Dart Den
Serving the Dart Frog Community Since 2004...
Dart Den

Serving the Dart Frog Community Since 2004...

Poll - Excelsior, Coffee Filter ect for Fruit Fly Culturing
Poll: What do you put in your Fruit Fly Cultures ?
You do not have permission to vote in this poll.
Nothing
0%
0 0%
Excelsior
67.31%
35 67.31%
Coffee Filter
21.15%
11 21.15%
Other (Please post description in the thread)
11.54%
6 11.54%
Total 52 vote(s) 100%
* You voted for this item. [Show Results]

Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Poll - Excelsior, Coffee Filter ect for Fruit Fly Culturing
#21
interesting. I think I'm going to try the dual Filter / Excel method. possibly even today.

Please descibe in detail, the placement ect, of the coffee filter. Is it one filter or 2 or more ?
https://www.facebook.com/dartden/

https://twitter.com/DartDen


"Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana".
Reply
#22
Since I was making cultures today I thought a few images would be easier than describing. I place a loosely packed wad of excelsior and then place filters along the side. Three or four filters in each "packet".

[Image: IMG_7361.jpg][Image: IMG_7359-1.jpg]
Reply
#23
I use coffee filters I put 4 in a culture and it has worked real well for me. I always microwave the completed fruit fly cup then let it sit on a piece of mite paper for about 12 hours then add flies. I have real clean cultures and get a lot of flies some cultures lasting for over a month. I fold in half then in half to make like a triangle and push them into the medium.
Reply
#24
My cultures always have had issues with mold and then drying out when I've used excelsior, so I gave up on it. I've had great results with cutting 8" paper plates in half, and then using one half on each side of the jar with easter grass in the middle. I get very little to no mold, they don't smell terrible (like excelsior) when they're on their last leg, and they aren't drying up prematurely either. My production is better with this than anything else I've used, as well. They seem to last for about two weeks before they stop producing.
Mostly Pums & Thumbs
Reply
#25
I decided to experiment with the coffee filter + excelsior setup. Unfortunately both times it resulted in mold, which I've never had before in any culture with just excelsior. I can see the extra surface area is hugely beneficial, but the mold isn't worth it. I have both vinegar and cinnamon as mold inhibitors; they work great with excelsior but not well at all with the filters.
A girl named Joey.
Reply
#26
While living in Florida, I would always use and have success with 3 coffee filters folded and stuffed into the media. However, since moving to Arizona I have fond that coffee filters simply do not work anymore...9 times out of 10 they would collapse and suffocate the culture.

I am now having to use excelsior.

Soon however, I will be experimenting with the plastic mesh used in cross-stitching as I hate having to sweep the floor every time i pull excelsior from the bag!
Reply
#27
Iv been using egg crate recently. Not the plastic stuff used for false bottoms but the cardboard like stuff people use for their roach and cricket bins. I had a ton of it left over after I stopped ordering 7000crickets every other week and stopped breeding feeder roaches in bulk. I ran out of excelsior awhile back and decided to give it a shot after trying both filters and paper plates with poor success. They eat it a bit but it seems to survive long enough.
Reply
#28
For well over a year I have used only Easter grass, and have never had mold or mites. My cultures last well over a month, in fact, I usually throw them out after 1.5 months, just cause I have plenty!
P. Terribilis orange, R. Imitator Cainarachi Valley, D. Leucomelas, D. Auratus, D. Azureus, P. vittatus, D. cobalts, D.Oyapok, Bombina Orientalis
Reply



User Panel Messages

Announcements
Announcement #1 8/1/2020
Announcement #2 8/2/2020
Announcement #3 8/6/2020