Repashy SuperFly Fruit Fly Culture Food, 6 oz, jar

Repashy SuperFly fruit fly culture food comes as a 6 oz (170 g) jar of powder, and one dry ounce of the powder yields up to a single culture. The powder is mixed with water and set in a 32 oz deli container, and the manufacturer lists it for both Drosophila melanogaster and Drosophila hydei.

What the SuperFly powder does in a culture

The manufacturer gives two mixing routes for SuperFly fruit fly culture food. One uses 3 tablespoons of media with 2/3 cup of boiling water, the other 4 tablespoons of media with 2/3 cup of hot tap water. Either way the mixture is stirred until blended, and the finished surface levels out on its own once the container is tapped on the table.

• Consistency can be corrected after mixing by adding water or more media, as the manufacturer directs.
• The mixture needs to cool before flies go in.
• The culture is kept at approximately 75 °F.

Does this culture food suit your flies and your setup?

Check the species first: the manufacturer names Drosophila melanogaster and Drosophila hydei as the two this media is for. The container size to plan around is a 32 oz deli container, which is the size the manufacturer uses for a typical culture.

Temperature is the other variable to check, because the timeline the manufacturer gives shifts with it. Larvae should begin to appear in 5 to 15 days, and flies in 10 to 30 days depending on temperature and species. If your room runs well below 75 °F, that is the figure to compare against before you mix a batch.

How to mix a batch of the media

Set a 32 oz deli container on the table and pick one of the two ratios the manufacturer gives: 3 tablespoons of media to 2/3 cup boiling water, or 4 tablespoons of media to 2/3 cup hot tap water. Stir until the powder and water are blended, then tap the container and watch whether the surface levels out; if it does not, add water or media until it does.

Leave the mixture to cool before adding flies, and hold the finished culture at approximately 75 °F. Larvae typically show up within 5 to 15 days, with adult flies following at 10 to 30 days depending on temperature and species.

Questions about the 6 oz jar

How many cultures does the 6 oz jar make?

One dry ounce of powder yields up to a single culture, so a 6 oz jar covers up to six cultures.

How much media and water go into one culture?

Either 3 tablespoons of media with boiling water or 4 tablespoons of media with hot tap water, measured at 2/3 cup each, then stirred until blended.

Which Drosophila species can this media be used with?

The manufacturer lists it for Drosophila melanogaster and Drosophila hydei.

When will flies appear in the culture?

Larvae should start appearing in 5 to 15 days, and flies in 10 to 30 days depending on temperature and species.

How much protein is in the powder?

The analysis lists crude protein at a minimum of 15%, with crude fat at a minimum of 0.2% and calcium at a minimum of 0.5%.