Bait as food?

[Dudzy]

Howdy,

I live in Australia and own two Barramundi and a large Murray Cod.
I've heard people say that you can buy whitebait from a bait and tackle store to feed your fish... is this true?

 

[HarlanAshmore]

i wouldn't trust bait it could be off whats wrong with regular frozen fish food

 

[cr8on]

I know of plenty of people that feed their fish bait, works out way cheaper when feeding large predators. I wouldn't buy fresh seafood to feed my fish personally, as it is sometimes sprayed with preservatives that are designed to be cooked away, and when the food is fed raw to your fish, they could be affected. I use frozen whitebait and prawns for my fish, which I source from an Asian grocery store. Cheap and safe.

 

[cr8on]

Are frozen sardines and anchovies from bait shops safe and nutritious?

Sardines have a high oil content and could pollute your water, anchovies have a high salt content. I would say no.

 

[mssassysan2000]

Feed them market fish or shrimp but not from baitshop is not safe at all unless you quarentine them.

 

[cr8on]

Feed them market fish or shrimp but not from baitshop is not safe at all unless you quarentine them.

How do you quarantine seafood?

 

[cr8on]

Oh ok...

 

[Dudzy]

Ok cool, so if I got to the shop just buy fish fillets from the cold fish section?

 

[Liam]

I've used bait prawns. No negative effect on my fish. I used the tweed ones you buy from servos... lol.

next time I think I'll go buy local caught ones or whatever. My smaller fish loved the prawns cut up. go for it man, I don't see the harm, and I'm not sure there's too many parasites or diseases that span from freshwater to salt water.

 

[kevbc03]

I dont know if you consider earthworms bait, but i feed my piranhas live bait (earthworms) that i buy from the store all the time. They go crazy over them!!