# Fruit Fly Mixture???? Helppppppp



## froglet (May 18, 2005)

I have tried to make my own fruitfly mix.....im new at this and i keep on getting mold in my mixture within two days of making it. I dont feel like ordering since it gets expensive. Could anyone help or give advice on a mixture that actually works. Thank you all


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## amphibianfreak (Jul 21, 2004)

Try replacing half of the water with vineger


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## Spar (Mar 27, 2004)

add a mold inhibitor to the mix - better known as Methyl Paraben.

altneratively and cheaper, start mixing vinegar in place of water. I do a 50/50 water/vinegar mix and never get mold.


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## devin mac (Oct 4, 2004)

just to enforce what's already been said, mix a good glug of vinegar into the mix when you make a culture (a "glug" is a very precise measurement that describes the sound a liquid makes when it leaves a gallon jug. ;-) ). been doing that for a long while, and no mold. not once.

<--- knocking on wood right now.


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## kleinhanz (Oct 18, 2004)

I use apple cider vinegar, what kind do you use????


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## dmatychuk (Apr 20, 2005)

I haven't used mold inhibitor or vinegar in six years. I make sure to put in a good amount of flies when I start a culture so that they take care of any mold problem. Two other factors I find have an impact on mold is temperature, you don't want it too hot and this lowers productivity, and Humidity, if it is too humid you not only can get mold but worse you can get what I refer to as worm rot. Some froggers don't know they are getting worm rot but just look at their culture and wonder why they are not getting better production. This sometimes can be contributed to, too much humidity. I just switched over to "Eds fly Meats" round sponges for vent circulation because I liked the idea they have but, it kept too much moisture in for how I was spraying my cultures and I wiped out a set of cultures. Now I don't spray at all for the entire life of the culture and I get very aggressive cultures, where the top 1/4 inch of the media is just filled with worm activity all the way till the media is gone. Mold doesn't have a chance to develop in this kind of environment because the surface is constantly being turned over and eaten.

Lastly as an after though you may be adding too much yeast. Good cultures are an art form more than just a mixture. Vinegar and mold inhibitors help but this can be an indication that some other factor of your culture is not right and the end result is you are getting flies but not nearly at the productivity level they should be at.


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## froglet (May 18, 2005)

is it possible that the mold is growing due to the fact that the cultures are in the dark. I keep them undeneath my tank stand, inside it.


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## Spar (Mar 27, 2004)

could be lack of air-flow. can you add a computer fan to the sides or anywhere to draw fresh air into the stand?

i keep my cultures in the dark for the first couple weeks (hydei) and days (M.), so doubt that is it.


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## froglet (May 18, 2005)

i guess ill have to try something. right now i just ordered more fruitflies and am gonna get rid of all of these are soon as they come. I think the fungus might be going from culture to culture in the flies legs or something. I will try a new batch and maybe make a few different mixes...lets see how that works.


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## Spar (Mar 27, 2004)

did you already try the Vinegar and the mold still happen?


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## froglet (May 18, 2005)

Ok so its been a week and change......And i had to trow away all my fruit flies. I took the advice from many of you. 

I added more Vinegar 50/50 
I also ground up the mix to make less room for small chunks.
I got new cultures as the old ones were contaminated. 
I also let me mixture cool off and made sure no moisture was in it before adding the new FF's. 
Should i stop using bananas all together ?????? 

Today i wake up to 4 new cultures, all of them done at the same time. This time it took a bit longer to see mold but after 1 week im starting to see small green mold. All this changing and nothing im still getting mold. 

If anyone has a step by step recipe that work for them feel free to shout it out. Do i have to start buying that dam Methyl paraben. Im trying to keep it as cost effective as possible. Ohhh why ohhhh why did the pet store that sold micro crickets have to close down...............


Any proven mixes would help 

Thanks all


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## Spar (Mar 27, 2004)

8 Cups Potatoe Flake
1 Cup Powdered Sugar
1/2 Cup Brewers Yeast

Use 1/3 cup of the above mix with 1/4 cup warm water & 1/4 cup vinegar.
Sprinkle a little bakers yeast on top (just a pinch)
Add your surface area increaser (coffee filters or excelsior, etc)
Let cool
Add Flies
Enjoy the success 

I will add that I have had trouble getting Hydei to do well lately, but my Melanogasters boom quickly.


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## Guest (Jun 9, 2005)

Use 11/2 cup of vinegar to a quart of water should do the trick,Also using to much yeast is not good.Ease up a little.Petiolarissean :idea:


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## JoshKaptur (Feb 17, 2004)

Use melanogaster flies as well, if you are using hydei.

Do you have mold problems in your house/basement in general?

I use...

8 parts potato flakes
4 parts brewers yeast
1 part regular sugar
50/50 water/vinegar until it is about wendy's frosty consistency
1-2 drops of honey on top (helps with smell ime)
A very small pinch of bakers yeast on top (I would guess about 30 grains)

If you are having mold problems, try microwaving the entire mix for a few minutes first (really cook it). You will need to let it cool before adding the bakers yeast, but the boiling should help.

hth,
Josh


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## Spar (Mar 27, 2004)

sure you need that much brewers yeast? most recipes I have seen have been in the 1/8-1/16 parts compared to a part of potatoe flakes. too much could just be inefficient. cause sterileness even?


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