Feeder goldfish

[audio77]

i've heard alot of negative about feeding any knd of fish, feeder goldfish. th etwo main reasons are that they arent very nutritious and cause of disease. but i've heard other people say they are fine. any thoughts? as far as disease goes, i heard you can quarrentine them to a tank for a short while (no idea how long) and then it will be safe to feed them to your fish and not worry about disease. any thoughts? to me it seems like "disabling" feeders and tossin them in would be very easy and kinda fun to watch the rays HUNT. any other reccomended live food? besides CNC. i've heard ghost shrimp and guppies too, but arent guppies expensive? i guess i'd like to be able to set up a feeder tank under my 180 and put a divider or 2 to house feeders.

[vfrex]

Theres stuff in goldfish that breaks down or stops nutricional stuff from being absorbed by the fish. Thats the extent of what I know, besides the fact that goldfish seem to be disease ridden.

I'm not exactly sure what CNC is, but as far as other live foods, worms.

[125gJoe]

Originally posted by vfrex
[B, besides the fact that goldfish seem to be disease ridden.... [/B]I would agree with that!.... In a LFS's feeder tank, that is..:(

[Roland]

Originally posted by audio77
but arent guppies expensive?

They're very inexpensive in the long run if you create a feeder tank i.e. 10gal arquarium, sponge filter, a male and several female guppies and a lot of java moss. Feed them fllake as normal, raise the fry and you'll have a constant supply of feeder fish.

[125gJoe]

Originally posted by Roland


They're very inexpensive in the long run if you create a feeder tank i.e. 10gal arquarium, sponge filter, a male and several female guppies and a lot of java moss. Feed them fllake as normal, raise the fry and you'll have a constant supply of feeder fish. Now here's an immediate supply! LOL :D http://pic4.picturetrail.com:80/VOL59/715239/1510346/19057889.jpg

[Roland]

Do you think thats one inch of fish per gallon?!

[audio77]

hey roland

"They're very inexpensive in the long run if you create a feeder tank i.e. 10gal arquarium, sponge filter, a male and several female guppies and a lot of java moss. Feed them fllake as normal, raise the fry and you'll have a constant supply of feeder fish."

i've never bred fish before, is it hard? how do i know the male from the female? how long does it take for them to mate, have fry, and for them to mature?

[Roland]

I would suggest breeding livebearers first i.e. mollies, platies, or swordtails. In this variety of fish sexing is easy, the male fish has an extended anal fin known as a gonopodium. As the name suggests, these fish give birth to live young, as apposed to other fish which release (externally fertilised) eggs.

Just follow what I wrote about feeder guppies (also livebearers) and don’t worry, they'll breed without any special conditions, and then raise the fry to adulthood on liquid fry food and powdered flake food. You will have to prob cull some of the offspring to keep your tank pop at a maintainable level. Remember water changes.

Thats just the bare basics. You need to research extensively from books and from the internet any fish you plan to keep or breed. You'll find you're much more successful in fish keeping and breeding with a sound background knowledge of the fish and the habitat they require. Its also easier for others to give advise when you have a resonable idea yourself. Good luck!

[Dangerdoll]

Originally posted by audio77
but arent guppies expensive?

also, some lfs sell feeder guppies, which turn out to be wild strain of guppies and can be just as inexpensive as the feeder goldfish....I guess you'd just have to find a lfs that stocks them....

[125gJoe]

Originally posted by Dangerdoll


also, some lfs sell feeder guppies, Yes, true. I have seen them.... They're smaller and better for smaller fish that would need that 'diet'.. I'm still very leary of 'feeder fish' pertaining to introducing disease to a tank that may be a very clean tank.. :confused:

[pinballqueen]

Live foods are a good supplement to give your fish the chance to act on its natural instincts, but don't rely on them as your pet's primary source of nutrition. A feeder treat every once in a while can be a good thing, but there are numerous problems that could arise from feeding strictly feeders, such as vitamin deficiency and disease.

Imagine having a pet cat that ate only live mice and you'll see what I mean...

As for breeding guppies for food, that's a great idea. They're not hard to breed at all (it's nearly impossible to keep them from it, come to think of it...)

Some people breed convict cichlids for much the same purpose, but they are egg layers, and a little pickier about their surroundings than livebearers are.