Flake Soil Problems

[QuissettHouse]

Bit of backstory: I had made two batches of flake soil a while back which just wrapped up recently. One finished up much earlier (it was closer to my radiator), so I combined it with my last bit of BIC flake soil. To stop fermentation, I threw it in the freezer for a bit. Around a week later, the second batch finished up. I opened it, and noticed a significant amount of fungus gnats flying off. I saw just a few larvae in there when I dug around, so I froze that separately for two weeks. I then combined the two batches, thinking it was fine, and left it for a day or two until I needed it. I just opened it up, and the whole thing now smells slightly like those fruit fly cultures you can buy at the pet store. I'm almost 100% sure the pupae and larvae I found when I dug through it are dead (they must have been in it before I froze it for two weeks, I can't imagine they survived that), and the first batch had none, and smelled great before combining. I didn't notice a funky smell before I froze the second batch, but didn't give it a good sniff. It looks fine, I don't see frass and the decayed wood bits still look good. Is the whole thing now screwed? I don't THINK that the larvae consumed too much in the way of nutrients, but honestly that's just my gut feeling, I can't prove it. Should I pitch it and try it again? Should I try to let it dry out or air out and see if that solves the smell issue?... I have no clue what to do, if I should just use it, or just throw it

 

[Oak]

Most fungus gnats should have died if you froze the substrate. You should dry out the substrate if you want to get rid of the smell.  

 

[QuissettHouse]

Most fungus gnats should have died if you froze the substrate. You should dry out the substrate if you want to get rid of the smell.  

That's my thinking as well. My concern is if the smell is indicative of anything?... It doesn't smell earthy anymore, or if it does, it's not something I picked up through the smell of gnats/fruit flies. It's not a high ammonia content in the soil or anything from the gnat larvae that were eating in there, or anything like that?

 

[Oak]

That's my thinking as well. My concern is if the smell is indicative of anything?... It doesn't smell earthy anymore, or if it does, it's not something I picked up through the smell of gnats/fruit flies. It's not a high ammonia content in the soil or anything from the gnat larvae that were eating in there, or anything like that?

I'm not really sure of the issue myself; however, in my experience completely drying out the substrate seemed to do the trick. Try wetting the substrate after it's dried. If the smell still persists, then you might have to redo the fermentation.

 

[QuissettHouse]

I'm not really sure of the issue myself; however, in my experience completely drying out the substrate seemed to do the trick. Try wetting the substrate after it's dried. If the smell still persists, then you might have to redo the fermentation.

Okay. That makes sense, I can't imagine that too many people have had this problem. That was my plan, but to hear it from someone more knowledgeable than myself makes me feel better about it. Thank you for the help!

 

[Garin]

I think its probably fine, just need to mix it up and give it some air as Oak has mentioned. Occasionally my substrate will get a odor and I mix it up and let it get some air and it's fine. I have never had my substrate harm any larvae. Keep mixing it, that is key until the larvae start doing it.