First baby bin... What do you think?

[Lpsouth1978]

Thank you Dayna and Carl for your input. It looks Like I was planning more FF Cultures than I actually need. I will re think my plan a little. I am glad that I will need fewer cultures, the price was really starting to get crazy just for the ff cultures.

Hey, colorado people!

Lpsouth, shoot me a pm when these are getting close to hatching and I can help you out on the insects. I raise all my own fruit flies, hornworms, roaches, and soon to be crickets. I can at the very least give you some pointers to keep cost down.

Good luck!

Thank you for the offer. I will definitely take you up on that.

 

[CarlC]

I make my own cultures. Usually every 3 or 4 months I'll trash all my cultures and start ovrr with new flies. The only costs are potato flakes, yeast, brewers yeast, excelsior, and whatever containers you use.

Carl

 

[rshewfel]

I have about 6 fruit fly cultures per week set aside for my 45 deremensis. I have just been using repashy superfly for now, it produces extremely well. Anyway the cost is around $.75 per culture. Carls' way is even cheaper, if you have the time. There are fruit fly recipes all over on frog forums. Pinhead crickets are easily produced. I used to just let the adult females lay eggs before I fed them off. It takes a little work, but you can pretty easily keep costs down. I have never tried aphids. Carl has got me interested in trying those.

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

I saved some Parmesan cheese canisters we use anyway and had lids with vents (can even keep the canister lids and glue some mesh under the holes the cheese comes out) and used the Josh's Frogs big container of fruit fly medium. It lasted me several years and produces great! Didn't add anything to it. So I bought one culture ($8 I think) to split to 3-4 jars, a few bags of excelsior ($2/bag), the medium, and I reused the jars - just soak and wash them out and start over. Fly cultures were super cheap for me.

 

[Lpsouth1978]

I saved some Parmesan cheese canisters we use anyway and had lids with vents (can even keep the canister lids and glue some mesh under the holes the cheese comes out) and used the Josh's Frogs big container of fruit fly medium. It lasted me several years and produces great! Didn't add anything to it. So I bought one culture ($8 I think) to split to 3-4 jars, a few bags of excelsior ($2/bag), the medium, and I reused the jars - just soak and wash them out and start over. Fly cultures were super cheap for me.

I love the Parmesan container idea. It seems like I could just cut the top off the lid and put mesh on it, then leave the little shaker top and just shake flies out as needed. I really don't use Parmesan, but mantispets.com sells the same type of container, so I could get some from them.

 

[CarlC]

I have never tried aphids. Carl has got me interested in trying those.

Let me know when your ready and I'll set you up with everything you need.

Carl

 

[rshewfel]

Let me know when your ready and I'll set you up with everything you need.

Carl

I'm ready. That would be great!

 

[Lpsouth1978]

The baby room is coming along nicely. I finally got the MistKing pump and got it all plumbed and tested. I have also completed 8 of the 12 baby bins and jungle gyms. I still have to finish 4 bins and jungle gyms and figure out the electrical for the light ballasts. I will be ordering the rest of the light fixtures early next week and hope to have everything done by the end of the week.

Here is a picture of what I have done so far including the 1 light fixture that I have so far, turned on. Let me know what you all think.