Golden Delicious Producing Culture for Sale This is a single, already-producing culture of Golden Delicious, a small, flightless strain of Drosophila melanogaster. TC offers it as their smallest feeder fly, which makes it a good match for the tiniest animals. Because it is sold as a producing culture, it should already contain larvae and pupae and give flies soon. It arrives in a 32oz cup with Super Swarm Media. In short, it is the easy single-culture option for very small pets. Smallest Fly, Single Ready Culture This listing pairs the small size with the single, ready-to-feed format. So it suits keepers who want one culture they can feed from quickly. For bulk pricing, the Golden Delicious pack listing offers 5, 10, and 20 culture options. Honest Note on Size and Production TC lists Golden Delicious as the smallest of their fruit flies, but the size still sits around 3mm, close to the standard melanogaster. So treat it as among the smallest feeder flies, and pick it when you want a small fly for tiny animals. The small size does not change nutrition, so still dust the flies before feeding. A producing culture is further along than a fresh one, so you can usually feed soon. However, output rises, peaks, then fades over a few weeks. Therefore, plan to rotate or replace cultures to keep flies on hand. Using Your Culture Care is the same as any small melanogaster culture. Feeding from It Feed flies once you see them moving in the cup. If it arrives with mostly larvae and pupae, give it a few days to finish emerging. Conditions Keep the culture at normal room temperature and out of direct sun. Stable warmth keeps production steady. Harvesting and Dusting Tap flies into a separate cup, then dust them with calcium and a multivitamin before feeding. Tapping the cup down keeps the flies from climbing out. Best For Keepers who want a single, ready-to-feed culture for tiny animals. Newly morphed and thumbnail dart frogs that need the smallest prey. The smallest mantis nymphs and tiny spiderlings. Small fish and other animals that take very small feeders. Not Best For Keepers who want several cultures or bulk pricing, who should use the pack listing. Larger animals, since these flies are very small. For a bigger fly, try Hydei. Keepers who will not dust feeders, because small size does not change the low calcium content. Recommended Add-Ons TC Calcium Ultra Fine to dust flies before feeding. Golden Delicious Packs for buying several cultures at a discount. Springtails as another tiny feeder for froglets and small animals. Hydei Fruit Fly Culture to step up in size as your animals grow. Super Swarm Dry Fruit Fly Media to culture your own flies at home. Frequently Asked Questions What is this listing? It is a single, already-producing culture of Golden Delicious, the small flightless fruit fly TC offers as their smallest feeder fly. It is sold at a flat price. How is it different from the Golden Delicious pack listing? This is one culture, sold as producing and ready to feed soon. The pack listing offers the same fly in 5, 10, and 20 culture options with bulk discounts. How small are these flies? They run around 3mm, and TC lists them as their smallest fly. So they suit animals that need the smallest possible prey. Can I feed from it right away? Usually yes, since it is sold as producing. Feed flies once you see them, and give it a few days if it arrives mostly as larvae and pupae. Do I still need to dust the flies? Yes. The small size does not change the low calcium content, so dust before feeding. How long will it keep producing? Output rises, peaks, then fades over a few weeks. So rotate or replace cultures to keep flies on hand. Learn More About Fruit Flies These sources cover the biology of the fly behind your culture. How and Why Drosophila Became a Model Organism. A review of the fast life cycle and prolific breeding that make this fly easy to keep as a producing culture. eLife: The Secret Lives of Drosophila Flies. A peer-reviewed look at the natural history of the fruit fly behind this feeder. ScienceDirect: Gut Loading (veterinary overview). A reference on why feeder insects need supplementation, which supports dusting flies before feeding.
