Re: [Killietalk] Re: Roughage again! & Re: proper feeding

[LeeH920226 at aol_com]

I believe that insect larvae are more nutritious than the insects themselves. 
Most insects feed and grow during the larva stage and in the flying stage 
just cruise around mate and die after a short period. Not much food value in a 
creature built for a short life. That leaves us with the following opportunities 
for feeding our fish from the insect world.
1. Mosquito larvae
2. Midge larvae like bloodworms
3. Confused beetle larvae
4. Other flying insect larvae, like fruit flies
5. Grubs - larvae of moths, etc.

    The season determines what you can obtain easily. Mosquito larvae are the 
easiest in the early summer. Bloodworms no longer seem to be commercially 
available, but you can collect a few at the same time you are collecting mosquito 
larvae. The larvae of those little flour gnats you get around microworm 
cultures are also good fish food. However, at some point, you end up spending 90% 
of your time raising or collecting live food and have no time for fish 
maintenance and watching. You have been transformed into a bug keeper rather than a 
fish keeper. What's the answer - I am not sure, but some basic dry or frozen 
food supplemented within reason by live food du jour. Or, do as many folks do, 
take advantage of the outdoors when possible and raise killies in pools or 
containers outside. This can probably be a three season event in some parts of the 
country or year round in Florida. If you choose your killies, it could be year 
round in most of the country. The down side of that approach is that you not 
only expose your killies to a variety of natural foods but also natural 
predators -- larger insect larvae that prey on fish. Dragon fly and Damsel fly 
larvae are especially predacious.

Lee Harper
Media, PA USA

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