Best fruit fly medium

[MantisGirl13]

I've made my own fruit fly cultures for years. At first, I used homemade medium, and I tried dozens of different recipes but I always had mold problems. When I won a gift card to Carolina Biological at a science fair last year, I bought their medium as well as a bunch of other culture supplies. I used the last of that bag last night, and I'm looking for another medium to use. 

What medium do you use? Homemade or bought? What are your results? Any mold problems? If homemade, what's your recipe? 

Thanks!

- MantisGirl13 

 

[MantisMart]

I just do homemade and use bananas with potato flakes. I think adding vinager helps with mold.

 

[Synapze]

I've been using a recipe that was suggested to me by @ausar318  

7 parts cheap unflavored potato flakes

1 part confectioners sugar 

1 part brewer's yeast 

1 tbsp white vinegar 

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

I add cinnamon as well... seems to keep odor down. 

I mix a large batch of the dry ingredients together and grind into a fine powder and store in the freezer until needed. When I make my cultures I put the vinegar in and add boiling purified water. Tada.

I don't know why white vinegar and apple cider vinegar are used since they both have the same acidity. It's worked very well for me, so I've just stuck with it. I keep too many cultures to use an expensive pre-made mix. I rarely have mold issues and the flies produced are large and fruitful. 

I know there are simpler recipes, but this one is cheap and easy and works well for me. 

 

[MantisGirl13]

I've been using a recipe that was suggested to me by @ausar318  

7 parts cheap unflavored potato flakes

1 part confectioners sugar 

1 part brewer's yeast 

1 tbsp white vinegar 

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

I add cinnamon as well... seems to keep odor down. 

I mix a large batch of the dry ingredients together and grind into a fine powder and store in the freezer until needed. When I make my cultures I put the vinegar in and add boiling purified water. Tada.

I don't know why white vinegar and apple cider vinegar are used since they both have the same acidity. It's worked very well for me, so I've just stuck with it. I keep too many cultures to use an expensive pre-made mix. I rarely have mold issues and the flies produced are large and fruitful. 

I know there are simpler recipes, but this one is cheap and easy and works well for me. 

Thanks!

- MantisGirl13 

 

[ninjastep]

I use Repashy Superfly and it's great.  The cost isn't too bad either, if you live in the states you can get the 3kg tub for under 50$ from their website and it makes 100 cultures.  I have never seen a speck of mold on my repashy cultures but when I get starter cultures from the reptile store they usually end up showing a bit of mold.