Need Tips on Fruit Fly Culture

[jajeanpierre]

Today I started rotating the fruit fly cultures. There are fruit flies everywhere. In my hair, in my clothes....everywhere.

It seems I left culture all over the sides, so they didn't pour out as I imagined they would. Does it matter?

How many fruit flies does a baby (quad) chameleon eat a day?

Tips?

Thanks for any advice.

 

[Norcal55]

Hi,
Not sure exactly what you mean by rotating but here are a few tips.....

When feeding off fruit flies it helps to get a tupperware type container and add a little calcium powder to the sides and rub it around. Shake off some FF into the container and then close the original cup back up.
The powder will keep the FF from climbing up and out before you feed.

put a small piece of fruit into your baby container and the FF will be attracted to it and hopefully keep most of them in the cage.

The media you use for the cultures should not get runny. I use Repashy Super Fly and find it to be the best around.

With FF no matter what you do they will get around everywhere to some extent.

When starting new cultures you add existing FF to a freshly made cup with new media. Don't add media from an existing cup to the new culture just the FF.

Hope this helps a little

Best of luck!

 

[jajeanpierre]

Hi,
Not sure exactly what you mean by rotating but here are a few tips.....

When feeding off fruit flies it helps to get a tupperware type container and add a little calcium powder to the sides and rub it around. Shake off some FF into the container and then close the original cup back up.
The powder will keep the FF from climbing up and out before you feed.

put a small piece of fruit into your baby container and the FF will be attracted to it and hopefully keep most of them in the cage.

The media you use for the cultures should not get runny. I use Repashy Super Fly and find it to be the best around.

With FF no matter what you do they will get around everywhere to some extent.

When starting new cultures you add existing FF to a freshly made cup with new media. Don't add media from an existing cup to the new culture just the FF.

Hope this helps a little

Best of luck!

It helps a lot! By rotating I meant having rows of jars of fruit flies of different ages. Once a week, change the oldest row and put into new jars with new food.

I think they are supposed to be set up on a 3 or 4 week rotation.

 

[junglefries]

I set up 2 usually about every 4 weeks. One will have 25 or so to start, and the other maybe 15. This lets one last a little longer than the other. I find they are 'usually' viable for about 6-7 weeks. I currently have 7 in rotation, with three household fly cultures to feed the larger chams.

 

[jajeanpierre]

I set up 2 usually about every 4 weeks. One will have 25 or so to start, and the other maybe 15. This lets one last a little longer than the other. I find they are 'usually' viable for about 6-7 weeks. I currently have 7 in rotation, with three household fly cultures to feed the larger chams.

I've never done this before so have zero common sense. Can you explain what you said again?

Are you setting up only two jars, one with 25 flies and one with 15 adult flies? And once those jars are producing flies, will produce flies for 6 to 7 weeks?

How many "jars" of flies will be needed a week for 12 baby quads? I think quads are a pretty large neonate compared to other similarly sized species.

I am terrified that either I won't have enough cultures to feed them or somehow I'll kill them all off. Or my local flighted flies will sneak in and instead of flightless, I'll have jars and jars of flighted flies.

Thanks for everyone's comments on how they do things.

 

[junglefries]

I use the 32oz deli cups with cloth lids, Repashy Fruit Fly Media, and excelsior. I put maybe 25 and 15 in the cups. That way one takes a little longer. In 2-3 weeks, you have enough hatchling flies. For 14 hatchlings, I would setup 5 cups. 2 cups first, followed by the other 3in 2 weeks. I am not real familiar with quad appetites. I would rather let a few flies escape outside that are extra, than not have enough.

 

[jajeanpierre]

I use the 32oz deli cups with cloth lids, Repashy Fruit Fly Media, and excelsior. I put maybe 25 and 15 in the cups. That way one takes a little longer. In 2-3 weeks, you have enough hatchling flies. For 14 hatchlings, I would setup 5 cups. 2 cups first, followed by the other 3in 2 weeks. I am not real familiar with quad appetites. I would rather let a few flies escape outside that are extra, than not have enough.

Thank you! You gave me the magic number--5 cups. I'll keep at least 10 cups going. I have the Repashy Fruit Fly Media. I'm using mason jars with a paper towel for the lid.