Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello all,

After about 30 successful cultures, I found some mold in one of my fruit flies. It's a blueish green color and not much has formed/spread.

This is in a D.Hydei culture that I setup about a week ago. I setup 4 at the time and the other 3 show no signs.

What is the recommended course of action? These guys have maggots that just started to hatch and don't seem too affected by the mold at this point.

Should I try and save the flies? Should I feed them off? Should I pitch all of it?

If it can be salvaged, I'd like to.

Also, I've read that these flies can clean themselves and if put in a clean container every day for a few days, the flies clean off the mold. Is there any validity to this?

Thanks!
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-Iman

1.1 BRBs (Ying and Yang)
1.1 JCPs (Striker and Sheila)
0.0.2 BPs (Spot and Speck)
0.0.4 Dendrobates Tinctorius 'Suriname Cobalts'
0.0.4 Dendrobates Auratus 'Costa Rican Green and Black'
5.5 Fish (Insert your favorite names here)
1.0 Miniature Daschund (Rue)

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Anyone ever have trouble getting one specie of flies to breed?

I get my cultures from Ed's fly meat and Josh's Frogs. I use media from Ed's fly meat.

I have personally had much more success breading the D. Hydei species over the D. Melanogaster. Even though it takes a full extra week for the D. Hydei to breed well, they hold out longer. It seems that with the D. Melanogaster, they all lay eggs, the eggs hatch and then they stop breading.

My temps are Max 86 and Min 72 and the flies are given access to light for 12-14hrs/day.

Anyone have a similar experience? Can anyone offer suggestions?
-----
-Iman

1.1 BRBs (Ying and Yang)
1.1 JCPs (Striker and Sheila)
0.0.2 BPs (Spot and Speck)
0.0.4 Dendrobates Tinctorius 'Suriname Cobalts'
0.0.4 Dendrobates Auratus 'Costa Rican Green and Black'
5.5 Fish (Insert your favorite names here)
1.0 Miniature Daschund (Rue)

Loving to Learn
Learning to Help
Helping to Love

Stimulate debates, stifle arguments.
Please be nice always.

I have heard that you shouldn't go over 75 or so, as it affects fertility. Try to drop it down somehow. Are you talking about the temps where you keep your fruit fly cultures, or inside the frog tank? Either one seems way higher than it should be, anyway.
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phflame
kingsnake.com host

My reptile room which house flies, frogs, snakes, fish, etc goes from a MAX high ever of 86 to a MAX low ever to about 68.

I would say that it rarely sits above 82 or 84 in the room.

I'll move the flies to the ground level which has the coolest temps in the room and see if that helps. At my current temps, I've seen to have no issues with the D. Hydei.

Thanks for the feedback.
-----
-Iman

1.1 BRBs (Ying and Yang)
1.1 JCPs (Striker and Sheila)
0.0.2 BPs (Spot and Speck)
0.0.4 Dendrobates Tinctorius 'Suriname Cobalts'
0.0.4 Dendrobates Auratus 'Costa Rican Green and Black'
5.5 Fish (Insert your favorite names here)
1.0 Miniature Daschund (Rue)

Loving to Learn
Learning to Help
Helping to Love

Stimulate debates, stifle arguments.
Please be nice always.

add vinegar, it works great as mold inhibitor and is exttremely cheap, the white vinigear works the best.