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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Haskell, New Jersey, 074**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$10
Quantity of (20) 3x5" sticky traps
Got an annoying soil gnat or fruit fly issue around your reptiles? This is extremely common when keeping bio-active enclosures, isopods, millipedes, or even common house plants. These double-sided traps can easily be cut down and stuck to the lid or upper portion of your enclosure to eliminate these pests
Quantity shipped is 20 in each pack
* Make sure that your critters can not get to where you place these if going into an enclosure. They also have ...
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Newport, Tennessee, 378**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$17
(Hydei) Flightless Fruit Fly's are the larger variety of fruit flies and even though they are flightless they do have wings. These are the most popular feeder insects for:
Amphibians (frogs, all fish, and other aquatic amphibians) Reptiles (anoles, hatchlings, salamanders, and many other species) Insects ( Praying Mantis, Spiders, other larger insects)
Our Fruit Fly Cultures are loaded with fly's for feeding immediately when you receive your culture, and save plenty for later! The best ...
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Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, 180**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$20
This Flightless Hydei fruit fly culture is a must-have for any pet supplies enthusiast. With its unique and rare characteristics, it is an ideal addition to any reptile supplies collection. The culture is currently all FRESH and is perfect for those who want to experience the joys of having their own pet fruit fly colony.
The product is categorized under Pet Supplies and Reptile Supplies, making it a perfect fit for those who are passionate about reptiles. The title of the product clearly ...
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York Haven, Pennsylvania, 173**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$18
This Golden Hydei Fruit Fly Culture from Hocks Herps LLC is perfect for feeding your reptiles. It contains a high volume of nutritious flies that your pets will love. The culture is easy to maintain and comes with all the necessary supplies.
The product is ideal for reptile owners who want to provide their pets with a healthy and tasty diet. The flies are bred in a controlled environment to ensure quality and freshness. Get your Golden Hydei Fruit Fly Culture today and give your ...
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York Haven, Pennsylvania, 173**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$11
This Golden Hydei Fruit Fly Culture from Hocks Herps LLC is perfect for feeding your reptiles. It contains a high volume of nutritious flies that your pets will love. The culture is easy to maintain and comes with all the necessary supplies.
The product is ideal for reptile owners who want to provide their pets with a healthy and tasty diet. The flies are bred in a controlled environment to ensure quality and freshness. Get your Golden Hydei Fruit Fly Culture today and give your ...
more
