# How do I get FF's from Culture to Cage?



## Blaise and Echo (Jul 2, 2009)

I have searched all over, and all of the methods I have gotten have failed. I keep ending up with more FF's out side than inside the cage. And as someone else said on this site "Hydei are a bad choice, since they sit in the open and mock you." Unfortunately, it is only a matter of time before my mom notices FF's on the walls. I have tried putting them in the fridge for 5 minutes, but I am afraid any longer might kill them. I have put them straight into the enclosure, but too many get in. It seems cultures from Josh's Frogs produce TOO well. So my question is this:

How the hell do I get FF's to the enclosure without a bunch getting loose? Any methods are appreciated! Please?

Sincerely,

Jim


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## chadfarmer (Nov 2, 2008)

my method is to knock all the flys to the bottom of the container first and than just tap them in (you might have to tilt the container) if you get to many come up just knock them back down


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## Thinair (Aug 27, 2005)

I use (and I think most people do) a second container. Sometimes I add whatever I'm dusting with (supplementing) in the feeding cup first, then tilt the lid off a bit of the fly culture cup and tap a bunch into the second. You can quickly swirl the flies in the supplement and that will stop them from moving as quickly. Then, with some careful tapping, you can knock flies into your tank without dumping in most of the dust from your feeding container.

Good luck!


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## smitty (Jul 23, 2009)

try taking a deli cup lid and put a peice of bannanna on it theyll stay on the bannanna well some anyway it helps also try a sqaure clear container larger then the deli cup putvits in put deli cup in open lid a crack and tap !!!genntly melongstars are not as likely to escape!!!


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## ChrisK (Oct 28, 2008)

YouTube - Feeding Poisonous Dart Frogs : How Much To Feed Your Poisonous Dart Frog


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## james67 (Jun 28, 2008)

get 2 glad sandwich containers put calcium in one (not much!!! a little goes a long way) and multivitamin in the other. now give your cultures, a good tap in the rim, with an open palm. this will make all the flies fall to the bottom.open the comtainer and tip it over the sandwich container. cover the culture quickly. the flies cant climb the clean glad container, so you have plenty of time. swirl the flies and powder, then tap the glad container so that the flies, which are bigger float to the surface. i like to do this by tilting the container first, so tha the powder, an flies are in a corner. then with all the flies on top, simply tip the container until just before 90 degrees, and by gently tapping the container, they will fall into the viv.

james


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## pl259 (Feb 27, 2006)

FFs must be dusted with vits and calcium. Alone they do not provide enough nutrients to keep frogs healthy. Oz told me once that FFs are really just a vehicle for suppliments.

I use another 32oz deli container and a large funnel with the bottom stem cut off. Before doing anything with FFs, I rub the inside of the container and funnel with vit powder. This makes it hard for the FFs to crawl out. Set the funnel in the container, and drop in some vits, calcium, and/or whatever you're supplimenting with for that feeding.

Now it's just a matter of creative tapping on the FF culture to get them to drop into the funnel, then container. Takes a little practice but you'll figure out a method that works. After this, just swirl the FFs in the suppliments so they get covered and start feeding.


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## yumpster (May 22, 2009)

All the above advice will work great. I have to ask one thing though...are you preparing the fruit flies outside? Even the best of us can't keep some from falling on the ground. Once you take care of them outside, you shouldn't spill any inside...


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## james67 (Jun 28, 2008)

if you cant handle some escapees then i dont know if this is the right hobby, the staple food is FFs and some WILL get out. i let some fall on the racks/ floor/ etc during feeding and id rather have flies on the floor than risk getting too many in a viv, and annoying the frogs, so its pretty common. they are never noticeable, (unlike fliers) and it really isnt a big issue, but i understand that a parent/ spouse, may be afraid of escaping flies. once you get that hang of it you shouldn't loose too many.

also i know others have mentioned it but supplementation is 100% necessary. and your frogs will NOT survive from feeding straight from the cultures for prolonged periods of time.

james


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## McBobs (Apr 26, 2007)

I recommend getting a funnel used for canning vegetables and fruits. They have a wide opening and make dumping flies a ton easier. 

-Matt


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## Philsuma (Jul 18, 2006)

james67 said:


> if you cant handle some escapees then i dont know if this is the right hobby, the staple food is FFs and some WILL get out. i let some fall on the racks/ floor/ etc during feeding and id rather have flies on the floor than risk getting too many in a viv, and annoying the frogs, so its pretty common. they are never noticeable, (unlike fliers) and it really isnt a big issue, but i understand that a parent/ spouse, may be afraid of escaping flies. once you get that hang of it you shouldn't loose too many.
> 
> also i know others have mentioned it but supplementation is 100% necessary. and your frogs will NOT survive from feeding straight from the cultures for prolonged periods of time.
> 
> james


That statement is so well said....I'd give you pos rep if I didn't already recently.

FF culturing, dusting and feeding out is only a matter of practice. It will not take too long before you get very proficient at all three.

I was showing a local new hobbyist all of those issues the other day when he was visiting and demonstrated how easy it was for me to tap a single melanogaster from the feed cup to land right in front of a Leucs head - from a height of about 2 feet !

Escapes will happen but they too will soon cease to be a big deal after time.


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## Blaise and Echo (Jul 2, 2009)

Just to clarify some things about myself. First off, I don't have frogs right now. I have geckos. But my newest geckos are so small that I had to get FF's to feed them. This site has much better info on FF's that any other site I have found. Second, I do dust them, but usually every other day. Third, I do plan to get frogs eventually, the fact is that I don't have the budget at this time.


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## Blaise and Echo (Jul 2, 2009)

Wow... I sound really defensive... Sorry about that.


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## Dragonfly (Dec 5, 2007)

Another thing is to make sure you are getting the ffs into the container close to the habitat. Adding fewer flies than needed is also a good idea...it helps prevent the escapees from the habitat. Also if you don't have a good screen on the habitat that will catch them, your gecko habitat may be more likely to have ff escapee locations than a frog viv. 


Oh, and what geckos...


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## georgiekittie (Jan 27, 2009)

I also use a combination of the above methods.

I use mason jars to culture my fruit flies, a red dixie cup as a dusting cup, and a plastic funnel bought new from an auto parts store. Before opening the culture I always tap the lids and the side- rather hard, since mine are glass- to knock down any climbing flies.

I think the use of the funnel and the extra "dusting cup" (even if you don't dust) makes this a less messy process. Also, I've noticed that if I leave about an inch or two of space between the excelsior and the lid of my culture I have an easier time. I do this all inside with only one or two escapees that are easy to squash.

Good luck!


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## Erikb3113 (Oct 1, 2008)

I look at escapees as adventurers. Hydei travel.....it's great. I will be eating dinner on the couch, and I'll see one lone hydei trying to get to my fruit. It's the Bear Grylls of fruit flies. After a long journey from the tank or the laundry room, I'm sure he's starving. I let em have a little piece, then send him on his way. I had one hanging out in my bathroom for a few days too. He was my bathroom buddy. They dont bother me, I dont bother them. My girl does not care for them too much, but she's not stressed about it. A worth while trade for keeping such a beautiful and exotic animal if you ask me.


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## Philsuma (Jul 18, 2006)

Erikb3113 said:


> I look at escapees as adventurers. Hydei travel.....it's great. I will be eating dinner on the couch, and I'll see one lone hydei trying to get to my fruit. It's the Bear Grylls of fruit flies. .


That was hilarious. Share a little OJ with them in the morning as well.

Occasionally one will go "down the hatch".....no biggie. I barely notice em now


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## frogfreak (Mar 4, 2009)

I think of them as a positive. Now the kids finish their juice before they leave the table


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## Erikb3113 (Oct 1, 2008)

I totaly watched my girl drink one the other day. I figured it would cause more problem if she knew than if she didn't so I said nothing. Is that wrong?


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## boogsawaste (Jun 28, 2008)

Erikb3113 said:


> I totaly watched my girl drink one the other day. I figured it would cause more problem if she knew than if she didn't so I said nothing. Is that wrong?


I actually laughed out loud from that one!


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## frogfreak (Mar 4, 2009)

Erikb3113 said:


> I totaly watched my girl drink one the other day. I figured it would cause more problem if she knew than if she didn't so I said nothing. Is that wrong?


*NO* The extra protein is good for her! Just lending her a helping hand


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## divingne1 (Mar 21, 2008)

My ff don't make it out of the frog room for the spiders waiting for them. If one actually does escape the room, there is a spider awaiting its arrival in the bathroom.


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