# My hydei mold problem solved



## pigface (Apr 28, 2006)

I think I finally got my hydei mold problem figured out . 
After trying everything I could think of or read about , different media , regular and then hydei formula ,then from different venders , adding some vinager for the mold , keeping them in the dark , then in the light , keeping the cultures cooler , then warmer , ect. ect . And what ever I tried , no matter what the culture would start to mold with in a week . By week two everything was dead and nothing but a mold culture !

The fix ?

All I had to do was , after the first week after making a culture is mist the culture with some water , once ! And since doing this they have all hatched out nicely . Even if there is a little mold starting the misting knocks it down and the hydei still grow . So far a few months without a dead culture , better than a week or two . 

But not too much moisture or you will have hydei soup ! The flys still grew but it was a mess to try to feed out of it .

Right now I'm just using regular melo media and get good a yield .


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## froglet (May 18, 2005)

all you had to do was PM me and i could have told you that :wink:


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## porkchop48 (May 16, 2006)

I am glad I read that.
Even with using methalyn para. I still get mold but only in my hydei cultures.


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## divingne1 (Mar 21, 2008)

This is probably a dumb question but what does the mold look like? Is it white stuff around the larvae shells? I see this on my cultures but not on the media or filler (excisler sp?). I assume it is mold. Also, what are the tiny white specks. They are smaller than the tiny maggot stage and do not move. I am going to give this spritzing thing a try and see if that reduces this white stuff. Thanks for posting your solution.

Candy


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## Anoleo2 (Feb 1, 2006)

Anybody here use apple cider vinegar? 

I do, and I've never had a single culture mold.


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## KeroKero (Jun 13, 2004)

You get mold in the cultures because the hydei have such a long life cycle it takes a long time for the larvae to develop to the point where they overturn the media and keep that from happening. Adding some melanogaster to the culture works too.


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## mongo77 (Apr 28, 2008)

Apple cider vinegar, i asked that question a while back. I've only been making cultures for two months with apple cider vinegar now but i haven't had a problem with mold yet. The only draw back with it is that it colors the media more and I have a harder time seeing the larva.


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## pigface (Apr 28, 2006)

> all you had to do was PM me and i could have told you that :wink:


I should have thought of that :roll: Next question you'll be the first to know !

I tried some vinegar too on top of media with mold preventative in it and without the extra misting they would still mold . 



> This is probably a dumb question but what does the mold look like? -Also, what are the tiny white specks. They are smaller than the tiny maggot stage


If you have mold you will know . On top of the media in some of mine the mold would be would be thick green , white or even black . Depending on how long I let them grow it would cover the whole surface of the culture . It was nasty . And the white spots , maybe you have mites ?

They take longer to get going but mine would mold in a week before , now I've had some still going strong after a month and a half and have to get rid of them because of the smell .


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## KeroKero (Jun 13, 2004)

Add a little more yeast to your cultures (one of the reasons it's added is so that it can outcompete the mold) and serious, add some melanogaster. Works wonders. There is only a certain level of mold inhibitors you should be using, and if it doesn't work you've got to try other things (or check your house - constantly molding cultures higher than normal can be a sign of high mold content in your house! but this is typically seen with melanos - hydei always have this issue a bit).


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## Jellyman (Mar 6, 2006)

I mix lemon juice with my water before hydrating the media and have no mold issues.


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