a few opinions on types of food for fish.

[Chumpp_308]

first off id like to thank Simpte again for getting my account up and running once more.

anyway, i was wondering if feeding my fish guppys is actually nutricous or whether it is just more of a filler food.

also i read an article and ill quote this out for you

"Tubifex. This is a thin, red worm that lives in mud of rivers, and is usually collected from polluted rivers. By feeding Tubifex to your fish, you are exposing them to the diseases these worms may be carrying.

Red Mosquito Larvae (a.k.a. blood worms). I have fed bloodworms to my fish without any known incidents; however, I know some authorities out there caution against them. Note, however, that I feed with these very light--only what they can consume in 30 seconds.

Beef Heart. Fishes are unable to utilize fat from warm-blooded animals for energy use. As a result, these fats build up in the liver, and over time will result in degeneration of their liver. For this reason, meat from any warm-blooded animal, and especially beef heart, is bad for your fishes."

this is the page if any are interested " http://www.cichlid-forum.com/article...n_cichlids.php "

i was wondering if that is true because ive been feeding my tiger barbs tubifex about three times a week for about year now and theyve always been fine. im just looking for opinions, and if thats true then im letting you know what this food really is. thanks in advance.

[Lexus]

is the Tubifex live, frozen or freeze dried. I believe this only applys to live... (correct me if I am wrong)

[Chumpp_308]

i never thought of that, the stuff i feed is freeze dried, i live and hour and a half away from the nearest fish store so its hard for me to get live foods like that. thanks fer clearing that one up for me tho

[shev]

I'd have to say guppies are better than goldfish. goldfish are chocked full of carotenes and can bring some great colors out of your oscar, but they have a vitamin B depleting enzyme, i think it starts with a "T". also, feeder goldfish are mass bred on overcrowded fish farms that use copper meds in suspension form to combat diseases. the copper is retained in the fish, then transmitted to the fish you feed them to, which can damage livers. thy also carry parasites. breeding convicts and feeding the fry pretty much ensures theyre parasite free.

[judya]

http://www.livefoodcultures.com/

There are good places to get live food that you can raise yourself. That way you can use a variety. The above is a great place for information, and I know he is a good guy, and an excellent fishkeeper and live food vendor.

[shev]

I just bought some food from him off aquabid.

[Chumpp_308]

i was thinking about trying to get sum mosquito larvae going but i dont want to end up adding to the already unbearable amount here in manitoba, its nutz. but i would like to get some sort of culture going. for now im sticking with the guppys and il see where it goes.

[shev]

Mosquito larvae cultures are great. and if anything you are lowering the mosquito population since the mosquitos lay their eggs in your bucket, where you can maintain them, and not somewhere else.

[Chumpp_308]

never thought that way about it, the more i read the better the idea seems

[Chumpp_308]

i read taht for culturing mosquito larvae to fill a nylon stocking full of cow crap and hang it in your container, is this true or can you jsut let the water sit without the cow crap it it will jsut take longer without it.

getting the cow crap isnt gonna be hard cuz i live on a farm, but it just seem cleaner for the fish if the cow crap can be left out of the situation.

[TheOldSalt]

WHAT???

You can do without the cow dung quite nicely. Any standing puddle of water will attract mosquitos aplenty in no time.

[shev]

Use nylons filled with decaying vegetable matter. like leaves or a watermelon rind, the smell will attract the mosquitos to lay eggs. you may also get some infusoria from the bacteria. If you leave a bucket out leave it in the shade. I think it'll take longer though.

[Chumpp_308]

i think i might end up using the cow dung, i got lots here and itl be quicker and easier, for me anyway, thanks for the help guys

[maxpayne_lhp]

Nah it's not nice, decaying vegy or fruit is better. I tried one and didn't even need to put anything into the bucket. Well at least I'm living in the tropical region...

is the Tubifex live, frozen or freeze dried. I believe this only applys to live... (correct me if I am wrong)

Really? I can make frozen one but since mom screams out everytime she open the fridge, I gotta stop.