# Non-plastic alternative for flycups?



## Afemoralis (Mar 17, 2005)

Hi folks,

I'm feeling guilty about using plastic containers for my fly cultures.

I don't want to deal with cleaning traditional glass bottles, so I was wondering- is there another option for disposable fly cultures? 

What do you use? How does it work out?

Cheers,

Afemoralis


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## Julio (Oct 8, 2007)

I have used both plastic containers and mason jars, mason jars are great but they are expensive when you make a ton of cultures, so i just stick with plastic.


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## nelcadiz (Jun 27, 2007)

I have used cristal bottle and work fine, but the plastic is better (if the bottle falls.. :? ), I think that the plastic is the best material, flexible and hardy in the same time.


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## defaced (May 23, 2005)

What about using plastic are you feeling guilty about?


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## Afemoralis (Mar 17, 2005)

Well, I toss the cups once the culture is done.

So I go through a lot of plastic (and oil, and energy, and money, and noxious output, and the politicians associated with these things).

So I was hoping someone had a non-plastic, disposable option for cultures.

Does anyone use paper (though paper has it's own issues...)?

Cheers,

Afemoralis


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## FrogOly (Oct 5, 2007)

Why don't you reuse your cups? Is there a reason not to recycle them?


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## flyangler18 (Oct 26, 2007)

Are you using the 'throw away' cups from Superior or the heavier ones from Ed's? 

I reuse the 'throw aways' - a good scrubbing and I use them over and over. If a culture gets black mold or mites, it gets permanently tossed.


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## Dangerously (Dec 19, 2007)

I just wash and re-use mine as well. You could always throw them in a plastic recycle bin, too.


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## Elphaba (Aug 26, 2007)

I reuse mine (mine are mostly from Ed, though I do have some from Josh now) by just washing them with good ole hot water and soap. I use a bamboo skewer to pry out all the old media gunk and excelsior into a waiting trashbag, and after that I implement a scrub brush in getting all the crusty stuff off the sides of the cup and lid. I just send it down the kitchen sink to the disposal, and after that I pour a little bleach down the pipe -- never had a problem.

For cultures that have had mites (I just had this problem recently with a couple of hydei, which was really aggravating as they'd been doing great), I leave them soaking in a bleach solution for a while after the first scrubbing, and I proceed to rewash them several, several times before using them again. 

All the best,
Ash


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## kyle1745 (Feb 15, 2004)

For a small collection I think mason jars are great. I used them for a long time until they started to take way too long to wash.


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## jtrasap (Sep 19, 2007)

*Mason jars*

I'll second that Kyle. I am fairly new to the hobby and have a smallish collection (about 30 frogs). Mason jars have been working very well for me. We live in my grandparents old farmhouse and I was left with a large pile of mason jars. If I had to guess I probably have 2-3 hundred jars stacked up in boxes in the corner of my basement. So far I don't really need a whole lot of cultures and cleaning hasn't become much of a chore. I just wash them and re-use them as the cultures die out.


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## evolvstll (Feb 17, 2007)

I know what you are saying about the plastic. Washing them out is usually more work than it is worth. I am not being environmentally friendly. I buy the 32 oz cups and lids at smart and final. The foam plugs from eds get washed and reused. I found that 32 oz styrofoam containers with lids from smart and final work for mel's, not so well for the hydei. I am thinking that the styrofoam is less environmentally friendly than the plastic, unless both are going to a landfill. Paper would not work......take a cup from a fast food place and they bleed through in no time at all. For washing though I have found that the mason jars tend to clean easier than the plastic. An expensive initial investment, the warehouse stores sell them by the case though.


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## jtrasap (Sep 19, 2007)

*Mason jars*

If you are located anywhere near me you can come pick up some mason jars for free. Or I could ship you some if you pay for shipping. May be more than the jars though. I don't know I've never shopped for them.


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## bbrock (May 20, 2004)

I have always used 1/2 pint glass ff culture vials which can be purchased at Carolina Biological. For small collections, I think these are idea and will never mess with those clunky quart sized containers. They are easy to clean with a bottle brush too. I make up 6 cultures of these bottles (3 hydei, and 3 melangastor) each week which takes about 10 minutes and I have more than plenty of food for my collection of 8 vivs.

For large collections, the small vials don't make much sense as you have to make up more cultures. But if you only have a dozen or less vivaria to feed, I recommend them.


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## carola1155 (Sep 10, 2007)

sorry... but i just needed to comment on how awesome i think it is that bbrock used a spice rack cabinet for fruit fly cultures... haha


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## bbrock (May 20, 2004)

Actually, that's a custom cabinet I made but same idea.


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## carola1155 (Sep 10, 2007)

oh, well then.. fooled me! got some nice carpentry skills there

anyway... on to the real topic... has anyone washed the black jungle containers? (i dont know if they are different from any of the others or not) wouldnt the papery thing on the lid start to break down?


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