[Guest]

Ok, someone describe a schedule for culturing. I follow the "do not feed until you set up a new culture" rule, but it seems like by the time I feed the frogs, I have no flies left until the larvae hatch. Like now, I have 2 cultures starting to pop out flies and 8 cultures with larvae. I'm afraid to feed the hatching flies cause I might not have any to set up new cultures with.

Something like make new culture, leave flies in for "x" days, etc.

How long should the flies be left in the culture before feeding?

Should new cultures only be set up with newly hatched flies?

It seems like I either have TONS of flies or none at all.

 

[Scott]

This is how it often is.

I make 30 pint cultures a week. I think I grab a new set of cultures (to make new ones AND to feed from) on the fifth week.

I think. I've always got 5 sets of cultures developing and the ones that I'm feeding from. I normally keep cultures 2 weeks when I start to feed. First week they are the "big" flies, second week they are the "smaller" flies (for baby frogs). These are much smaller (lack of nutrition I'd guess) so they're perfect for morphing frogs.

s

... It seems like I either have TONS of flies or none at all.

 

[kyle1745]

Ok here is what I do...

I make X number of cultures each week. For the melanogaster I keep them for exactly 3 weeks. So I use them on starting on the 14th day after I made them. With Hyei I make a couple a week and keep them until they are used up.

So in my case I make ffs on Sat. and then start using them 2 weeks from that Sat. Then on the 3rd Sat they either get tossed or kept for a extra week as backups. As they normally produce a little more.

I will say that have had almost zero problems and have never run out, though I got a little close after adding a number of frogs to my collection after IAD.

 

[Guest]

Hi,
I have 32 8oz. fruit fly vials I bought from Carolina.With the melanogasters I usually do 8 vials a week so the cultures usually last about 3 weeks. With the size of my collection now it works out perfectly.I am in the process of getting more of them so I can have the hydei on the same schedule.But for now I use 32 oz deli cups for most of the hydei cultures ,two started per week.
Mark W.

 

[Guest]

I might just have to switch to mason jars. The snapple jars are turning out to be too small. What do you guys use for covers on the mason jars, coffee filters?

 

[Scott]

In the summer I use a single layer of coffee filter. In the winter I fold a coffee filter in half and use that.

Less humidity in winter so it works pretty well this way.

s

I might just have to switch to mason jars. The snapple jars are turning out to be too small. What do you guys use for covers on the mason jars, coffee filters?

 

[Arklier]

I set up 4 melanogaster and 2 hydei cultures every week for my 17 frogs. I also have a lot of other feeders on hand, though. I also culture springtails, Indian meal moths, micro mealworms, confused flour beetles, and now I'm trying wood lice. I also periodically order 1,000 pinheads. So my frogs aren't starving.

 

[Guest]

I set up about 8-12(wingless melagnoster, flightless melagnoster, "buzzati", and hydei 2-3 of each) cultures every week or two (for about 20 frogs).
I've also got sever springtail cultures (they don't seem to fizzle at all).

I've never had to worry about having flies to make cultures, and normally have around 30-40 cultures (in various stages) set up. I think I end up with an excess of flies (that justifies more frogs right ).

-Tad

 

[bbrock]

I do mine exactly like Mark W. using the 8 oz. vials and foam plugs. I like the smaller vials for smaller frog collections. I recommend setting up cultures weekly. I keep mine for four weeks but the four week old vials don't produce more than just a few puny flies. But I get lots of good flies from the two and 3 week old vials. Setting up 4 melanogaster and 4 hydei a week (so 32 total cutlures going in various stages at once) is about twice as many flies as I need to feed about 25 frogs. I also think that producing twice as many flies as you need is a good rule of thumb. Crashes happen and brains forget to set up new cultures so this gives a good cushion for such events.

 

[Guest]

I read a Frognet post about using the vials Brent wrote and tried them out and really like the set up. I can have all 32 of my vials in the same amount of space that 12 32oz. cups takes up. So my culture shelf isn't so crowded. I have never had a foam plug rot out,like the coffee filters I used on my 32 oz. cups,and start to feed the ever present spider population here in my basement/frogroom. Their numbers have dropped quite a bit so I know if the predator population is suffering then the escapees numbers are dropping,LOL.
Mark W.

 

[SMenigoz]

Always remember:
" DO NOT WAIT UNTIL YOU START RUNNING OUT BEFORE MAKING NEW CULTURES!"
This little rule seems so simple but anyone who has raised pds has tested it. With over 50 adults and close to 200 babies, I prefer to err on having too many cultures than not enough. Having said that, I still cut it close and end up watching the fruitfly containers for signs of hatching. I prefer to use the larger hydei, but have longer development cycles. Melanogastor can bridge the gap as they mature much quicker.

 

[Scott]

Scott... the rule I go by - make more cultures from a batch of cultures before feeding from them.

You don't have this problem then!

s

Always remember:
" DO NOT WAIT UNTIL YOU START RUNNING OUT BEFORE MAKING NEW CULTURES!"