# Current most popular FF variety



## Dendrobait (May 29, 2005)

Just out of curiosity looking back into the history of this hobby...what is the most popular FF strain currently cultured?

for the record...I currently raise solely Turkish gliders(had been doing a hydei/glider mix but eventually dropped the hydei as they weren't terribly useful)


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## SDK (Aug 11, 2014)

I picked melanogaster since I make more Melano cultures weekly. Having said that, I would not go without Hydei for my Azureus and Terribilis.


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## mongo77 (Apr 28, 2008)

Not sure if I read the choices correctly. I picked mixed because I use equal amounts of hydei and melo cultures


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## thumbnail (Sep 18, 2005)

Gliders have always been my favorite. I remember back when I first saw them up for sale, and yes I did not believe the production could not be that different. Once I got them though it was a quite considerable difference in production levels. The only thing that was a down side was the gliding capability, but honestly the frogs had no issues catching them. The only reason I call it a down side is when making new cultures or not sprinkling them out fast enough.


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## Dendrobait (May 29, 2005)

mongo: Mixed would refer to running both melanogaster and hydei in the same cultures. I'm guessing most of the voters have misinterpreted this. A couple members in the past use to do this. I did as well for a time until I no longer needed hydei...but I've had better luck this way than just doing hydei alone. Basically you add just enough melanogaster to a hydei culture to keep the media moving until the hydei pop up. 


I ended up dropping hydei in favor of bean beetles. 

thumbnail: I like the resiliency of gliders-I honestly don't have that much of an issues with getting them from one container to another and the like. I am toying starting up wingless melos for feeding of baby thumbnails and pumilio...the gliders like to freeze and then hop everywhere which doesn't help these little guys in catching them-but then again the frogs do just fine.


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## mongo77 (Apr 28, 2008)

Yeah, I have put both types in cultures before but haven't in a while.


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## thumbnail (Sep 18, 2005)

Another question I would like to ask that is related to this. If I am not mistaken was there a larger form of Melano that was available?


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## aspidites73 (Oct 2, 2012)

thumbnail said:


> Another question I would like to ask that is related to this. If I am not mistaken was there a larger form of Melano that was available?


Melanogaster ( improperly: melano) are a species of fruit fly. There are bigger Genera (i.e D. hydei) but there aren't any larger melanogaster than whatever size the current "largest" one would be.


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## ZenMonkey (Sep 17, 2013)

thumbnail said:


> Once I got them though it was a quite considerable difference in production levels.


Do you mean they produce more or less compared with "regular" flightless melanogaster?


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## thumbnail (Sep 18, 2005)

Aspidites:
I know Melano is improperly shortening Melanogaster just was figured everyone would be able to figure out what I meant by it. As for the larger species it was d. buzzati I believe I was looking for. I never did like raising hydei at all so melanogaster were what I stuck with. 

Zenmonkey: I meant production was higher then other forms. Worked great for keeping flies available for growing thumbnails.


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## radiata (Jul 24, 2010)

Nice try, but I don't think this poll was properly fashioned... I think you'd have done better asking "*Which FFs are you currently culturing?*" For example, I'm currently culturing four varieties (Hydei, Melanos, Buzzatis and Turkistan Gliders). It would involve some effort on your part --- collecting the names of *all* the currently available varieties, but I think the resulting data would be more correctly represent what you are looking to identify...


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## BlackFrogExotics (Jan 9, 2014)

Does anyone know the difference in curly wing melanos and turkish gliders.


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## Dendrobait (May 29, 2005)

radiata: I think that is a different question. I know many people culture multiple FF varieties. I was hoping to see which one people tend to use the most. I ignored buzzatti and the like as I have yet to know anyone who cultures them exclusively or even as the majority.

For me currently Turkish gliders have been the standby since I started the hobby. I recently got some wingless and honestly the production so far is pretty similar...the Turks probably produce more but with the amount of flies I need it is unimportant. I'm trying to decide if I want to keep both(risking mixing up cultures) or to drop one(Turks because wingless are smaller and better for baby thumbs? or wingless because Turks are sturdier and provide additional roughage?).


blackfrogexotics: I have never seen curly wings. Turkish gliders however look identical to flightless(or hell, wildtype) melanogaster. It must be something with their flight muscles that is screwed up. Curly wing gliders perhaps the actual wings are affected by the mutation.


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## eaglerock (May 30, 2013)

thumbnail said:


> The only thing that was a down side was the gliding capability, but honestly the frogs had no issues catching them. The only reason I call it a down side is when making new cultures or not sprinkling them out fast enough.


Yeah, uh, girlfriend was not such a fan of that


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