How do FF Cultures work?

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blitzmantis

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I'm getting my 1st culture soon and i am not sure about several things:

1. How come they breed in the culture?

2. How do I keep them breeding?

3. Where should I keep them (temp, environment, light?)

4. How many should I supply to a group of nymphs from an ooth (formula? like: for every one mantid, two flies?)

Please help as I want to make the most out of my culture before they die out.

 
blitzmantis said:
I'm getting my 1st culture soon and i am not sure about several things:1. How come they breed in the culture?

2. How do I keep them breeding? -You have to make new cultures for them and put some of the flies in from your last culture then they lay eggs in the medium. (there is a thread on here some where on how to make the FF medium)

3. Where should I keep them (temp, environment, light?) -I don't think they are very fussy, but I think higher temps speed things up.

4. How many should I supply to a group of nymphs from an ooth (formula? like: for every one mantid, two flies?)

Please help as I want to make the most out of my culture before they die out.
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Hope this has helped. Some of the experts will probably give you clearer answers.

 
1. How come they breed in the culture?

2. How do I keep them breeding?

3. Where should I keep them (temp, environment, light?)

4. How many should I supply to a group of nymphs from an ooth (formula? like: for every one mantid, two flies?)

1.cause they do..lol..its where the flys live..they mate and eat in there.

2.after a month or 2 just make a new culture and throw about 10 flys in the new culture..it wil take week or 2 to get started.

3.between 70-90f..hotter the better..they produce alot more and faster if u keep them hotter.

4.if your housing them in cups dont throw any more than 5 nymphs per cup..it freakes them out.

what i do is i have 1foot x 1foot net cage i bought from mantis place..i dump a lod of fruit flys in the cage every day..cause theres lots of space it doesnt matter if i put to many flys in..by the next day there all eaten any way..lol

also to make a culture all u need is potato mash powder and yeaste..mix the mash up till its just a bit thicker than runnie then sprinkle a small pinch of yeast in it and mix it in..then job done..:)i hope u have bought wingless or flightless..cause nornall frute flys are a nightmare!!!!!

 
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I have read the thread about how to make FF medium, i cannot find MASA and I think it is a complicated and looks pointless to add all this stuff. Is there a simple way to make some medium (mashed up fruit and some cotton?)

 
I think you can use mashed banana instead of all the complicated mediums. MASA is maise in the UK I think, you get it with maggots to keep them dry.

 
If you can, buy the medium. It is much less messier, has mold inhibitor and generally works better.

 
Just one question I would like to clear up :

3. Where should I keep them (temp, environment, light?)

MJ, 90 degrees will certainly bake the culture! 85 degrees is the maximum for fruit flies, or the culture will start drying out and the flies will get cooked. Do not put the culture next to a window, as the sunlight will dry up the medium and will shorten the "lifespan" of your culture. Keep it away from windows, but not totally in the dark. Higher temps speed things up, and lower temps speed them down - but both extremes certainly aren't good.

Beware of mold - if it develops, it will kill the eggs, maggots, and adult flies. If you see mold (splotches of colorful patchy things), transfer your adult flies to a new culture so it can start again.

You can order medium online, it's the most common way we all get it. I make my own though. Seems like many people in the UK don't have much access to MASA.

 
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blitzmantis said:
i cannot find MASA and I think it is a complicated and looks pointless to add all this stuff. Is there a simple way to make some medium (mashed up fruit and some cotton?)
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do u even read my posts?All u need is potato mash/flakes powder and yeaste..mix the mash up till its just a bit thicker than runnie then sprinkle a small pinch of yeast in it and mix it in..frute would go rotten!

 
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me to.i keep them at 75f....just a wild guess but in the summer when its 90f fruit flys are thriving?so why wouldn't they thrive in culture at 90f?..

 
Rick said:
Don't add fruit.
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yer it seems to smell for 3 or 4 days but after that it dont smell at tall..i cant rember the reson its somthing to do with the yeast?i have masa on the way..il use that soon as it comes.

 
blitzmantis said:
When you have ur potato mash and yeast, do u then add fruit or just leave it?
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no..just mash pototoe and water and pinch of yeast..hey..i have over 1kg of masa in the post from canada..soon as it turns up if u want il send u some of it for free.. ;) your have to pay postage tho,.

 

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