feeder fish/etc

[BCOrchidGuy]

What do those of you who feed live food to your tanks keep for feeder fish etc. Do you keep a dedicated tank or do you just use a refugium. I thought about putting some mollies in a refugium but I figured they'd eat the pods I want to grow in there. I'd be tempted to set up a 20 gallon for some swords but my swords don't have many babies, either that or they dissapear quick in the plant tank.

Doug

[UnderWorldAquatics]

I like to use mollies for larger fish, and baby mollies and guppies for smaller fish, and goldfish when nothing else is available...
I also take in unwanted damsels, my fish seem to want them...lol

[BCOrchidGuy]

I was thinking more of food for inverts etc, For the size of tank I think I'd be better just sticking with frozen silversides etc. I've read many times over that freshwater fish aren't a healthy alternative as food for your reef fish etc.

Doug

[UnderWorldAquatics]

Guppies and danios are good, mollies are ok, and goldfish are really fatty, so not the best, feeding freshwater fish is not that bad, it actually gives the fish a break as they are always trying to osmos salt from their system as they are constantly consuming salt in the sea water they swallow, feeding goldfish, and goldfish only is not good as it is an unbalanced diet. Mysis shrimp is a freshwater product and it is known to be of the best foods out there for marine fish... I am lucky because I always get people giving me damsels, and chromis, and I can always order extra damsels that are on special, at wholesale pricing.... I wouldnt want to be feeding marine fish bought from a store, I would be broke like a joke... hopefully you dont have many dead fish lying around, but when I get large orders in, there is always a few that didnt make shipping, or are very close to death, they get fed to my anemones, a 8"+ anemone will take in a 4" tang like nothing. By inverts what do you mean? anemones? shrimp?starfish?

[BCOrchidGuy]

Wow yes I guess it can be expensive getting 4 in Tangs as food for a anemone, as for inverts donut corals, anemones, any coral thats a meat eater. Shrimp etc all seem to do fine on brine shrimp and meaty frozen foods that I add to the tank.

Doug

[UnderWorldAquatics]

I feed anemones and corals alot of snapper, and sole, and whatever is on special at the seafood market. They do really well, one of my current anemones is a magnificent anemone and was the size of a thumb nail 3 months ago, now after being feed what I mentioned above every week, he is a good 6" in diameter, with 3" long tentacles

[BCOrchidGuy]

Snapper and Sole are easy to get, I've got krill and silversides to feed right now but either of those are easy to come by and cheap. I've got a pound of spirulina powder, do you think that it would have any negative effects on the anemone if I added some to the food it's being fed?

Doug

[StirCrazy]

Guppies and danios are good, mollies are ok, and goldfish are really fatty, so not the best, feeding freshwater fish is not that bad, it actually gives the fish a break as they are always trying to osmos salt from their system as they are constantly consuming salt in the sea water they swallow

sorry this is not true at all but rather a old wives tale.. there have been a few articles done proving the fat type and levels found in fresh water fish are actualy bad for marine fish and to much of it can cause serious helth problems. it is not just goldfish but all fresh water fish.

think about the explanation you just gave, so a fish in the wild dies because it doesent get a break from eating food from salt water. creatures are designed to live in the biotope they are found, only humans and a few other species can adapt readidly to different biotopes with no harmfull effects in short spans of time.

Steve

[kuatto]

When you accimalate(spelling?)mollies to salt water and start raising them,feeding them in salt water enviroment,does it make them a better food source?

Jim

[BCOrchidGuy]

I've wondered that as well Jim, I understand guppies can be acclimated to salt water as well. I know they tollerate brackish water with out any trouble.

Doug