Over the years there has been much hype about whether or not a dark or cloudy spore syringe is more effective than a spore syringe that appears to be more clear.
It would seem that from an initial visual perspective a darker or inky spore syringe would be a better product to experiment with. The darker the mixture inside the syringe should be equal to the amount of spores inside and more spores means a better chance at microscopy.
Unfortunately this perspective is not 100% accurate. From most of the experiments we have been apart of a clear spore syringe can be just as effective, and even more reliable than a cloudy or dark spore mixture. The fact is that mushroom spores are microscopic and not visible to the human eye unless they are in large numbers or clumps.
So when you are viewing a clear spore syringe it can actually contain thousands of microscopic spores. When a spore syringe has been properly mixed it will not clump and you will not be able to easily see the spores inside with your eyes alone. If you were to take a few drops of that solution and view it under a microscope you would see all the spores floating around.
So what is the difference? Other than just visual appearance there can actually be some complications with a clumpy or dark syringe if it was not properly mixed. The spores will be much harder to release and can get stuck in the needle or inside the syringe when the water is pushed out causing blockage. A clear or more transparent syringe will still have thousands of spores and when you use it they will flow freely.
Over the years vendors have realized that darker spore syringes can sometimes sell better as the average customer does not have the experience to know the difference. If you were to make your decision based on how dark the spore syringe is alone it would be easy to understand how it would appear that a darker mixture would equal a better spore syringe, but usually that is not the case.
Sadly some vendors have even gone to the extent to fake the dark look of there product by adding dye or charcoal to the mixture. This would make there spore syringes appear to be very thick and full of mushroom spores when it reality they are getting the same amount or less than a regular spore syringe. It is important to do a little research before making a purchase and do business with a vendor who has been around for some time.
Spores101.com has always provided quality spore syringes with a realistic amount of mushroom spores in each syringe. In most cases to get results you don't need a dark syringe and the average clear mixture will do the trick just fine. But due to market demand and the lack of experience some customers will still prefer even more mushroom spores inside to make the syringe appear darker so we have included an upgrade option with each strain. If you choose this option we will maximize the amount of mushroom spores in the mixture and make it darker for you.
So if you are browsing the forums and hear complaints or rumors about spore syringes being clear make sure you post a link to this article as it may help to educate an otherwise unexperienced beginner on this simple subject. Thanks for reading!




J.T. Date 8/16/2010 7:26:01 PM
This is a very good thing to know. I thought that if the darker it was, the better. Most people may not even read this page. The information , to myself, was easy to find. I give spores101.com a five out of five. I'm so pleasde with the integrity of spores101.com. I will always be a repeat customer for as long as I live. Thank you spores 101
- J.T?
flyking138 Date 9/9/2010 1:19:13 AM
I ordered an alcabenzi syringe a while back and innoculated a few jars and there was strong mycelium growth after three days! the syringe water was completely clear and contained thousands of spores. honestly, i'd rather have a clear vs. a dark syringe anyday. thanks!
thouse Date 9/10/2010 9:13:43 AM
spores101 is a excellent company. I recieved my shipment within 3 days and it is truly a high quality product. Thanks guys! I will always be a customer of yours!
Pan Cyan Date 9/15/2010 3:11:08 AM
I have been nothing but overly satisfied with spores101. I tried this site first, then I tried a few other companies. After being delayed by slow shipping or low-quality products from these other guys, I have made the decision to devote my patronage to spores101 only. YOU GUYS ROCK!!
Velvet_Man Date 3/6/2011 12:14:09 PM
I love Spores101! They have ALWAYS been dependable on my microscopic needs!
Thanks Spores101!
bob Date 4/11/2011 3:03:33 PM
cheez pizza
Dan Rather Date 5/9/2011 4:29:13 AM
I must be a beginner. I've been studying spores for a little over a year and haven't yet heard of this. Will review my resources:p
Mush Zombie Date 5/30/2011 4:30:14 PM
Spores101.com is the best!! They are honest in commerce, and reliable! You will not regret doing business with Spores101, unless you like getting scammed, of course. ;)
Mush Zombie Date 5/30/2011 4:30:46 PM
Spores101.com is the best!! They are honest in commerce, and reliable! You will not regret doing business with Spores101, unless you like getting scammed, of course. ;)
Cristin Date 7/5/2011 4:14:59 AM
I wonder if this site is legit...It looks quite similar to SporeStore and They have quite a large amount of Negative feed backs.. (Sigh) If only I could trust a website to sell an actual real product..I would be a customer for life. It's too bad some people have to trick people to get their money from them, bad Karma for them.
Chan Date 7/14/2011 4:26:07 AM
Valuable info right here! Thanks!
willie Date 8/15/2011 1:28:50 PM
I been doing this hobby long enough to know what
Im doing! Even syringes made from a print the
size of dime will be darker that yours. Your add.
is misleading, leading ppl to believe that they must be inexperienced cause expect to see a colored syringe! What A FUCKIN LOAD!
jason murray Date 8/23/2011 3:01:40 PM
I must agree with willie, although I have never had a fail with spores 101s spores, a darker syringe allows me to stretch my solution even further. more for your money. I have made many solutions from my own spores and I feel more confident with my darker ones than clear. spores 101.com has never let me down but some info seems to be just to sell. still a fan.
newbgrower1 Date 8/27/2011 6:09:54 AM
i love spores 101 coustemer service and over all buisness experince i doubt ill ever go any where else :D
Morgan Toews Date 8/31/2011 2:05:11 PM
good good good
mike kile Date 9/14/2011 8:12:02 AM
How many subsract jars can fill with one seringe
captain obnoxious Date 9/23/2011 4:42:28 PM
so for the sake of the argument, i say BULLSHIT! First off, the points you make are legitimate. It only takes a few spores to start a colony and spores are generally microscopic unless they start clumping up in the syringe so those claims are fair. It's also fair to say your syringes have 1000s of spores, i've been a pretty happy customer all these years with a good germination rate. But here's the bullshit, while there could be thousands of spores, only a handful per 100 will germinate. quoted
captain obnoxious Date 9/23/2011 4:43:41 PM
from paul staments' book "Keep in mind that for every one hundred spores, only an average of one to five germinate." so while its great that there are thousands in that syringe but only a handful will develop if at all. Secondly, darker spore syringes = bigger multispore gene pool. i'll try not to complain too much but I've gotten syringes from you that had amazing rhizomorphic genetics and i've the shitty cottony mycelium that only colonize and barely produce fruitbodies. i promise i'm not tryi
captain obnoxious Date 9/23/2011 4:44:13 PM
ing to bash you guys, i've never gotten a contaminated syringe and i'm just trying to point out that darker syringes will give more living spores, improving the success of innoculation and with enough spore diversity some rhizomorphic secondary mycelium should produce much greater success to the budding mushroom cultivator.
anyway can i use discount code: asshole. for a free syringe with my order? ;)
fatstickman18 Date 10/16/2011 6:19:33 PM
your grammar throughout this entire article is full of mistakes.
Two_Sense Date 11/26/2011 5:57:12 PM
Although new to the hobby, I am aware that mushroom spores are only 5 to 30 microns in diameter, thus well below the human visual threshhold. The difference between a regular and upgraded or "dark" syringe lies in the spore count per ML. Both syringe types should be clear to the naked eye. The higher spore count per ML within upgraded syringes decreases the elapsed time between culture innoculation and maturation.
koolaid Date 1/2/2012 3:19:39 PM
any mycologist amateur or otherwise knows that less is more with spores.
Gabriel Gonzalez Date 1/4/2012 6:16:47 PM
thanks for all Your Honesty, I Really Like This Page!! spores101 THanks!
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