ripe bananas
Above ingredients must be blended then brought to a boil before solids are added. Also the mixture must cool a little before adding the solids.

Solids.
1/2 cup malt of meal
2/3 cup potato flakes
1/3 cup brewers yeast
Add above ingredients after boiled mixture has cooled. 

After mixture has been placed into container then sprinkle a little brewers yeast ontop of substrate. 
Add FF once cooled!
This mixture will produce thousands of FF and stay active for weeks depending on how much you add to each container.
I place about 3-4in of substrate to each container which will make each culture last 4-8 weeks.


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## salix

I use -

2 large boxes of instant mashed potato flakes
1 2lb bag of powdered sugar
1 1/2 cups of brewer's yeast
a heavy sprinkle of cinnamon (if I forget to bring it to the frog room with me, I leave it out)
I also throw in any outdated vitamin powder I have on hand. It probably doesn't help in the least, but it doesn't hurt and I'm going to throw it out anyway.

I then mix 1/3 cup of media with 1/2 cup of water.

Deb


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## james67

keep em coming! 

i know there are more than just enhanced carolina mixes out there, please share.

james


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## froggiesrule

Drosophila


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## Gamble

JEEZ! What's up with all the mass production recipes??? U would think u guys are feeding a family of 100! What about us people that only make 1 or 2 cultures a week??? My recipe is simple ... 

3/4 cup of water
1 cup of potato flakes
1 tablespoon sugar
5-10 grains of bakers yeast

Am I doing something wrong bc all of yours has 20 diff ingredients compared to mine!?!
Or is mine good enough?


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## ChrisK

Gamble said:


> Or is mine good enough?


Only you can answer that.

If you expand, you're definitely going to wind up experimenting to get the best production possible though.


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## froggiesrule

Gamble said:


> JEEZ! What's up with all the mass production recipes??? U would think u guys are feeding a family of 100! What about us people that only make 1 or 2 cultures a week??? My recipe is simple ...
> 
> 3/4 cup of water
> 1 cup of potato flakes
> 1 tablespoon sugar
> 5-10 grains of bakers yeast
> 
> Am I doing something wrong bc all of yours has 20 diff ingredients compared to mine!?!
> Or is mine good enough?


Yours will work fine, but all of us are perfectionests that want and need mass production.


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## froggiesrule

ChrisK said:


> Only you can answer that.
> 
> If you expand, you're definitely going to wind up experimenting to get the best production possible though.


Wow! You posted your reply while I was typing mine!


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## james67

PLEASE read, and refrain from frivolous posts, the purpose of this thread is to compile RECIPES ONLY, anything else is useless and will make the task of re-posting them, in one concise list, more difficult.

please no links, or conversation, lets get right to the issue.... FF MEDIA RECIPES
james


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## Topete

6 cups flakes
3 cups brewers yeast
2 cups powdered sugar
2 cups vinegar
1 cup fruit juice
2 tsp cinnamon
1 ripe banana

thin out with boiled water, let cool before adding yeast and fly's
works great for me


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## brooklyndartfrogs

8 cups potato flakes 
3 cups of powdered sugar 
1/4 cup Methyl paraben 
5 cups of brewers yeast or nutritional yeast 
1/2 cup spirulina/chorella algae to gutload flies
1.5 cups powdered milk 
2 tbsp cinnamon 


6 cups potato powder
2 cups oat flour
2 cup nutritional yeast
1 cup powdered sugar (sifted)
3 tbsp cinnamon
2 tbsp beet powder
5 tsps methyl paraben (sifted)

Liquid ingredients
2:1 Ratio liquid to vinegar
Boil water or for best results:
Boil Fruit juice (orange or grape frozen concentrate)
Vinegar 
1/2 cup liquids to 1/4 cup dry (summer)
1/2 cup liquids to 1/3 cup dry (winter)

Pinch of bakers yeast

5 coffee filters folded into a pie shape


Brooklyn Dart Frogs Fruit Fly Culture Media 

Dry ingredients

6 cups potato powder
3 cups nutritional yeast
1 cup powdered sugar (sifted)
3 tbsp cinnamon
2 tbsp beet powder
5 tsps methyl paraben (sifted)

Liquid ingredients

Boil water and white vinegar 2:1
(I add vinegar just to be safe but you can get away without using it)
1/2 cup liquids to 1/3 cup dry 

Pinch of bakers yeast

5 coffee filters folded into a pie shape


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## davecalk

*THE CHICK MASH FRUIT FLY MEDIA RECIPE*​I developed a modified version of the home-made “Carolina Mix” that I have been using for about 13 years now.

*Ingredients List:*

1 cup of powdered sugar.

4 teaspoons Methylparaben / Tegosept. 

1 cup of Nutritional Yeast / Brewers Yeast.

2 - 3 tablespoons of cinnamon. 

8 cups Instant Mashed Potato flakes. 

4 cups of "Chick Starter Mash" (without antibiotics). 

A pinch of Bakers Yeast per culture on top (after the culture has been prepared).


*Baby Chick Starter Mash (No Antibiotics)*
Chick Starter Mash is also to supplement protein and add a lot of nutrients to the media, which also increases the overall yield of the culture all without increasing the smell like many other proteins sources do (powdered milk etc.) I typically get the Baby Chick Starter Mash at a local farmers coop. It is also carried at farm stores like “Coastal” and “Farm & Fleet.” I purchase 5-10 pound bags, which run $1.50 - .$6.00. You can also get it in 50 pound bags.

I found that using the Chick Mash right out of the bag didn’t blend together quite as well I wanted. It would mix just fine dry, but when the water was added to the culture the heavier textured granules in the Mash would quickly settle out and drop to the bottom of the culture. By running the chick mash through a blender with the setting on the liquefy for a minute or two it made a huge difference in how well the Chick Mash blended and mixed into the media. 


After grinding the mash to a fine powder, the Mash stays uniform and well mixed throughout the culture. It only takes 4 – 5 minutes to powder the entire bag of Mash and after everything is ground up I label and store the extra in plastic gallon zip lock bags. 

If you can’t find Starter Chick Mash, this recipe will do just fine without it (it is like most other potato flake recipes), but adding the Chick Mash does help to increase nutritional value and overall yield of the flies by quite a bit.


*Add the Hot Water*

For melanogaster, I will add 1/4 cup of the hot water to the 1/8 cup of media mix. 

For hydei, I will add 1/2 cup of hot water to the 1/4 to a 1/3 cup of media mix.

If the water is hot enough, the media will gel and set very quickly, typically within just a few seconds. 

*Pupating Media*
Lastly the addition of a pupating media. About eight years ago I started experimenting with "Decorative Spanish Moss," the kind sold in the craft section at Walmart. I find that this breaks down much quicker in the compost pile but does a great job for the life of the culture. Its quite a bit cheaper than excelsior too. I have also noticed that the maggots also seem to snack on it a bit.


All of these are factors that influence the amount of production / number of flies produced.


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## Suzanne

For 4 cultures:
- 250 g oat flakes
- 25 g bakers yeast
- 250 g apple sauce

Let it stand for a night, so the alcohol that is produced by the yeast can evaporate without killing the flies.


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## dmartin72

So are you using the last one you listed? It sounds like a good recipe.

David



brooklyndartfrogs said:


> 8 cups potato flakes
> 3 cups of powdered sugar
> 1/4 cup Methyl paraben
> 5 cups of brewers yeast or nutritional yeast
> 1/2 cup spirulina/chorella algae to gutload flies
> 1.5 cups powdered milk
> 2 tbsp cinnamon
> 
> 
> 6 cups potato powder
> 2 cups oat flour
> 2 cup nutritional yeast
> 1 cup powdered sugar (sifted)
> 3 tbsp cinnamon
> 2 tbsp beet powder
> 5 tsps methyl paraben (sifted)
> 
> Liquid ingredients
> 2:1 Ratio liquid to vinegar
> Boil water or for best results:
> Boil Fruit juice (orange or grape frozen concentrate)
> Vinegar
> 1/2 cup liquids to 1/4 cup dry (summer)
> 1/2 cup liquids to 1/3 cup dry (winter)
> 
> Pinch of bakers yeast
> 
> 5 coffee filters folded into a pie shape
> 
> 
> Brooklyn Dart Frogs Fruit Fly Culture Media
> 
> Dry ingredients
> 
> 6 cups potato powder
> 3 cups nutritional yeast
> 1 cup powdered sugar (sifted)
> 3 tbsp cinnamon
> 2 tbsp beet powder
> 5 tsps methyl paraben (sifted)
> 
> Liquid ingredients
> 
> Boil water and white vinegar 2:1
> (I add vinegar just to be safe but you can get away without using it)
> 1/2 cup liquids to 1/3 cup dry
> 
> Pinch of bakers yeast
> 
> 5 coffee filters folded into a pie shape


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## rmelancon

If you make a lot of cultures, this makes about 20 gallons of media. I mix it in a garbage can with a cement mixer attached to a hand drill.

11 gallons Potato Flake
6 pounds of powdered sugar
5 pounds of brewers yeast
2.5 cups of Methyl Paraben


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## james67

nice lets keep the recipes coming!

james


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## JaysPDF

8cups potato flake
3/4cup malt o meal
1cup brewers yeast
1cup powder sugar
1/4-1/2 cup stawberry protein/vit supplements (yummy)
4tsp Methylparaben
result= Too many flies


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## Tony Kim

This is for individual container measurements :

2tsp. potato flakes
1tsp. powdered cornmeal
1tsp. powdered sweet rice
1tsp. powdered sugar
Pinch of cinnamon and yeast

Add twice the amount of water to the mix and stir
Microwave for 1 1/2 minute on high.
Re-stir the mix and let it cool.

This recipe doesn't need inhibitors or vinegar additives.
I use this for melanos only.


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## Pumilo

Here is a recipe I put together years ago. I've always had great results from it. I was going for a couple of things when I put this together. Optimal nutrition, well producing culture, and long lasting culture.

*PUMILO'S MIX*
14 cups (30 ozs) potato flakes
7 cups instant oats
5 cups (1 lb) flaxseed meal (Red Mill)
3.5 cups White rice flour (Red Mill)
3.5 cups whole grain corn flour (Red Mill)
3.5 cups whole wheat flour
2.5 cups Corn starch
12 cups Brewers yeast flakes (1.5 lbs)
6 cups Powdered Sugar
12 TBSP Cinnamon
just under 1/2 cup Methyl Paraben
All ingredients powdered and mixed in blender/food processor (Measured FIRST, then blended)

Mix 1/3 cup media to 2/3 cup cold water. Microwave until fully boiling, stirring once. The extra water that this recipe holds allows it to last a long time in Colorado's dry climate. You can actually put about 3/4 cup of water in but production seems to drop a little in the first boom.
Of course the usual 10 or so grains of active bakers yeast. Instead of excelsior (hate it), I use a piece of standard fiberglass window screen about 3 inches wide and as tall as the container, pressed down into the media.
Doug


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## poison beauties

you guys should try it with sweet potatos.

8 cups sweet potato flakes
4 cups baby banana oatmeal
6 cups powdered sugar
4 cups brewers or nutritional yeast
1 cup powdered milk
1 cup Methylparaben
1/4 cup cinnamin

Add hot water till mix is at desired thickness and sprinkly brewers yeast

Works very well and it nutrient rich.

Michael


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## pa.walt

this isn't a recipe post but, for some of the new people why don't you post where you get some of your items (brewers yeast, malt o meal, methyl parabin) like dave did with his chicken mash item.


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## Pumilo

pa.walt said:


> this isn't a recipe post but, for some of the new people why don't you post where you get some of your items (brewers yeast, malt o meal, methyl parabin) like dave did with his chicken mash item.


Brewers yeast and methyl paraben I have never seen a better price than Josh's Frogs and I've really shopped it around.
Doug


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## james67

please keep posts to recipes ONLY, i will be compiling all of these into a categorized list so keeping this thread clean and on point is going to make it a lot easier. im simply waiting until i can get enough responses to make a list. (unfortunately almost ALL of the recipes i've received are almost identical and simple "carolina" style mediums)

i'd LOVE to see some other types of media... i know there are a bunch of them out there so lets get them posted and get this list finished!

thanks to all those who have responded so far.

james


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## aliciaface

Here's mine - pulled from a thread and modded a teensy bit.

*SO EASY A CAVEMAN COULD DO IT FF RECIPE*

Dry media i keep on hand in a big tupperware (like for cereal)

8 parts potato flakes
1 part sugar
1 part brewer's yeast
*SHAKE/MIX WELL*

For EACH culture cup you are making MIX the following:

1/3 cup dry media ^
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup warm-hot water
swirl the cup around a little bit to mix it all in

sprinkle of active yeast on top
sprinkle of cinnamon on top -really cuts the smell 

add water or dry media as needed, consistency should be like thick pancake batter, too much water and you will just drown all the flies you add in, they should be able to stomp around on the mix.

excelsior or coffee filters, as you see fit, i just use cheapy paper filters, pack of 200 or 300 for like $2 at Costco. magic.

(ps. safeway brand potato flakes is the BEST ive found, perfect consistency, and brewer's yeast is easily found at most stores with a bulk foods aisle- Whole Foods, Winco, etc.)


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## Arpeggio

Why isn't this stickied? I was looking for this and I figured it was stickied but it wasn't! Hrmph.


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## Allyn Loring

My own .02 recipe;

1 part granulated sugar
2 parts instant powdered milk
4 parts instant potato flakes
1 part stone ground yellow corn meal
1 part old fashioned oats

1/3 water
1/3 vinegar
1/3 apple juice

per media portion;
dash of cinnamon
+/_ 1/2tsp. honey

melo media portion 1/2 cp match 1/2 cup wet ingredients 
hydei media portion 2/3 cp. match 2/3 cup wet ingredients
sprinkle 1/4+ tsp. active yeast per culture
microwave wet/dry ingredients for one minute plus (including cinnamon,honey)add whatever you use for pupae substrate.Let cool.then add flies! There my .02!!


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## REBEL_PAWS

I litreraly didn't buy anything. But this is my first try and an individual batch for one culture was
Made.
1/2 a cooked potato ( I stab a few times with knife than microwave for about 8 mins)
1/2-3/4 cup oat meal. Not flavored or anything
About 1 Tbsp sugar 
2 Tbsp granulated(powdered) sugar.
2 Tbsp vinegar 
1 Tbsp pomegranate juice
1 Tbsp 100% vegetable juice
1 small WELL ripened pear mashed up like mashed potatos.
1 tsp yeast juice( recipe below) 


Yeast juice.
1 cup oats (oat meal)
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup molasses or brown sugar. If not just put more sugar.
Than add about a gallon of water 
Mix well.
Warm water is best so the molasses and sugar dilute a bit
Once it's all mixed put it in the sun
Yeast will grow in about a week or less on there own.


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## mordoria

Sprinkling cinnamon on top of the media once its wet and in the cup, will help keep mold off. Cinnamon is used in starting seedlings because it inhibits "dampening off" and other fungal blooms. Just dust the top. Also, Ive mentioned before, colloidal silver. Its easy to make and no mold will grow if you use this water in your cultures.


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## REBEL_PAWS

Oh ya forgot to say I added about a tsp of cinnomon.


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## dustin2012

Thanks for all the recipes!

Cinnamon as fungal inhibitor: NICE didn't think of this!
Powder sugar? better than regular table sugar

=====================================================
Here's mine... i make them for the bottle not mixed ahead....

Potato flakes: Oatmeal 2:1, about 1/2-3/4" dry
enough hot water to make it damp, then little white vinegar
pinch of yeast, pinch of sugar

When on hand:
pinch of premixed stuff (When I run out I probably won't use it, sometimes i forget I have it anyway.), chunk of banana, dried fruit. 

Industrial paper towel for them to crawl on
Cultures don't smell either so far, unless you stick your in them.
=====================================================

I'll probably try adding a pinch of cinnamon to mine now, and if powdered sugar shows better results than table sugar i might switch that too.


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