# Reusable FF Containers



## hypostatic (Apr 25, 2011)

So I really like reusing the containers that I got my first fruit flies in from the Fruit Fly company, and I really dislike the wide lips of deli cups. So after seeing this thread http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/food-feeding/70947-my-reusable-ff-jars.html , I decided to make some more reusable FF containers.

I planned on using micron air filters from Fungi Perfecti: micron air filters and some quart sized mason jars I got at my supermarket.
I didn't have patience for the filters to arrive so I improvised with some ribbon material I found lying around. Here are my results:

















The new hydei mason culture is on the left and the old FF Company on is on the right.

Up to now I've kept my cultures on paper towels soaked with the natural chemistry mite spray. The stuff just plain doesn't work for me. Someone suggested spaying the lids too to help kill the mites. A couple of hours later.... I found several mites crawling on the lid. The spray didn't phase them AT ALL...

SO with my new mason jar culture, I'm trying a "soap moat" method that I've read about. Although it may be hard to see, the bottom of my new culture is submerged in a bit of water (~1cm) that is in the plate it's on, with a drop of detergent to disrupt the surface tension of the water. _Supposedly_, the bastards are supposed to drown in the water. I'll keep this updated if I find out whether it works or not.


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## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

I use those canning jars with a coffee filter across the opening and the lid rim screwed on. Cleaning them out was a little gross the first time. Get a stiff brush thingy that you can jam down in there to scrape the inside clean. 

Never had mites until last week, when I made new cultures with purchased cultures that were in the standard plastic container and lid. I think the flies carried them over.


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## james67 (Jun 28, 2008)

ive used mason jars exclusively for 12 years, and coffee filters work well and are cheap. it also gives you a surface (thats disposable) to write culture dates.

cleaning them isnt pleasant but its usually not horrible either.
fill them with water to the lip, and let them sit for a few hours. 
now pour off the liquid leaving a little very soft media and excelsior (these can now be easily collected in a trash bag. 
rinse the jars out
your now left with a semi clean jar which has pupae casings stuck to the sides. 
put a small amount of water in the jar, and push your hand down into it ( a scrub brush is just some weak sauce ) making a fist, twist your hand and all the casings simply fall out.
rinse, and your done!

it takes me about 1 minutes to clean out 12 jars (aside from the soaking time, and i just wash my hands afterword. 

james


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## verybadcow (Aug 6, 2010)

I also use mason jars, its nice that they have that removable center top. However, I use a cut bedsheet instead of the coffee filters.
When I need to clean them out, I just take them outside and fill them with water and wait about 15min then dump them out into the trash. Turn on the hose with a powerful nozzle and they clean right out.


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## Brotherly Monkey (Jul 20, 2010)

I switched to plastic after a few weeks cleaning jars. If I was making more than 2 cultures a week I would probably switch back.


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## skylsdale (Sep 16, 2007)

As I live in a drier area, I use napkins instead of coffee filters to provide a little bit of a thicker barrier. Nice to write the dates on the top and use the spent napkins to wipe down the fronts of the vivariums when opening them up for feeding.


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## hypostatic (Apr 25, 2011)

you know, i'm not an eco freak or anything, but one of the things i like most about the jars are their reusability. i figured that with my frogs at least, i should use practice sustainability. especially since most rainforest animal species that are declining are due to unsustainable practices.

glad to see there are others that also reuse their containers =)


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## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

james67 said:


> ... put a small amount of water in the jar, and push your hand down into it ( a scrub brush is just some weak sauce ) making a fist, twist your hand and all the casings simply fall out.
> rinse, and your done!
> 
> it takes me about 1 minutes to clean out 12 jars (aside from the soaking time, and i just wash my hands afterword.
> ...


I don't know what kind of meat hands you have, but, my fist does not fill up the jar.


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## Ben Wehr (Jan 23, 2011)

A great reusable screening that I found is the plastic canvas from Joannes fabric shop if you have one near you. or you could go online. I've also started using the plastic canvas as a substrate screen over my hydroton. Another thing you can use those kinds of culture jars for is an auto feeder.

I use the larger hole plastic canvas cut in a circle to fit the mason jar or fruit fly company jar. I'll block it with coffee filter for about a week and a half to start off a good bit of production and then take it off when I put it in the viv. Moisture is the bigest killer of the auto feeder from then on.


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## pnwpdf (Nov 9, 2010)

I'm a skinny guy, and there is no way my hand will ever fit into a quart mason jar. I've got MAN hands! 

I just reuse all my fruit fly company jars, and a few mason jars. I just use a really big sponge to wash them out, after forking out the leftovers into the trash. To combat mites, I just put each new batch of flies on a new rack. No problem. If I ever have mites on any new cultures that I bring in, I just dump out all the flies into superfine calcium powder, shake, and put them in a new culture. Haven't had mite problems yet, and I tend to keep my cultures for waaaaaaaaaaay too long.


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## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

The other day I bought some of that plastic canvas stuff. I'm going to try it as filler, instead of excelsior (that drops bits into the feeding cup) or coffee filters (that turns to mush before the flies are done). 

I'm thinking it can be washed and reused after a good soak. I'll let you know how it goes 

eta: this stuff Darice Stiff Plastic Canvas 7 Count 12"X18" Clear 33106; 6 Items/Order


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## Ben Wehr (Jan 23, 2011)

frogface said:


> The other day I bought some of that plastic canvas stuff. I'm going to try it as filler, instead of excelsior (that drops bits into the feeding cup) or coffee filters (that turns to mush before the flies are done).
> 
> I'm thinking it can be washed and reused after a good soak. I'll let you know how it goes


I did the same thing. I found what works best is to use no less than 4 sheets about the width and height of the container. it is reusable but I never felt like cleaning them so I tossed out my old ones and am going back and forthe with coffee filters and canvas seeing which is best or I like best.


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## davecalk (Dec 17, 2008)

pnwpdf said:


> I'm a skinny guy, and there is no way my hand will ever fit into a quart mason jar. I've got MAN hands!
> 
> I just reuse all my fruit fly company jars, and a few mason jars. I just use a really big sponge to wash them out, after forking out the leftovers into the trash. To combat mites, I just put each new batch of flies on a new rack. No problem. If I ever have mites on any new cultures that I bring in, I just dump out all the flies into superfine calcium powder, shake, and put them in a new culture. Haven't had mite problems yet, and I tend to keep my cultures for waaaaaaaaaaay too long.


I've used the same mason canning jars for close to 20 years. Paper towel cut into quarter sheets for the Lids.

Cleaning is just a soak over night. Then I will grab the spanish moss with a tongs and scrub the casings off of the side wall and bottom. Then I dump everything into the sink which has a little basket strainer to keep the gunk from clogging the drain. Then I use a baby bottle brush for the final scrub before washing them in the dishwasher. The gunk in the basket is dumped into the garbage.

Extremely Fast and easy.


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## spoggy (Aug 10, 2011)

davecalk said:


> I've used the same mason canning jars for close to 20 years. Paper towel cut into quarter sheets for the Lids.
> 
> Cleaning is just a soak over night. Then I will grab the spanish moss with a tongs and scrub the casings off of the side wall and bottom. Then I dump everything into the sink which has a little basket strainer to keep the gunk from clogging the drain. Then I use a baby bottle brush for the final scrub before washing them in the dishwasher. The gunk in the basket is dumped into the garbage.
> 
> Extremely Fast and easy.


I have a similar system that I've used for over 20 years of killie keeping. I use 12 oz. glass sample jars with foam plugs instead of lids. I never have more than 1/2" of culture medium in the bottom (Gerber's mixed grain baby cereal and RO water, NOTHING ELSE). I slide a plastic mesh bottle neck protector in for the larva to pupate on, inoculate with adult ff's, and it's off to the races. I run 7 active cultures and create a new culture every 3 days. I use the oldest culture for 3 days, then dump the gunk into the garbage disposal, scrape and rinse the plastic mesh, rinse the foam stopper in hot water with a touch of bleach and run the bottle through the dishwasher.

One twelve ounce culture will provide enough supplemental feed for over 50 fish, ranging in size from 1.5" to over 6" for three days.

I've tried several different mutations of ff's during this time (wingless, vestigial, fully winged but unable to fly, red eyes, no eyes, etc) in both melanogaster and hydei, and have been very successful. YMMV 

Steve


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