# fruit fly culture not producing



## Goji (Oct 14, 2010)

I really need advice. i just bought a fresh culture a week ago. When I received it they seem to be producing fast but then all of a sudden it stopped. I really don't know what to do.


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## Freeradical53 (Jan 25, 2008)

Did you start a new culture with the first one? After a couple of weeks one culture may be done. I only have a few frogs that eat them, but I have five cultures going and make a new one every week. Most of the sponsors on this site sell FF culturing kits that come with all you need to make your own.


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## zBrinks (Jul 16, 2006)

This time of year is pretty bad for FF cultures. I'd check and see if the top layer of media is moist. Many times, the cultures dry out, and a thin skin forms on the surface of the media, killing off the maggots. You can add a little bit of water to the culture if this is the case.


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## Arwen (Dec 14, 2010)

As said above, too dry has been a problem for me. I've taken to misting the top of the culture if it looks dry, and this helps a lot. 

Also, I see a HUGE increase in production if I run the space heater in the bathroom with the fruit flies for 10 minutes each day. If it's too cold in the house, they breed much slower. Once I discovered that, my cultures took off and now I have WAY too many!


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## nurse3766 (Apr 8, 2010)

i have a space heater in the closet i try to keep cultures at 80 anything over 85 and ff become sterile.

if i get to lower than 75 production almost stops

so 77-80 degrees also be sure cultures are on mite paper


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## nurse3766 (Apr 8, 2010)

also i started mine with the kit sold at joshs frogs

its nice kit with everything u need

also im making about 6 cultures a week. i have 6 frogs atm. they dont ever eat all those bugs its just that id rather have too many.

i have 6 cultures i thought were done. i left them sitting in the bug closet and now they are having another boom.

be sure when u start new cultures u wait 12-14 days because apparently the 1st flys to hatch are all the same sex. obviously if u start a culture with 1 sex fly you get no production.


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## packer43064 (Nov 30, 2010)

nurse3766 said:


> also i started mine with the kit sold at joshs frogs
> 
> its nice kit with everything u need
> 
> ...


The last part in your post only applies to Hydei. Mels aren't like this.


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## Allyn Loring (Sep 30, 2008)

Also if the flies are not fed out fast enough the ammonia from the flies waste spikes causing failure !


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## Goji (Oct 14, 2010)

Thank you all for all you input it has helped me alot. I can't believe how minor changes can impact the culture so quickly. Yesterday I had maybe three or four fly, so I added little water and placed a themipaq inside styrofoam insulated box and when I got home today.....surprise....surprise. Needless to say my babies were so exited they were hopping all over the tank.
I have not tried to start my own cultures because I only have 2 frogs and up until now one culture alway lasted a while, but I think I will try and see how it goes. The though of bunch of bugs in my house makes me really nervous. Between flightless and the wingless which ones are easier to culture? I also tried to feed them crickets but that didn't work out so well....it was really funny to watch....poor little guy tried so hard.


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## packer43064 (Nov 30, 2010)

Goji said:


> Thank you all for all you input it has helped me alot. I can't believe how minor changes can impact the culture so quickly. Yesterday I had maybe three or four fly, so I added little water and placed a themipaq inside styrofoam insulated box and when I got home today.....surprise....surprise. Needless to say my babies were so exited they were hopping all over the tank.
> I have not tried to start my own cultures because I only have 2 frogs and up until now one culture alway lasted a while, but I think I will try and see how it goes. The though of bunch of bugs in my house makes me really nervous. Between flightless and the wingless which ones are easier to culture? I also tried to feed them crickets but that didn't work out so well....it was really funny to watch....poor little guy tried so hard.


Awesome. Even the littliest changes can be huge.

Pertaining to your question, wingless or flightless are cultured the same way. Flightless produce ALOT faster than wingless though. Just remember that flightless still hop a bit, so putting them in the fridge for 5 minutes or so will slow them down and much easier to make new cultures.


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## Goji (Oct 14, 2010)

Oh that's good to know. I think I'll try one of each and see what happens. I'm sure the frogs are going to enjoy ether way. Thanks again for all the advice.


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