Re: FF Media

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Posted by Homer1 on April 22, 2003 at 11:48:38:

In Reply to: Re: FF Media posted by kyle1745 on April 21, 2003 at 20:19:00:

I have NO mold problems. That's due to the vinegar that is added. I used to use propionic acid (which is one of the mold inhibitors you can buy), until someone here mentioned they used vinegar in a 1:1 ratio with their water when making the media. Then it hit me . . . acetic acid and propionic acid both discourage mold growth by lowering the pH below the ideal for mold.

I have had good success so far with hydei on this mix. I posted earlier that my yields were low, but 3 days later my fly population really exploded. I had to give most of them away because I had too many. I currently have larvae and pupae of hydei all over the place. It won't be long before my new cultures are booming, too. I was just too impatient with the hydei.

Anyway, it's worth a shot trying it out. If you don't like the results, you haven't lost much. But, as far as mold goes, I haven't seen a speck of it . . . even when setting up new cultures from other media that did grow mold.

Homer

:Homer, do you have any problems with mold? I have bought all the rest of the ingrediants, but could not make up my mind to get hold inhibitor or not. I'll mix some up tomorrow to try.

:How does it work with Heidi?

:Kyle

:
::1) Buy or make--that's a personal preference. I have always made my own (except when I was able to bring some of the Carolina mix home from the lab), and found it to be as good or better than the Carolina mix . . . and lots cheaper. My media is super simple and effective for me.

::2) Unless the media is vitamin/mineral fortified, it doesn't matter to your frogs whether you bought or made the fly media.

::3) Several people swear by Ed's, but I haven't used it. I use 2 cups instant mashed potato flakes, 1/4 cup brewer's yeast, and 1 cup sugar. That's mixed up in a 1 gallon Ziploc, and I just dip it out as I need it. The dry goods go directly in the deli cup (or quart mason jar), and I mix it up with a solution of 1/2 H20, 1/2 distilled white vinegar until the proper consistency is reached (the vinegar=acetic acid, and is the mold inhibitor--does the same thing as propionic acid or whatever other mold inhibitor you would consider). Then I sprinkle on some active baker's yeast and throw in a folded coffee filter for the flies to crawl on. Price it out, but the most expensive part is the brewer's yeast (about $8/lb). Personally, I'm set for the year on about $10-$12 worth of supplies (I don't count vinegar or sugar as an expense, because we always have it on hand). But, then again, I only have about 4-6 cultures going at any given time right now.

::4) Mix it up in the cup. You don't waste mix that way, and it's not as messy.

::Hope this helps.

::Homer

:::i got a few media question.
:::1)Is it better to make your own media or buy it?
:::2)Which is better for the frogs?
:::3)a 4 liter bag of ED's Super Instant Enhanced Fruit Fly Media is $29, how much would it (roughly/est) cost to make 4 liters of home made media with mold inhibitor?
:::4) on ED's site is says "Add 1/3 cup of media and � cup of hot water, swirl to mix, let cool. Add 1/16 teaspoon of bakers yeast and flies." are you adding all of that directly into the deli cup or a pot then pouring it into the deli cup?

:::thanks in advance!
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