# My FF media recipe



## thekidgecko (Oct 30, 2006)

Just decided to write it down today instead of eyeballing it, tell me what ya think.

1lb potato flakes (half a big box)
2 1/2 tsp Bakers Yeast
3 cups "Old Fashioned" oats (walmart brand stuff)
1 cup flax seeds
1/8 cup sugar (yeast food)
Add orange juice until media is wet, minus the media on the very bottom


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## dragonfrog (Feb 16, 2006)

With all the FF recipes on this board, I am confused as to why everybody has to try to come up with something else?
In my opinion you don't need the oats or the flax seed
That much Bakers yeast will kill off the culture in an instant. Are you sure you did not mean "Brewers Yeast". It should be brewers and it should be about 1 cup. And there is not enough sugar. That should be about 1 cup also.

Try 8 cups potato flakes
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 to 3/4 cup brewers yeast
4 teaspoons methylparaben

Then put in 10 grains of bakers yeast(no more) when you make the culture
This is much simpliar and less fuss and does the job quite well.


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## thekidgecko (Oct 30, 2006)

All I have to say, is experimentation is what drives this and every other hobby my friend. Every region tends to have a media or recipe that works better than others, and just thought I would share mine. Nothing lost in trying to find your own way to things, its the funnest part of life. 

It doesn't kill my cultures, as I've been culturing them for a while now with great results... The sugar amounts in both the media and the juice allow for yeast growth, while limiting it to manageable levels. Bakers yeast is all I've got, so I make do. It also allows me to start cultures faster. It is in teaspoons, also. I screwed up typing it. :roll:

Oats add some extra moisture absorbency so they could be reduced or phased out depending on the area (it is ridiculously humid down here :evil: ) Flax seeds....I have no idea why but they up production by a significant level for me. Protein? Plus I happen to have a health nut for a dad and I get em for free....

I don't use any artificial mold inhibitors with pretty much zero mold for the whole culture's life. I hate the thought of adding artificial chemicals into my frogs food...however safe it seems. Instead of water, I always use a high citric acid content fruit juice, usually orange juice but sometimes cranapple or something similar if I'm in a pinch. Using water always molds me over, or gives me production that is much lower per culture even with media. Juice resolves all my mold problems even with the high relative humidity and nearby moldy springtail food.


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## dragonfrog (Feb 16, 2006)

I agree to a certain extent. Nothing wrong with experimentation. It is just that for some reason some people like to make this hobby as "involved" as they can when it is no different that most things in life.... K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Stupid).
I am still very confused as to the amount of Bakers Yeast. Even at 2-1/2 tsp versus 2-1/2 TBS, If i used that much, all my flies would be dead. I have put too much yeast in my cultures before and they died in less than 12 hours.

So you do not use Brewers yeast at all?


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## thekidgecko (Oct 30, 2006)

I guess it is true that I have no life besides my animals.....lol :roll:

Nope. I've always had bakers yeast around and used that. I'm too cheap (and lazy to some extent) to buy stuff online or hunt down brewers yeast so I stick to what I have around.

I do let my cultures simmer for 12 hours after setting them up, afterward I tilt and blow out any excess CO2 and then add flies. That much bakers yeast disperses surprisingly fast in the amount of media this makes so it ends up being about 12-30 granules per culture (guesstimated). Your not thinking 2 1/2 tsp per culture right? Just making sure...because that would kill any fly culture in a day or less...


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## dragonfrog (Feb 16, 2006)

No, I was not thinking that way. Most people don't put more than 10 grains of yeast in ONE culture. Your 2-1/2 tsp. contains enough yeast to do 100 cultures or more. You could probably cut that amount in half and still get good cultures. Save some wasted yeast.
Hey, if this works for you, good. I have just never heard of that much yeast.
And no brewers yeast.


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## stchupa (Apr 25, 2006)

You need to edit your recipe, you forgot to include a liquid portion. I know it's juice.

Your close as most people get, but the potato flakes are worthless IMO.
Also your not adding whole flax seed are you, everything needs ground, the finer the better. Coffe grinder, 20 bucks, doesn't get any simpler than that.

As far as what is simple, I don't consider mold inhibitor "simple", it is a reliance on someone else making it for you, when they quit then what.


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## dragonfrog (Feb 16, 2006)

> As far as what is simple, I don't consider mold inhibitor "simple", it is a reliance on someone else making it for you, when they quit then what.


Someone else makes EVERYTHING in the world!!!!
What are you talking about?????


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## stchupa (Apr 25, 2006)

dragonfrog said:


> Someone else makes EVERYTHING in the world!!!!
> What are you talking about?????


No, never said anything about everything, just pointing out the crap.
Being poison didn't seem to be a 'good' enough reason for people to not use it, so I threw in a lesser, more pathetic reason not to.

But to answer your question everything that IS crap is made by someone. Luckily humans have yet to master the art of creating an orange themselves.


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## fishdoc (Apr 24, 2007)

*kid gecko- brewers yeast*

Hey kid, surfing here to figure out more on the springtails!! I bought brewers yeast today, try a local feed store. I bought a gallon for $6.95, pure dried brewers yeast. Its used as a supplement for horses, and if you put it in your dogs/cats food, it runs off fleas!! Thanks again for the cultures,
c.


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## thekidgecko (Oct 30, 2006)

Thanks for the tip off on brewers yeast. No shortage of feed stores here lol! glad to hear you got the cultures, if you need to know anything on 'em just PM me. Also have the A. vulgare started to hatch/produce yet?

Also, I'm trying using just water. You know, to see what happens and all. Even though they have been producing great, I went ahead and "diluted' the yeast as per everyone's caution by adding more potato flakes to the mixture to see if that changes anything as well.

No, I don't grind the flax but that is an awesome recommendation as I do have a grinder/superfine blender. When I let the cultures ferment for a while they usually swell up and become soft so the maggots eat it anyway but powder sounds more efficient.


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