Fruit flies are an excellent food for many surface feeding killifish, closely resembling their natural diets in the wild. They are easy to culture, quickly, cheaply and in large numbers. Fruit flys are rarely available in pet shops, but are widely available online, and very much worth trying, even if you don't bother culturing them on an ongoing basis.
What is a fruit fly?
Fruit flies are small flies that live on and around decaying fruit and vegetation. They occur worldwide, except the very coldest regions. The species most familiar to scientists, aquarists and herpetologists are in the genus Drosophila which literally means 'dew-lover' in Greek. Also known as 'bar fly' or 'vinegar fly', these little flies are commonly found around waste bins, bars, orchards etc, and they are widely used in laboratories as research animals. The species we feed to our fish however, have been bred to have shorter 'vestigial' wings, and as such can not fly. These are typically from two species Drosophila melanogaster and Drosophila Hydei.
Why fruit flies?
Although dealing with highly mobile flies can be trickier than with worms, there are some great reasons to consider culturing them.
- Nutritious - all fish can be trained to eat flies, but surface feeders love them. Not only are they relished by the fish, but they also have a high fibre content, and are therefore a great contrast to the fattier foods such as worms and beef heart. They are also typically disease-free, unlike some aquatic livefoods.
- Prolific An adult fly can lay 20+ eggs in a day. Once you get the hang of it, fruit flies are easy to maintain, and at 25 deg. centigrade the development of Drosophila melanogaster takes just 9 days.
- Availability - unlike collected livefoods, cultured Drosophila are available all year round.
- Flightless flies available - fruit flies have been studied in laboratories for very many years, and a lot is known about the humble fruit fly. Over the course of these studies, geneticists line-bred many strains of fly, including vestigial-winged, and even wingless flies. These are the flies typically cultured by hobbiests.
Drosophila larvae in a typical culture
Drosophila larvae climb up the walls of their vials and chrysalise
Drosophila pupae
Drosophila life cycle
Adult flies lay a lot of eggs. A single female can lay over 20 eggs in a day, and can store sperm within her body for up to two weeks, to lay fertilized eggs at will.
Eggs take 23 hours to hatch at 25 deg C. Once they do hatch, the larvae bury into the media and grow. They will stay as larvae for five days, in which time they undergo three moults.
Eventually they will start to climb the sides of the vial, and when fully grown will settle near the top, and form a chrysalis. The change from maggot to fly takes around three days, but again, is temperature dependent.
The image to the right shows a newly formed chrysalis with the lava's segments still visible (1), an older chrysalis with the fly clearly visible. The red dots are its eyes (2) and an empty chrysalis from which a fly will have hatched (3).
Once the flies have emerged they must be moved to new vials, as there is now no food suitable for them in the old vials.
Fruit fly cultures for sale
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Cleveland, Georgia, 305**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$40
??PLEASE READ BEFORE PURCHASING??
(WHAT YOU RECEIVE)
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FRUIT FLY: Drosophila melanogaster (flightless)
SIZE: 1 / 16?? inches (smaller than hydie fruit flies)
COUNT: 50+ (will produce prolifically)
(BASIC INFO)
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LIVE FOOD SOURCE FOR: Dart Frogs, Jumping Spiders, Praying
Mantis, Mantids, Morning Geckos, ...
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Etters, Pennsylvania, 173**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$25
The product is a Winglessless fruit fly culture kit + 1 additional container of just-add-flies food designed for dart frogs and reptiles. Produced by the brand Crazy Frog Lady, this product provides a convenient and natural way to feed your pets. The fruit flies are a nutritious food source for many reptiles and amphibians, promoting healthy eating habits and reducing the need for processed diets. With this product, you can easily maintain a steady supply of live insects for your pets to enjoy ...
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Norwalk, California, 906**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$20
NEW CULTURES: You will receive 2 32oz deli cups that are freshly started and have about 50 flies to initiate breeding and avoid overpopulation (crashing), these have NO EGGS yet. It will take approximately 14 days to produce flies from when you receive it depending on environmental conditions
Fruit flies are perfect for mantids, geckos, anoles, salamanders, small spiders, dart frogs, and even bettas! Your culture should be kept between 70 and 80° and out of direct sunlight
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Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 152**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$15
This product is a 32oz culture of live Wingless Drosophila Melanogaster fruit flies, specifically designed for use with dart frogs. The flies are cultured in the United States and are suitable for insect enthusiasts looking to provide a live food source for their pets. The Wingless Drosophila Melanogaster flies are a convenient and nutritious option for reptile and pet owners
What's Included:- 1x 32oz Newly Started Flightless Fruit Fly Culture...
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San Juan, Puerto Rico, 009**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$40
Drosophila melanogaster Flightless fruit flies culture in a 32oz cup
Culture is made at the time of purchase to ensure freshness
We ship on Monday through Wednesday. Any order received from late Tuesday??through Sunday??will be ship on the following Monday
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