[DendroRachel]

I started this culture of Hydei on September 20. It isn't producing but the adults i started the culture with have not died. The top layer is slimy tan colored and looks frothy, as in whatever is wrong with it is creating air bubbles. this has happened occasionally to some of my cultures. I'm thinking I overdid the yeast and it overtook my culture? Any ideas whats wrong??

 

[Ed]

How old were the hydei when you seeded the culture?

Ed

 

[DendroRachel]

not sure, but i typically start a new culture from 2 older cultures. I collect some but not all flies out of all cultures for feeding each day. I can see a few females that look fat with eggs inside. and it looks like some dead very small ff larva on the sides near the media, as if they tried to crawl out. no movement of other larvae in the media.

 

[Ed]

Hydei have a quirky life cycle where if I remember correctly only females emerge for the first several days to a week. If you pulled flies from this period, then you are getting unmated females (as they don't mate until they have been out for a few days). THis is why with hydei, I try to look at time from emergence as a risk factor.

I'm not sure that a swollen body is an indication of the presence of eggs.

If there were a bunch of larva in the media, they prevent yeast overgrowth by churning the media and secreting digestive enzymes. This is also an indication that the flies weren't depositing eggs for one reason or another.

Ed

 

[DendroRachel]

hmmm ok, I'll throw it out and start a new one. Do you think that the frothy slimy media is yeast overgrowth though? maybe caused by a combination of too much yeast added and the flies not laying eggs? I'll make sure to add more flies to new cultures next time so I can try to prevent this...