[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: cultures suitable for feeding to basic community fish




> Date: Tue, 16 May 2000 05:31:22 -0600
> From: Andrew Ternay <macfish at airmail_net>
> Subject: cultures suitable for feeding to basic community fish
> 
> Hi; I am looking for live foods that I can culture which will be of
> suitable size to feed to basic community fish (tetras, barbs, dwarf
> cichlids).  I have been culturing daphnia and buying blackworms, but
> recently moved to Dallas and cannot find an lfs carrying blackworms.  My
> greenwater cultures have crashed down here twice, something that I had been
> able to avoid in my former home of Colorado.

Avoid modern dechloraminators, for they contain formaldehyde-like stuff that
kills lower life forms like daphnia and probably uglena species (green
water). [Ammo-Lock 2, Amquel, etc.] Great for killing hydra, tho, I find!

> 
> Are vinegar eels a suitable size to feed to community fish?

Not really. They probably are too small. Great for new hatchlings, tho.

> 
> The temp in my home will reach above 80 degrees F occasionally during the
> summer--will this preclude culturing white worms and red worms?

Yes. An old refrigerator is called for in such heat. Grindals will be
smaller, but do much better at normal room temperatures.

> 
> Any secrets to keeping green water going in Texas?  I have been keeping the
> greenwater going by using water from a cichlid tank, harvesting half the
> culture each week to refill the daphnia tanks, and adding a tiny amount of
> Pond Flourish by Seachem to the green water culture (mostly for iron).

Lots of sun and *no* chloramine removers. Harvest a bit less, or also add
some "Miracle Grow." Since I use "Amquel" I sort of stopped using old tank
change water and the crashes in my cultures seem to be less frequent. YMMV.

> 
> Any suggestions will be appreciated.

Mosquito larvae are the finest sort of live food, IMHO. A handful of grass
clippings, decaying in an outdoor bucket of water will get them going
quickly. Just be sure to harvest all if you want to be a good neighbor. :-)

Last, but not least, I feed newly hatched Artemia nauplii to all my adult
fish as a rich supplement to their diet. I hatch two tsp. of brine-shrimp
eggs per day, and feed the babies first. The rest goes in the tanks with
adults, and all love them.

Wright

-- 
Wright Huntley, Fremont CA, USA, 510 494-8679  huntleyone at home dot com

         "DEMOCRACY" is two wolves and a lamb voting on lunch.
     "LIBERTY" is a well-armed lamb denying enforcement of the vote.
             *** http://www.self-gov.org/index.html ***