Opinion needed. FF culture quality.

[Synapze]

First... this culture wasn't purchased from anyone in our community and this post shouldn't be considered feedback for anyone ... merely a learning experience for me. ?

Do you consider this culture acceptable or do I expect too much? In my opinion, this culture looks like it's already fulfilled its purpose. 

Observations: No fly activity and it looks like all the pupea have already hatched. 

This was a $15.00 culture. 

Odd:  Notice the condition of the culture medium compared to the fresh looking excelsior. ?

Is this acceptable to any of you?

 

[ausar318]

I’m not going to say that you got scammed, but the culture does appear to be at least a weeks old, maybe more. When you bought it, was it sold as a “Producing culture” or a fresh culture? I can’t really tell from the picture, but they look like Melos... from my experience (which is limited), they usually don’t start producing pupae for at leas a week/week and a half from being introduced to the medium. If the culture you have is already got hatched pupae, it’s at least a couple weeks old. And with how the medium looks, it is definitely at least 2 weeks old. In fact, it looks a lot like my “parent culture”, which is my main producing culture that lasts usually for 7-8 weeks. Whenever there are 50-100 flies in it, I transfer them to a fresh culture, then wait for more to hatch, transfer, rinse and repeat. That’s how I was able to turn a tiny vial of 50 flies into currently 10 full sized, PACKED cultures. 

If I were you, I would cordially send them a message, and the picture, and kindly ask for an explanation, as well as a refund/replacement. From the lols of it (at least for me) it is unacceptable. 

 

[Synapze]

If I were you, I would cordially send them a message, and the picture, and kindly ask for an explanation, as well as a refund/replacement. From the lols of it (at least for me) it is unacceptable. 

I have and the response was basically, "this is just the way a culture looks."

When you bought it, was it sold as a “Producing culture” or a fresh culture?

A seeded culture. I would have been OK if there were at least 50 flies. I consider, and maybe I'm wrong, a seeded culture to have reasonably fresh medium and sufficient flies to get a culture started. 

In fact, it looks a lot like my “parent culture”, which is my main producing culture that lasts usually for 7-8 weeks

Exactly! Surely no one would use cultures until they are reaching end of life then list them for sale.

I can’t really tell from the picture, but they look like Melos.

They were supposed to be hydei. ?

My fly shortage is approaching critical. I ordered a backup from someone else and if it hadn't been perfect, I'd be out by the compost bin catching FF... like when I first started this hobby. ?

 

[MantisGirl13]

I am glad you got the flies you needed, @Synapze. That culture does not look like a good one! 

- MantisGirl13