Reptile & Amphibian Forums

What do you all use as a top for your cultures? I know they sell those plastic containers with the tops that have that real fine screen but is there another sort of mesh that you could use when the lids are too dirty to re-use?
Also, can you only use clear containers? I am a cheap college student and would like to maybe use margarine or yogurt containers or even old pop bottles. What do you all think? Thanks!
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http://f2.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/dubaliscous/lst?.dir=/Pablo(Picasso panther chameleon)&.src=ph&.order=&.view=t&.done=http://f2.pg.photos.yahoo.com/
1.0 Picasso panther chameleon (Pablo)
0.1 Bearder Dragons (Mic Dundee)
0.1 Red-eyed tree frogs
1.0 African side-necked mud turtle (Wrinkles Jr.)
0.0.2 D. Tinctorius (Cobalt V.) Dart Frog

For the most part we use a really fine fabric to cover the top. Eds fly meat has these new foam plugs that i would like to try. You can reuse the material, I have done it before, I even reused the containters but it was just to big of a hassle.
Check ed's product page out
http://edsflymeatinc.com/prod04.htm

As for containters. Most all the recipes we have are for 32oz containters. You could use some of the containers you mentions but it would be very diffucult. A yougurt cup would be very small. A butter tube could wsork, youd have to make a lot of media, a lot of the mesh material would be used to cover the top and it would seem to be very aqcuard (sp?) to handle. A coke bottle has a very small hole on top. it would be extremely hard to get excelsior, flies, even media in there.

This place has about the best prices I have seen for containters
http://www.reptilepackaging.com/
I will be ordering from them here in a couple months when my current supply of containers is nearly gone.

aj
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kungfu28181: My god. You are insane. -Mon Jun 30 21:41:05

Ive read before that some people use deli cups with plastic wrap over the top. They cut a small square in the side and tape a piece of paper towel over the hole for ventilation. This sounds very cheap and will probably be the way i make my cultures.

I have not heard of that method. I assume its similer to the coffee filter method. I had a friend who used that method. He said it became soggy and fell into the containter leaving the bugs to escape/ The material shouldnt be expensive at all. Id say just a couple bucks (if that) for a yard at a crafts store. I havent checked yet, but i need to.

aj
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kungfu28181: My god. You are insane. -Mon Jun 30 21:41:05

i have had a friend/vendor who use to use snapple bottles or those juice glass bottle you would get at a 7-11 store.
for tops he would use foam plugs. i have used coffee filters with a rubber band to hold it on. paper towels are to flimsy especially when wet. that is why the use of the coffee filters. you also ahve to watch so they don't dry out too quickly.
walt

I used to use those big plastic gatorade bottles. Foam plugs fit right into the top of them. Best part about using some kind of disposable bottle is that you never have to clean anything, just start new cultures and throw the old ones away.

I think deli containers with holes drilled in the lids and some kind of fabric over the top would work just as well and be equally as disposable and effective.

Where's everyone been buying their culture medium?

I started with some medium that i bought at a show and it worked fine but i have been making my own. it works pretty good...lemme know if you want the ingredients. Also, what are the foam plugs you are talking about??
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http://f2.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/dubaliscous/lst?.dir=/Pablo(Picasso panther chameleon)&.src=ph&.order=&.view=t&.done=http://f2.pg.photos.yahoo.com/
1.0 Picasso panther chameleon (Pablo)
0.1 Bearder Dragons (Mic Dundee)
0.1 Red-eyed tree frogs
1.0 African side-necked mud turtle (Wrinkles Jr.)
0.0.2 D. Tinctorius (Cobalt V.) Dart Frog

I use 24oz sports water bottles for my fly cultures. They work really well. I use a quarter cup of culture with a quarter cup of half/half water/vinegar. I use the wide excelsior for the flies and larva and cover the opening with a piece of panty hose and a rubber band.

Very simple, very inexpensive.

good luck!
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Kristi
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