# Heated fruit fly container?



## oneshotveth (Dec 29, 2016)

Long story but I think I need a way to keep my cultures at a high enough temperature. Anyone use something like an incubator for temperature consistency?


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## minorhero (Apr 24, 2020)

I don't but I know people that will, it doesn't have to be fancy though, a cheap tubberware pull our draw with a heating pad and reptile thermostat in the bottom shelf will work. Though so long as your flies are being kept above 60 degrees its not temperature causing a crash (if that is what is happening).


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## fishingguy12345 (Apr 7, 2019)

I keep my flies in a shelf above my vivariums so the heat from the lights warms the cups up slightly.


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## sumer (Dec 14, 2012)

I used to do this to produce fruitflies faster when needed. It also exhausts your culture faster. A few ways to do this-
1. Using heatpads. These don't go beyong 85-90F. But if you need it lower than that, either use a thermostat or make a gap between the fruitfly container and the pad. Ultratherm Heat Pads

2 use a small aquarium or a shoebox to hold water. Put an aquarium thermometer in the water and then put the fruitfly culture in the water. Make sure the heater doesn't touch plastic container if you use a plastic container.


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## Socratic Monologue (Apr 7, 2018)

sumer said:


> 1. Using heatpads. These don't go beyong 85-90F.


Fine advice, to use a heatpad, but reptile heating pads and heat tape can exceed these temps when placed anywhere air can't circulate (e.g. under a FF cx cup). Heat tape, especially, is available in wattage densities that can and does melt polypropylene when run without a thermostat (even in the open air, higher wattage heat tape such as 3" 10 watts/foot can exceed these temps by quite a bit). For fire safety, all heating elements should be used with a thermostat.


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## Woodswalker (Dec 26, 2014)

I keep mine in a Sterilite tote on top of the refrigerator. This is plenty warm for them in my house.

I'd be tempted to suggest a seedling heating mat, since I've never known them to get very warm (unlike those designed for use with herps, which get very hot without a thermostat's control), but I've only used these short-term for seedlings, and once for rehabbing a baby squirrel. I don't know how safe they are for long-term, continuous use.


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## ericfixit (Jun 22, 2019)

I use a seedling heating mat with a cheap temp control. A storage container on top of that with diatomaceous earth in it. I have my whole set up at my office at work the temperatures where I keep the cultures can fall into the 60s I keep everything at 72F. It's been working well for almost two years now.


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## FrogDaddyLLC (Oct 10, 2018)

Try a heat pad on the side of a Tupperware bin / sterilite tote if you're worried about excessive heat. Alternatively, you can buffer the pad and cultures.


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## Kmc (Jul 26, 2019)

Flukers are the most versatile. No sticky commitment. For buttering the chill off any situ, including flies. The 6X11 pad is the most handy for commonest hobby circumstances. If more heat support is needed its not a topical heat fix that you need.

Sometimes if you keep mels too warm their phenotype takes a throwback and they become flyers.


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## radiata (Jul 24, 2010)

I recently started using reptile heating pads (Zoo Med?) inside a glass covered 10G glass aquarium. The pads are on the bottom of the tank with some pvc pipe for spacers and eggcrate on top of the pipe. The cultures sit atop the eggcrate. I scored an Inkbird temperature controller for $15 on the last Amazon Prime Day. The heating is driven by the Inkbird's temperature controller and turns on at 75 degrees and off at 77 degrees. The settings are pretty tunable with the Inkbird. A 10g tank holds ten standard FF cultures. I've been very pleased with the Hydei FF production. I don't know if my temperature range would have the adverse effect on Melanogasters mentioned by *Kmc* as I don't culture them.

_*Inkbird caveat:*_ 
Don't bother trying to understand the instructions that come with the unit. You won't. There are several set-up vids available on YouTube that thankfully make the process relatively easy.


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## Socratic Monologue (Apr 7, 2018)

Temperature has no effect on the flying ability of wingless mels. It is the flightless strains that are susceptible.


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