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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Huntsville, Texas, 773**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$68
Super Swarm Fruit Fly Kit | 20 Cultures
Produce your own fruit fly cultures at home with the TC INSECTS Super Swarm Fruit Fly Kit, a convenient starter bundle designed for hobbyists, breeders, and keepers who want to make large numbers of healthy feeder flies with less hassle
This kit includes the core supplies needed to make 20 fruit fly cultures, making it a great option for reptile keepers, amphibian keepers, and anyone who needs a steady feeder supply
Kit Includes:
3 lbs ...
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South Gate, California, 902**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$40
Condition:
New
Item Specifics:
* Brand: NEKTON
* Model: Drosophila Breeding Concentrate
* Type: Fruit Fly Culture Food
* Weight: 1000g (35 27 oz)
* Country / Region of Manufacture: Germany
* Intended For: Drosophila (Fruit Fly) Cultures
* Suitable For: Reptile, Amphibian, and Insect Feed Breeding
* MDD: 2028-01-18
Description:
New sealed container of NEKTON-Drosophila breeding concentrate. Complete feed concentrate designed for breeding...
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Xenia, Ohio, 453**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$55
6 Pack Live Fruit Fly Cultures ?? Premium Feeder Flies
High-quality, long-lasting fruit fly cultures bred for consistent production and shelf life. Perfect for reptile keepers, dart frog hobbyists, jumping spider owners, and breeders
Unlike standard cultures that crash quickly, our cultures are designed to last longer and produce more, giving you better value and more feeding cycles
? What You Get:
(6) 32oz Fruit Fly CulturesChoose your species:D. melanogaster (smaller, faster ...
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Niagara Falls, New York, 143**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$8
Drosophila Hydei Fruit Fly Culture
Fruit Flies Drosophila Hydei are perfect feeder insects for carnivorous plants - Drosera (Sundew), Pinguicula (Butterwort), small Sarracenia (Pitcher Plants), Dionaea Muscipula ( Venus Flytrap) and Nepenthes (Tropical Pitcher Plant) etc , as well as for young or small reptiles or other insectivorous animals
We sell them in 32 oz specialized containers providing food and comfort habitat for many generations of Fruit Flies
...
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Vienna, Georgia, 310**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$10
Due to winter months and cold temps, live arrival is voided without purchase of a heat pack! please be aware of this when purchasing. Live arrival voided during extreme temps. HEAT PACK OPTION AVAILABLE IF YOUR TEMPS WILL BE HIGH
Will have excelsior for surface area
DISCLAIMER: as we enter winter temps, there is a risk that cultures will not arrive alive or producing, because of this I have included a heat pack option. I will also be shipping priority VS first class so prices have ...
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