Live food will stimulate their instinctive feeding behaviors and provide your fish with healthy energy sources that they’d otherwise miss out on from plain flakes sold at most aquarium shops.
Aquarists frequently cultivate live foods like Daphnia, baby Brine Shrimp, Microworms, Green Water Algae and Paramecium at home for their aquarium. Freeze-dried food may also be an option for those unable to propagate live food in their tank.
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White worms
White worms are small annelid worms that can be used to feed various kinds of fish, from tropical freshwater and saltwater species. You’ll find them at online pet stores or supermarkets and make for an excellent food option in bar fridges or similar devices if kept cool and dark with no pests nearby. UNH Research Associate Professor Elizabeth Fairchild is studying modern farming techniques as potential ways to produce white worms as live feed for cultured aquatic species.
White worms thrive best in light soil that contains coarse material to provide air circulation, such as peat moss. Peat moss retains moisture well while having an ideal neutral pH level of around 5. If either the pH levels of your culture medium are too high or low, reproduction will not take place at optimal rates.
Styrofoam boxes and Tupperware containers can also be used to house worms, although daily rinses with dechlorinated water should be conducted to avoid fouling of the water supply by their inhabitants.
Mosquito larvae
Mosquito larvae provide tropical fish with essential proteins and healthy lipids to maintain a balanced diet, and help support growth. In particular, mosquito larvae make an ideal protein source for herbivorous fish; alternatively they can become staple food sources for carnivorous varieties.
Female mosquitos lay their eggs in any water container – buckets, old tires, discarded containers, cans and plant pots can all provide ideal breeding grounds. When mosquito larvae reach the third stage of development they are ready for collection before becoming pupae.
The mosquito larva resembles a tiny worm with its hard head, narrow thorax, and narrow abdomen. It hangs just under the water surface and breathes through an ampule at its abdomen’s end; when alarmed it wriggles downward. Over time the larva outgrows its outer covering and sheds it for new one known as exoskeleton; each stage of this molting process is known as an instar.
Feeder goldfish
Young comet goldfish are frequently sold as feeder fish at pet stores, making them suitable for freshwater aquariums and outdoor ponds. Omnivorous comet goldfish feed on algae, plants matter, insects, crustaceans and worms in nature; in captivity they may also be fed dried flakes and food pellets as dietary supplements. Because these large creatures can quickly outgrow their quarantine tank environment if not introduced gradually into your community aquarium system.
Feeding goldfish too much food may result in belly enlargement or death due to improper digestion or when it turns rancid in their aquarium environment.
Your goldfish should receive a varied diet to prevent them from becoming dependent on one type of food and to promote overall good health. Be on the lookout for signs that they have overeaten such as transparent looking poo.
Flightless fruit flies
Fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) have long been used as part of genetic experiments and modifications to make them flightless. Fruit flies also make an effective food source for surface dwelling killifish as well as aquarium fish, reptiles, amphibians or carnivorous plants – and can even serve as feeders! Cultured easily, quickly and economically to provide nutritious source of proteins and amino acids.
Purchase them individually vials or as bulk kits at discounted rates for greater savings. Your flies are separated from their feeding culture and stored in a 32oz container that keeps them alive while they reproduce; in approximately 14 days your flies will be ready for feeding!
Flies cannot fly in their current state, but can still cling to surfaces and walls. To harvest them, gently tap an upright culture cup against a hard surface – this will dislodge any escapees while dislodging remaining flies from top and sides – then remove lid and pour a small portion over any enclosure you wish to feed with flies.
