# The ULTIMATE fruit fly surface area material!!!!!!!



## a Vertigo Guy (Aug 17, 2006)

Way F'in better than excelsior ever will be! Throw away your cross stich sheets, coffee filters and everything else you use to increase surface area! This shite can be washed and used over and over and over again!


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## joeyo90 (Nov 5, 2006)

thats a good idea  to bad i dont own a paper shredder :?


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## a Vertigo Guy (Aug 17, 2006)

Nope, not paper! 
Its shredded PVC pipe :lol:


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## npaull (May 8, 2005)

How does one come by that?


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## Dancing frogs (Feb 20, 2004)

Wash fruit fly surface media? No thanks. Might be ok for those folks with a dish washing machine, personally, I have a hard enough time cleaning up after myself, let alone fruit flies.


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## joeyo90 (Nov 5, 2006)

how did you shred it?
or where to buy it?


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## a Vertigo Guy (Aug 17, 2006)

You shred it very carefully with a knife  

Its actually a type of filter material for aquariums. Called 'biobale' in the aquarium hobby. We get it in bulk at work so you'd have to prolly find an aquarium retailer.

As far as the washing thing, why throw away something thats indefinitely reusable? You surely reuse FF cups right? Plus why constantly spend money on excelsior (or coffee filters or whatever you use thats one-time use) which rots when you can spend it once on shredded pvc biobale? It wont decompose. Its a win-win I think. Plus its got lots of surface area.

Im a cheap ass when it comes to things like this so everything I buy I make sure if possible that they are not one-time use items.


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## Dancing frogs (Feb 20, 2004)

win-win if you like washing things.

And no, I don't wash my disposable fruit fly cups either...one of the reasons I don't consider myself a hippie anymore.

Seriously, a look around my apt will reveal I have more things to do than wash fly media.


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## pl259 (Feb 27, 2006)

Assuming no reuse, what's the cost per culture?

EricG.NH


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## MJ (Jun 16, 2005)

how well does it stay in the cup when ur feeding out?


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## a Vertigo Guy (Aug 17, 2006)

Dancing frogs said:


> win-win if you like washing things.
> 
> And no, I don't wash my disposable fruit fly cups either...one of the reasons I don't consider myself a hippie anymore.
> 
> Seriously, a look around my apt will reveal I have more things to do than wash fly media.


Hippie :lol: I think you slipped out a bit too much info there Brian  

I do not know how much our cost is but I imagine this material is fairly inexpensive. the only problem would be finding some. best bet is to try an aquarium store. just ask em for biobale and they should know if they have it or not or where to get some. just dont tell them what its going to be used for, might give you some strange looks. 

as far as how it hold up when you invert the cup, i do not know, havent had to feed from those cultures yet since i just set them up but i imagine i would have to hold it down with a finger.


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## NCSUdart (Oct 1, 2004)

i've actually stopped using any type of excelsior/coffed filter material in my cultures now. just the cup and media. and i haven't noticed any noticeable drop in my FF production


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## nyfrogs (May 1, 2005)

NCSUdart said:


> i've actually stopped using any type of excelsior/coffed filter material in my cultures now. just the cup and media. and i haven't noticed any noticeable drop in my FF production


really! i tried that but all the larva hatched on the ground trapping all the new larva


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## kyle1745 (Feb 15, 2004)

Interesting, but I agree that my days of washing FF containers are over...

How much is the stuff as I bet it works well. The only negative thing I could see with it is that it does not absorb any extra liquid like the other methods.


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## a Vertigo Guy (Aug 17, 2006)

True, it does not absorb excess liquid however Ive always got a prob with mine drying out prematurely (maybe need to start using more water) so this works out fine for me.

I do not know how much the material costs but being its only shredded pvc pipe I imagine the cost is very inexpensive. i'll find out where we get it from at work.


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## defaced (May 23, 2005)

PVC pipes are filthy from the mfg process. I would not want to put them in my cultures.


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## Dancing frogs (Feb 20, 2004)

That is something to consider.

Also, you might want to look into whether the the pvc being used can handle (as in, not degrading or releasing toxins) hot temps encountered during washing, etc. as well.


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## a Vertigo Guy (Aug 17, 2006)

well.....we use it ALL the time in aquarium filters and considering those filters keep the fish alive.... i dont think its toxic unless you were to like eat it or something.

I dont think its sterilized or whatever but im sure its damn clean considering its used where live animals are concerned. ill try to get more info as to what it actually is. all i have to go by is that its called biobale in the aquarium trade.

*Edit*

Found some info on it. Google is my best friend.

http://www.cpraquatic.com/products/biobale.html


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## kyle1745 (Feb 15, 2004)

Ya I had found the same site, and some others but its seems a bit more $$ than the other methods. Let us know how it works.


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## a Vertigo Guy (Aug 17, 2006)

Yeah I noticed myself how much the stuff is. Had no idea it costed that much. No wonder we charge as much as we do on the biobale loaded filters.

I will certainly let everyone know how it works out!


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