Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've had my darts for 6 weeks now...and have bought over 10 cultures from the breeder.

The cultures I bought are doing fine, but everytime I try to start a new culture, the adults DIE within 1/2 day!

I used the mix that the breeder uses...mixed in the small amount of dry yeast...and am using clean mason jars with a coffee filter rubberbanded to the top. Plenty of ventilation...nothing but distilled water goes into the mix.

I put a couple folded paper towels in the jars...and allow about 20-30 adult flies to crawl in the jar.

Within 1/2 day, they crawl right down into the medium and DIE!

I've done this 5 times now, and have only killed a bunch of my flies off !!

THOUGHTS ???

HELP???
THanks

I just use regular tap water. Also, what i found is that you have to put them somewhere there is light. I was trying to keep the containers inside a box to keep them somewhat organized, but they didn't do well there at all. Once I put them out where they could get light, the cultures exploded.
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sue

I use plain tap water, (our well water, which isn't chlorinated) add it to the potato flake media I get from Saurian, sprinkle the top with just a little Baker's yeast, stuff in some excelsior (to give more space for pupae,) and keep my cultures in a closed, unlighted cupboard. So I don't think light is a major factor, although they might do a bit better with light. In my own experience, they do just fine in the dark and are out of sight.

You could try fixing the media ahead of time and allow the yeast to activate for a few hours before adding the flies. There may be an initial burst of CO2 that is overwhelming them, but again, I don't do this myself and have no particular problems. I just read this advice somewhere in the past, so pass it on.

Check that the media isn't too wet. The flies may be drowning. The temps should be around 72 degrees. The excelsior should also help keep the flies above any media that may be too wet.

I use 1 quart delicups, cut a half dollar sized hole in the center of the lid and squash this down over a piece of heavy paper towel, although coffee filters are sturdier. (I sometimes have a bit of trouble with the larvae getting through the paper toweling and pupating between the lid and towel on the outside.) I also add a lot more flies than 30 for starters--from a culture that is about midway through its cycle, probably 100 or more, although I don't count them. With only 30 or so, you may not have enough young breeding flies vs old ones.

How are you cleaning the glass jars? That's about the only other thing I can think of that could cause your problem as you've described. It's best to boil them after washing them in soap and water and rinsing well. If you are sanitizing them with chlorox, this may not be getting rinsed away enough.

I'm not sure any of us has a single correct answer for you. It must be very frustrating for you. But be assured you will get it to work, and once you do, it's a "piece of cake," whatever that means.
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Patty
Pahsimeroi, Idaho

4 D. auratus blue
5 D. galactonotus pumpkin orange splash back
5 D. imitator
6 D. leucomelas
4 D. pumilio Bastimentos
4 D. fantasticus
4 P. terribilis
4 D. reticulatus
4 D. castaneoticus

I would have to side with the media being to moist or soupy. Sounds to me like they are drowning in the liquid. I had this problem when I 1st started and once I used a little dryer media they began producing like crazy. try it and see what happens. Good luck,

TonyT