# Cheescloth in Fruit Fly Cultures, UPDATE ON PAGE 2



## Guest (Apr 21, 2006)

Has anyone ever used cheese cloth in fruitfly cultures instead of aspen shavings or coffee filters? I just put some in my culture cups and they seem to be ok. Was wondering if they rot or just arent any good for anyother reason.
Thanks


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## bluedart (Sep 5, 2005)

O.O Why cheesecloth?


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## Guest (Apr 21, 2006)

its what I had available, why not?


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## zaroba (Apr 8, 2006)

considering most cheese cloth i've seen is plastic, i'd expect a paper coffee filter to rot long before a plastic cheese cloth


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## Guest (Apr 21, 2006)

Its plastic! I don't think so. Well at least it doesn't look like plastic.


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## Guest (Apr 21, 2006)

No, no the one I used is 100% cotton. I just checked one of the packages.


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## Guest (May 3, 2006)

I use excelsior (sp?) from the silk plant dept at my local nursery. Works great and does not seem to decay at all. Coffee filters end up mush at the bottom of my cultures.


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## Guest (May 3, 2006)

Is that wood shavings?


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## defaced (May 23, 2005)

Yes


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## Guest (May 3, 2006)

Thanks!


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## Guest (May 3, 2006)

http://www.fourseasonsflowers.com/excelsior.htm

This is just the first website that had some good pics. But if you wanted festive fly cultures you now know where to go.


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## Grassypeak (Jun 14, 2005)

Excelsior has its problems too. In my hands it gets all over the place. I just used up the last of mine so it’s time to find something else. I was thinking about some sort of mesh packing material. Like the foamy stuff that the put on fancy fruit. Maybe I’ll see what Carolina has these days.


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## defaced (May 23, 2005)

I reuse my containers (mason jars), and cleaning cultures with excelsior is beyond hard. Not to mention, I have to make the cultures outside or have a vacuum handy. I just coffee filters, about half a stack per culture. It's not broke for me so I don't fix it. But for someone using 32oz containers, I could see how them falling out would be a problem because of the sloped sides of the contianer. I hate feeding out of plastic containers for that single reason.


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## Guest (May 3, 2006)

The worst thing is the plastic easter basket fluff. I bought a bunch of it on clearence after easter a few years back as a cheap substitute for excelsior. It is impossible to dump the flies and it gets everywhere.


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## Guest (May 3, 2006)

ha! That festive excelsior is cool. I was using excelsior too, I just didnt know it was called excelsior. I bought it under the name of wood shavings. Anyway, that stuff always gets in my vivs when Im dumping in the flies. I ran out of it too, so thats why I tried to use cheescloth. Well the cheescloth isn't such a good idea. The cheescloth collapses into the mix, and suddenly the desired effect of the cheescloth is nullified. So back to the excelsior I go.


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## Guest (May 3, 2006)

I've seen that some people take #7 Craft mesh and make an open-ended box out of it. I think they had good results...


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## dragonfrog (Feb 16, 2006)

You might try body sponges. Those things you take with you into the shower. Not the fine ones but the coarse ones. You can get them at Walmart. And they are re-useable. Also the sponges you can put the bar of soap inside of.


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## dragonfrog (Feb 16, 2006)

Even with the above suggestion, I still use coffee filters most of the time. One thing that I have found helps to keep them from colapsing is to make sure that you use four layers and do not let the entire set of filters rest completely in the media, try to leave an edge entirely out of the media. It will stay dryer longer that way.


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## dragonfrog (Feb 16, 2006)

I have also tried the #7 mesh idea and I don't think I get half as many flies as I do with coffee filters.


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## Guest (Jun 15, 2006)

Well, the culture I made with lots and lots of cheescloth, I got excellent production of flies. Its still going, but its finally dieing down. I believe the cheescloth conserved the moisture longer than vermiculite, and didnt break down like coffee filters do for me. Plus for about three weeks I was feeding 60+ flies every other day to my bombinas and another 20+ to my green tree frog, as well as 30+ to my pampas toads.
It was my best production in the year that I have been culturing flies.


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## Darryl (Dec 2, 2005)

Yep Been there and tried Cheese cloth, first off all, it is not rigid and does not hold any shape and slowly gets worked into the medium by the maggots.
Secondly, as it is 100% and assorbs liqueds easily,Im found that it makes the smell rather badly....

If I am in a real pinch I use the cardboard tube from toilet rolls. :wink:


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## Guest (Jun 16, 2006)

Now thats not a bad idea. How does that stand up?


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## Darryl (Dec 2, 2005)

The cardboard stands up fairly well if the medium is not a very one, They are free and easy to get hold off. :wink:


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## dragonfrog (Feb 16, 2006)

Wow, you guys have free toilette paper in London? :lol:


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## WntrMute2 (Mar 3, 2005)

My production is highest when I use filter floss from the aquarium store for Hydei and parchment paper. scrunched up, for melanogaster. Clean, cheap, available almost every where and effective.


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## Darryl (Dec 2, 2005)

WntrMute2, do you mean the white or cream filter matting?
that is a idea to try out, thanks.


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## WntrMute2 (Mar 3, 2005)

The best stuff is the white coarse stuff for wet/dry filters. It comes in a roll that does a hundred or so cultures. Cost $20.00 or so but takes some searching to find. Big marine stores are your best bet. Second best for me is the white stuff in a bag that every fish store carries. Just pull out a handfuf and loosen it up with your fingers. Don't pack it in there tightly. Both types work but the coarser the better I think.


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## Guest (Jun 18, 2006)

I'm having a hard time figuring out what product you guys are talking about. Can you help me out and help me find a pic of it on the net?


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## wax32 (May 9, 2006)

Something on this page maybe?

http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium_fil ... sp?CartId=

If I had to guess, I'd say:

http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem. ... uct=RB7313

I have a small piece of that kind of stuff handy and I just now put it in a culture, I'll see how it does. =)


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## Guest (Jun 18, 2006)

Thanks,
Stretching that stuff gives enough air space for flies and maggots?
I know where I can get that!!!


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## wax32 (May 9, 2006)

Seems like it, I will take a photo and show ya.


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## Guest (Jun 19, 2006)

Exxxxxcellent 8)


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## WntrMute2 (Mar 3, 2005)

Actually, the stuff I use is coarser than that. It doesn't seem to collapse under its own weight when soaked. I've also used the bulk filter floss, but that blue/white material looks like its working OK.


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## wax32 (May 9, 2006)

What would it get soaked with? I am still pretty new to the whole culturing thing. =)


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