# Josh's Frogs D. Hydei fruit fly media



## Melophile (Aug 14, 2015)

I usually buy producing cultures from Josh's Frogs, but I figured I might try to save some money and produce my own cultures, so I've purchased a 3lb bag of d. hydei fruit fly media from Josh's Frogs. This is my first time ever trying to make my own fruit fly media, but after you mix the 1/2 cup of media with the 3/4 cup of boiling RO water, is the media supposed to be thick and clumpy? All the cultures I've previously purchased always have a watery consistency, where if you slightly tilt the container, the media will start sliding. However, with this new media, I can tilt the container all the way upside down and it won't budge. If I were to shake it while it were upside down to try to force the media to move, it would all come out at once, as one big ball of media. Consistency is like peanut butter.

Also, when I let the media cool, should I keep the lid on or off?


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## carola1155 (Sep 10, 2007)

When you buy producing cultures, the larvae have already gotten to work on the media and stirred it up and that is why it is a little more runny.

New cultures should have a thicker consistency (some say mashed potatoes, some say peanut butter... whatever). You should be able to turn it upside down without it falling out.

When you leave the media out to cool you should put the tops on. This will prevent contamination from any other flies you may have buzzing around the house.


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## Mavpa (Jan 5, 2015)

Melophile said:


> I usually buy producing cultures from Josh's Frogs, but I figured I might try to save some money and produce my own cultures, so I've purchased a 3lb bag of d. hydei fruit fly media from Josh's Frogs. This is my first time ever trying to make my own fruit fly media, but after you mix the 1/2 cup of media with the 3/4 cup of boiling RO water, is the media supposed to be thick and clumpy? All the cultures I've previously purchased always have a watery consistency, where if you slightly tilt the container, the media will start sliding. However, with this new media, I can tilt the container all the way upside down and it won't budge. If I were to shake it while it were upside down to try to force the media to move, it would all come out at once, as one big ball of media. Consistency is like peanut butter.
> 
> Also, when I let the media cool, should I keep the lid on or off?


If you think it's TOO clumpy, I've found adding 3/4 of the water up front, then the other 1/4 after you've done some mixing keeps things more consistent.


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## Shannon (Mar 10, 2015)

You can add more water if you need to but you described the right consistency to me. Also, I would put the lid on when you are allowing them to cool. This prevents winged fruit flies and houseflies from getting into the container and breeding. Believe me there is nothing grosser than finding houseflies propagating in your cultures!


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## Coqui (Jan 17, 2013)

Shannon, I totally agree with you, those house fly maggots are disgusting. 
Back to the media, in summer I tend to make my cultures a little bit firmer and the opposite in the winter. For me the media is like peanut butter in summer and applesauce in winter.


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