# Fruit Fly Media Color



## mindcrash (Mar 3, 2004)

i tried my hand at making my own media today and the only question i have is, how can i color it blue like the commercial media i have been using? I used the methylene blue, but since the amount is so low, it only colored it a very light tint. 

Anyone know the secret?

Thanks!


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## Ryan (Feb 18, 2004)

Food coloring...


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## Ryan (Feb 18, 2004)

LOL just buy some at a local grocier store, any color works.


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## Guest (Apr 23, 2004)

I think Ryan is right, as i think they just use food coloring.


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## mindcrash (Mar 3, 2004)

Sometimes the answer is just so simple....

Now, if they use food coloring in the commercial mixes, how do they get it dry? Is there a powdered food coloring?


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## Guest (Apr 23, 2004)

of course food coloring is in powder form as well....think kool-aid. 

-Bill J.


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## benmz (Feb 18, 2004)

Who says the medium has to be blue. Why not cherry red and such?Here's an interesting link. 
http://www.sugarcraft.com/catalog/coloring/powdered.htm


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## bgexotics (Feb 24, 2004)

Methylene blue is what makes the medium blue. I can't imagine why food coloring would be used. Methylene blue comes in a concentrated powder form, I have no idea what the correct amount would be but it would be a tiny amount. I know that it takes around 1 tsp. of powder methylene blue to make a 16 oz bottle of solution for treating fish.


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## Scott (Feb 17, 2004)

There must be a Methylene white too then bc/ you can get non-colored ff media that has Methylene blue (or is it white) in it!

s



bgexotics said:


> Methylene blue ...


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## mindcrash (Mar 3, 2004)

I don't have the powder form, i have the liquid that you can buy at a petshop. Since my media turned only a very tint of blue, should i try using more?


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## bgexotics (Feb 24, 2004)

> There must be a Methylene white too then bc/ you can get non-colored ff media that has Methylene blue (or is it white) in it!
> 
> I think you are thinking of methyl paraben which is not blue.


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## mindcrash (Mar 3, 2004)

Anyone know where to purchase methyl paraben or mthylene blue in a powdered form?


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## melissa68 (Feb 16, 2004)

*Food coloring*

This has been discussed in the past, and the agreement was there is not any methylene blue in the FF medium. 

Food coloring is probably the ingredient.

Melis



bgexotics said:


> Methylene blue is what makes the medium blue. I can't imagine why food coloring would be used. Methylene blue comes in a concentrated powder form, I have no idea what the correct amount would be but it would be a tiny amount. I know that it takes around 1 tsp. of powder methylene blue to make a 16 oz bottle of solution for treating fish.


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## Scott (Feb 17, 2004)

*Re: Food coloring*

So you don't think it's used at all in Carolina or Wards?

I've got no idea, just curious.

s


melissa68 said:


> This has been discussed in the past, and the agreement was there is not any methylene blue in the FF medium.


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## melissa68 (Feb 16, 2004)

*I am not sure....*

Scott,

I don't remember where I saw the tread, but there from what I have read, the blue coloring has 1 purpose, enabling people to see the maggots in the culture better. 


Something to think about....if it is a chemical, wouldn't people need to include it in their own recipies to get good yields? I know we do not include MB in ours, and do not have problems with our yield.

Melis


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## khoff (Feb 18, 2004)

I've never even heard of people using methylene blue for fruit flies until this thread. Not to mention you would have to overdose your cultures to get it that blue.


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## mindcrash (Mar 3, 2004)

I've been reading about different media recipes on this forum and other sites. Many list Methyl Paraben or Methylene Blue. But your right, i would have to put a ton of the Methylene Blue in order to get it a darker blue. I'm just giving up and going to go with a different recipe that i found on Doyle's site.


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## Guest (Apr 27, 2004)

If I'm not mistaken, the reason Carolina adds blue coloring to their medium is for educational purposes. It is very difficult to see the instars in the medium without some sort of coloration and in order for schools and institutions to do thorough experiments with the fruitflis, the medium needs to be tinted to allow observation of the instars.

-Bill J.


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## Scott (Feb 17, 2004)

That's right Bill.

Just letting bgexotics know that too.

s


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