# How many fruit fly cultures?



## opakg (Oct 14, 2011)

Gonna be getting my fruit fly culture soon, how many cultures should I ideally setup a week to feed say 2-4 mantids?

Any leftovers can obviously create new cultures and feed my fish.


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## tom and tina (Oct 28, 2009)

1 culture will do that amount of mantis, but you will probably need to get another in a week. It works out well if you get your cultures going, and make a new one every week. You will have loads of fruit fly in the tubs, but if you will be feeding them to fish too then at least you will have a use for them.

Here is a recipe for the cultures i make. I do use some different things, but they arent readily available. This method works just as well so im going back to it.
HOW TO MAKE FRUIT FLY CULTURES


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## Ben.M (Mar 2, 2008)

tom and tina said:


> 1 culture will do that amount of mantis, but you will probably need to get another in a week. It works out well if you get your cultures going, and make a new one every week. You will have loads of fruit fly in the tubs, but if you will be feeding them to fish too then at least you will have a use for them.
> 
> Here is a recipe for the cultures i make. I do use some different things, but they arent readily available. This method works just as well so im going back to it.
> HOW TO MAKE FRUIT FLY CULTURES


This^  (I use a slightly different recipe though)

What species are you getting...remember that _D.melanogaster_ and _D.hydei_ cultures mature at different rates, generally _hydei_ take about 50% longer than _melanogaster_ throughout the various cycles.


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## opakg (Oct 14, 2011)

Ben.M said:


> This^  (I use a slightly different recipe though)
> 
> What species are you getting...remember that _D.melanogaster_ and _D.hydei_ cultures mature at different rates, generally _hydei_ take about 50% longer than _melanogaster_ throughout the various cycles.


I'm getting D.melanogaster, ordered from ebay it comes with a cup of media ready for a 2nd culture. Once they arrive I will set it up and I'm getting the mantids at the beginning of next week


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## Ben.M (Mar 2, 2008)

opakg said:


> I'm getting D.melanogaster, ordered from ebay it comes with a cup of media ready for a 2nd culture. Once they arrive I will set it up and I'm getting the mantids at the beginning of next week


Let me guess, you bought it from an eBay seller caller Jaiboi.... who runs the InsectsOnline website???


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## tom and tina (Oct 28, 2009)

Ben.M said:


> Let me guess, you bought it from an eBay seller caller Jaiboi.... who runs the InsectsOnline website???


 
Was going to say. Good old julian lol


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## Ben.M (Mar 2, 2008)

tom and tina said:


> Was going to say. Good old julian lol


Yh Julian's a great guy, I always get my cultures from him now, can't fault them one bit!


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## opakg (Oct 14, 2011)

Ben.M said:


> Let me guess, you bought it from an eBay seller caller Jaiboi.... who runs the InsectsOnline website???


That's the fella :lol2:

at least by the comments above I know that my culture arriving will be good quality


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## tom and tina (Oct 28, 2009)

Same! Im glad he's doing well. Considering he started pretty small, and now he has a ad on mantis forums :2thumb:

Sorry complete take over of your thread. The melongaster will hatch pretty quick. What mantis are you getting?


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## opakg (Oct 14, 2011)

tom and tina said:


> Same! Im glad he's doing well. Considering he started pretty small, and now he has a ad on mantis forums :2thumb:
> 
> Sorry complete take over of your thread. The melongaster will hatch pretty quick. What mantis are you getting?


Giant african mantis  only ones that attracted my interest currently after watching an adult play zombie bugs with a locust in the rep shop


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## tom and tina (Oct 28, 2009)

They will take the larger fruit fly from 1st instar. They will take down anything that they can get.


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## opakg (Oct 14, 2011)

tom and tina said:


> They will take the larger fruit fly from 1st instar. They will take down anything that they can get.


Yeah, I thought get fruit flies first, watch how they go with them and maybe go for some micro crickets when 3rd instar? Locusts will be the food for my adults anyway I've settled with that


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## tom and tina (Oct 28, 2009)

Yer they will be ok, but i would recomend getting some Drosophila Hydei for these. They will be more substantial. I have some of these mantis, absolutley stunning mantis. I do love em lol


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## opakg (Oct 14, 2011)

tom and tina said:


> Yer they will be ok, but i would recomend getting some Drosophila Hydei for these. They will be more substantial. I have some of these mantis, absolutley stunning mantis. I do love em lol


Will have to look into that, any idea where I can get em from?


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## tom and tina (Oct 28, 2009)

Yer the lad you bought yours from earlier. Here's his website Insects Online He is really good.


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## Ben.M (Mar 2, 2008)

You could always give him a call early tomorrow and ask if he can change your order...


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## opakg (Oct 14, 2011)

tom and tina said:


> Yer the lad you bought yours from earlier. Here's his website Insects Online He is really good.


Thanks, I will have to use my culture up of D.melanogaster, and pick up some of them get them breeding


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## Ben.M (Mar 2, 2008)

I don't mean to hijack your thread but Tom/Tina, do you not use yeast in your cultures???


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## opakg (Oct 14, 2011)

Ben.M said:


> You could always give him a call early tomorrow and ask if he can change your order...


I bought them really early this morning and they are marked as dispatched so chances are they went out on mondays post lol


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## Ben.M (Mar 2, 2008)

opakg said:


> I bought them really early this morning and they are marked as dispatched so chances are they went out on mondays post lol


Ah fair enough, just get more mantids :2thumb:


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## tom and tina (Oct 28, 2009)

Ben.M said:


> I don't mean to hijack your thread but Tom/Tina, do you not use yeast in your cultures???


No im allergic to it lol. I come out in hives, and vanity comes before mantis lol. This works well though, and i still get a very good hatch.


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## Ben.M (Mar 2, 2008)

tom and tina said:


> No im allergic to it lol. I come out in hives, and vanity comes before mantis lol. This works well though, and i still get a very good hatch.


Oh ok, thats understandable then 
Just wondering what the flies feed on, maybe there is a different strain of natural yeast in the banana...I don't know, it's just an theory


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## tom and tina (Oct 28, 2009)

Theres something in that tesco cordial. Its the only one that works, so god knows whats in it. I suppose i should have a look on the back. Asda and morrisons doesnt work. Mind you i have had a great hatch from using just banana too, but it goes mouldy pretty quick. A few people have used that culture and have said the same. 
I only chucked the cordial in one time because i had no pure juice.


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## Ben.M (Mar 2, 2008)

tom and tina said:


> Theres something in that tesco cordial. Its the only one that works, so god knows whats in it. I suppose i should have a look on the back. Asda and morrisons doesnt work. Mind you i have had a great hatch from using just banana too, but it goes mouldy pretty quick. A few people have used that culture and have said the same.
> I only chucked the cordial in one time because i had no pure juice.


I used a fresh mango drink from Tesco's for a FF culture once and it smelt disgusting so I havn't used it again but that may be because it was with potato flakes too which I havn't had much luck with. The best one I have ever used was mainly made of MASA, the American/Mexican tortilla mix. Got it from Sainsbury's a few years ago but they no longer sell it :/


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