I use Josh's Frogs medium and cups and just follow their instructions. For Hydei, I add a little more water so it's like real soft mashed potatoes cuz the media can dry out by the time the flies get their groove on. I do dust the flies heavily with calcium before starting a new culture to kill off mites. Then I put the cultures in my bathroom, either near the ceiling in the winter or under the sink in the summer. I am testing out my own media right now so if it's successful I'll let u know.