# Mixing FF's



## Guest (Nov 5, 2004)

Is is ok to have cultures that are mixed with hydeo and melanogaster? I bought cultures from the Drosophila Company about a month ago and I seem to have Hydei and melanogaster hatching from my cultures now. They couldn't have been mixed here as I haven't cultured flies in over a year, so I'm assuming it happen at the shop. 

It's kinda cool because I get melano hatching in a couple weeks, then Hydei a couple weeks after that. But will that hurt anything?


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## Guest (Nov 5, 2004)

No, it's perfectly fine. Mike Shrom and I have been doing it for years.
j


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## andersonii85 (Feb 8, 2004)

I do this on purpose sometimes just because I am crammed for space for my cultures. 


Justin


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## Guest (Nov 5, 2004)

good, thanks. 8)


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## Mantellaprince20 (Aug 25, 2004)

I have had cultures of hydei that some melongaster found their way into, and they eventually learned flight. So, I would recommend against it, or eventually you will have flying fruit flies. THis probably only applies if you have the curled wing ones. If you have the wingless type, then you are probably safe.

Ed


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## Scott (Feb 17, 2004)

Ed,

Probably wild ffs in your Hydeii then as Melanogasters and Hydeii cannot hybridize.

s


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## Guest (Nov 6, 2004)

These ff's came from the breeder. I haven't had FF's in my house in over a year. The guy told me that it was impossible that it came from him because he keeps his Hydei and Melanogaster in seperate rooms. Oh well, turns out it's ok anyway.


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## EDs Fly Meat (Apr 29, 2004)

*It is a strategy.*

Although I do not do it due to personal preferance. Some customers I know put melanogasters in with their hydei for a couple of reasons. The first is to have a supply of flies ready to go after their first hatch i.e. the melanogasters. The second reason is that due to the hydei's long life cycle and pupation period molds can become a problem. The larval activity of the D. melanogaster stirs up any chance that molds may have to get established and thus help keep a culture mold free. The drawback is that the you only really get one hatch of hydei and the subsequent hatches of melanogasters are small due to the exhastion of the media nutrition.


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## Rain_Frog (Apr 27, 2004)

that happened to me, some melans got in, and then for some odd reason, many of the flies that hatched out were flying. They had black eyes and were much larger. I don't remember any "flying" flies getting in, I have no idea why this happened...if that is true they can't hybridize, but I will never do it again.

The melangastor out competed the hydei as well.


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## bbrock (May 20, 2004)

Rain_Frog said:


> that happened to me, some melans got in, and then for some odd reason, many of the flies that hatched out were flying. They had black eyes and were much larger. I don't remember any "flying" flies getting in, I have no idea why this happened...if that is true they can't hybridize, but I will never do it again.
> 
> The melangastor out competed the hydei as well.


I thought I would point out that the two cases where hydei and melanogaster mixed and then flying flies appeared both started with the accidental invasion of flies into a culture. If flightless melanogaster or hydei could accidentally find their way into a culture, then wild flies could certainly do the same.


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## booga (Sep 19, 2004)

deleted


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