# fruit fly media



## chadfarmer (Nov 2, 2008)

i just made about 4 cultures of fruit flys for my frogs

i made this with 

1 cup powdered sugar
4 teaspoons methyln paraben
8 cups potato flakes
1/2 cup of brewers yeast

it make about 30 cultures


about 3 days into it it smells like something died 

i was using media from patrick nabours and no smell

is there something else out there that doesnt smell this bad


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## ChrisK (Oct 28, 2008)

Do search in this section, there are tons of recipes with opinions on them


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## gretchenellie (Aug 7, 2007)

I use the Orange Juice, Sugar, Bakers Yeast and potato flake method. Doesnt smell at all, even when it gets close to needing to be thrown out.

like mentioned above, there are tons of recipe's on the board..


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## chadfarmer (Nov 2, 2008)

yes i tryed one and i bought all the stuff
mixed ti like it said and this happened i am looking for an easy mix that wont smell bad


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## chadfarmer (Nov 2, 2008)

i never added the 4 teaspoons methyln paraben

do you thank that could do it?

i am waiting on some of it


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

Often with that media the foul smell is due to other bacteria getting started in the culture. Did you add live (baker's) yeast to the mix after you wet it? 

Ed


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## Philsuma (Jul 18, 2006)

Applesauce....apple juice.

Cider vinegar instead of Meth paraben.....organic too.

some people even use Vanilla extract.

Experiment with it...we all do.....


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## frogfreak (Mar 4, 2009)

Philsuma said:


> Applesauce....apple juice.
> 
> Cider vinegar instead of Meth paraben.....organic too.
> 
> ...


Vanilla extract??? What for?


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## Philsuma (Jul 18, 2006)

pure smell-ability


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## frogfreak (Mar 4, 2009)

Well thanks

I can just imagine my whole basement smelling like vanilla


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## chadfarmer (Nov 2, 2008)

Ed said:


> Often with that media the foul smell is due to other bacteria getting started in the culture. Did you add live (baker's) yeast to the mix after you wet it?
> 
> Ed


yes
i added it


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## chadfarmer (Nov 2, 2008)

i have added more water and less water and changed up the ratio on 8 cultures and the same thing has happened to them all


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## McBobs (Apr 26, 2007)

Instead of adding water to moisten the media, replace it with apple juice. It smells much better in the end. 

-Matt


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## frogger44 (Jun 8, 2005)

I'll also add cinnamon sometimes to make it smell better.


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## chadfarmer (Nov 2, 2008)

i just made 1 with cinnamon 

i bought 18 lbs of media from joshs frogs and it smells like cinnamon (i didnt want to run out)

thanks

any more ideas would be great


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## kheckeroth (Dec 28, 2008)

my FF cultures usually are just whatever we have around at the time, thrown into a blender with a bit of yeast and vinegar added at the end.

The one which has produced the most and not smelled was about a cup of p-nuts and two slices of watermelon.

Turned out to be this lumpy pink mixture, the fly's loved it. And it didn't smell at all.


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## Philsuma (Jul 18, 2006)

chadfarmer said:


> i just made 1 with cinnamon
> 
> i bought 18 lbs of media from joshs frogs and it smells like cinnamon (i didnt want to run out)
> 
> ...


for smell......try Vanillla extract.....just a little though.

You can't "Fail" at experimenting with different do-it-yerself culture recipes. The worst that can happen will be decreased production / yields.

Just be sure you have excess cultures or backup buddies ect before you go hog wild with the blender.

It's harder for me to list food items that I HAVEN'T added to make a culture mix....

Dried prunes....apple jax and Captain crunch.....lots of different pastas....wheat jerm..on and on.....nuts....dried fruit.

Just be sure to blend it towards a fine powder... hot water.....microwave.

It's all good and better yet....it's all found down the street at your local Giant, Weis, Giant Eagle, Piggly Wiggly, Publix....


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

I've even used flour as a base for the cultures but stopped as the odor was pretty terrible.. definetly the deeper layers went anaerobic. 
Any digestiable starch/sugar source will work as this is the source of the food for the yeast which is probably the main food source for the larva. However yields can be variable if there are other limiting nutrients in the media or the culture becomes contaminated with various other organisms that compete with the flies or the yeasts. 

Ed


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## DeeVas (Jul 2, 2005)

I've been experimenting with some media as well and I have noticed an increase in production when I added protein powder (cookies and cream flavor..lol). The only reason why I added this is because it expired and didnt know what else to do with is.


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## ChrisK (Oct 28, 2008)

Yeah a lot of people notice increased production when adding a little more brewers yeast (protein) into the recipes. I do it also with the power mix, a little extra brewers yeast and some some spirulina


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## GSXR_MURRHEE (Sep 16, 2006)

Chad, I use that same recipe you first asked about. You need the methyln paraben, it's a mold inhibitor. With out it, your cultures will get stinky and mold.


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## chadfarmer (Nov 2, 2008)

GSXR_MURRHEE said:


> Chad, I use that same recipe you first asked about. You need the methyln paraben, it's a mold inhibitor. With out it, your cultures will get stinky and mold.


i have it but still the same thing, i am trying less water


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

Try cutting it 50/50 with Carolina Mix.. the microbes that are really making it stinky are being introduced into the new cultures by the fruit flies.. you need to break that cycle to make a difference. 

Ed


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## chadfarmer (Nov 2, 2008)

can i cut it with joshs food --


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