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Best way to feed out Fruit Flies ?
#1
I’ve been feeding pinheads to my little guys, but was thinking of switching to ff’s. For the pinheads, I use the feeder tube from my cricket keeper to transfer them to the vivarium. But, not sure how to transfer ff’s from their culture to the viv. What’s the best way to do this without ff’s making a break for it?
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#2
Hi Rodney.
Placing the fruit flys in the fridge for 4 or 5 minutes will slow them, giving you enough time to get them in the vivarium. Don't forget to dust the flys with a good vitamin and calcium supplement, we recommend Rep-Cal and Herptivit.
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#3
Thanks! Big Grin I already use Rep-cal on the pinheads.
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#4
Rodney,

Blackjungle has a video on this that helped me to figure this out.
http://www.expertvillage.com/video/1491 ... nsects.htm

I use a 32 oz empty plastic culture container w/ lid and a large plastic funnel.

1) place flys in fridge.
2) get out the feeding tools & spray down the inside of the viv with stale water.
3) put a pinch or two of vitamin or mineral supplement in the empty 32 oz container.
4) get the flys out of the fridge, shake them down. take off the lid. grab the funnel while tapping the flys out of the culture shake the & tap the funnel AND the feeding container constantly. once you get some dust on them they don't climb as fast.
5)Quickly put the lids on both containers, Be Careful, if you knock either container over you'll have a problem.

Stay focused, if you get distracted & forget the flys in the fridge you'll have an even bigger problem and some really hungry frogs the next day!!
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#5
Here's what I do:

I have an empty 32oz cup and another where I mix all my dusting powder. I put some of the powder on the empty cup and start opening FF cups. Before opening I hit the cups against the floor so all the flies fall to the bottom.

Once lid is removed I put the ff cups at a 45° angle (more less) and tap with a piece of wood against the side of the cup and all the ff fall right into the cup with the powder. I continue doing this until I have enough ff to feed all the frogs.

I shake the ff with the powder and then use a strainer (kitchen one) and remove extra powder from the flies over the cup containing all the powder.

I then open vivs and start dumping some flies straight from the strainer to the frogs.
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#6
Most of these methods are going to allow some FF's to escape.My method you will have no escapes or very little. First get a cup and place it in a ziplock freezer bag. Poke a hole in the bottom of the bag so you can pull the cup out from the inside. It will basically look like a cup with a bag for a lid. This will allow you to shake ff container and not have to worry about putting your flies in the freezer. Even if you did put in freezer by the time you feed your frogs the fly's will have already acclimated to the outside temp. The bag is acting like a funnel and if you need to go somewhere for a sec and have to leave flies un attended, just zip the bag closed! Quick and easy!
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#7
Don't be afraid to swirl the dusting cup (or similar device) vigorously in order to fully and completely coat the flies. The FF are stronger than they look, and will def hold up to a powerful swirling effort to get them all fully dusted.

The swirling and coating will also disorient the flies and coupled with the coated powder, will be unable to climb the sides of the dusting cup - I use a clean 32 oz deli cup as my "dusting cup", exactly like the ones used for culturing FF.

http://www.ehow.com/video_4439488_dusti ... frogs.html
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"Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana".
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#8
Pretty much the same thing I do. 32oz cup add supplements, add as many FF as need,give it a good swirl and add to vivs
Dendrobates, Phyllobates, Rantiomeya, Epipedobates
Don
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#9
Philsuma Wrote:Don't be afraid to swirl the dusting cup (or similar device) vigorously in order to fully and completely coat the flies. The FF are stronger than they look, and will def hold up to a powerful swirling effort to get them all fully dusted.

The swirling and coating will also disorient the flies and coupled with the coated powder, will be unable to climb the sides of the dusting cup - I use a clean 32 oz deli cup as my "dusting cup", exactly like the ones used for culturing FF.

http://www.ehow.com/video_4439488_dusti ... frogs.html

That is a very good point. I remember when my wife and I first started keeping dart frogs and she seen me swirling the cup and told me that I was gonna kill the flies. I said no I'm not, the frogs will I'm just making sure they have enough powder on em before they die.
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#10
I use a very small rubbermaid food container with vitamin powder in it.
A funnel and do it out side on the deck.
Constantly tapping culture and food container.
I usualy have a couple escape.

Cover culture and food container.

Dust in the food container and swirl flys around.

Take food container to vivs and dump them in.



Sent from taptalk Sprint Evo
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