Live foods...

catfishmike

catfishmike

Superstar Fish
#2
Oct 22, 2002
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Sin City, again...
#2
good live foods are daphnia,bloodworm(when possible)blackworm aka tubifix, brine shrimp,freshly hatched and full grown.larger fish can also take earthworms mealworms and crickets,ghost shrimp.real large ones can even eat crawdads(crawfish, crayfish whatever you like to call 'em)some of these you should be careful about.blackworms can be a source of parasites and disease if you get them from wild sources or bad suppliers.brine shrimp should be well rinsed to remove salt before adding to your tank,and i have heard of hydra outbreaks in tanks where baby brine shrimp are used.be careful when feeding earthworms ,be sure that they were raised in a pesticide free enviroment as earthworms eat dirt and the organic matter that is contained in dirt.
 

SLO-Dean

SLO-Dean

Large Fish
#3
Jan 27, 2003
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SLO, CA
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#3
Your lfs will likely carry a supply of live foods that are safe. I treat my fish to blackworms and occasionally brine shrimp. I like the blackworms (often called blood worms) as I get quite a few and can keep them for a while in the fridge and feed to my tank once a day as a treat. My fish love them.

Remember a balanced diet is a good idea. Flake has everything fish need, but it's nice to give them live and some vegies once in a while.
 

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geoffgarcia2

Large Fish
#5
Oct 22, 2002
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#5
from time to time I like to throw a live mouse in my piranha tank.
I have 6 of them that are about 4-6" long each....

and no, its not cruel.....no more so than throwing a dozen goldfish in there every other day or feeding the mice to a pet snake
 

Angelfish

Angelfish

Superstar Fish
#6
Apr 14, 2003
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Valencia, California.
#6
Now I know why I see cages of mice in the back of my LFS! J/k I already knew, but geoffgarcia2 Ive always wondered, how do the fish eat the mice? Is it messy with blood in the tank or is it more of a swollow it streight down kinda thing?
 

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geoffgarcia2

Large Fish
#7
Oct 22, 2002
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#7
hahahah:)
I was actually just teasing:)
I have a pretty sarcastic/dry sense of humor *LOL*

I really have the piranha and have often thought about getting a mouse, cuz I know they would definatly go for it....but yeah, it would be really bloody and they would probably only eat half of it and probably have big problems with bones....
 

Managuense

Managuense

Superstar Fish
#8
May 16, 2003
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Springfield, MO
#8
wow! at first thought, i tend to think that seeing this might be a bit brutal-- but i would be dishonest if i said i wouldnt watch it:) . human curiosity wins out in the end.

do you find your piranha to be interesting? i have heard pretty negative things about them in general, but always wondered what they are like. (red-bellies anyway)
M
 

pyackel

pyackel

Medium Fish
#14
May 30, 2003
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#14
Hi SLO-Dean. Hey - I just wanted to clear up some confusion you have about bloodworms and blackworms. Bloodworms are the larvae of a mosquito-like insect called a Midge. Blackworms, also know as Tubifex worms, are the aquatic version of the earthworm and are even related! I just wanted to let you know...:)
 

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prhelp

Large Fish
#15
Apr 26, 2003
248
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San Francisco Bay Area
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#15
I fed my fish some live tubifex last week and it was interesting. The worms tried to burrow into the sand and the jullis were all over the little wiggling tips still sticking out of the sand as they burrowed down. It was like a good car-chase scene, but it was more interesting than flake. Oh, and the fish liked it too. :)
 

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