Cost of breeding feeders vs buying

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OldSchool

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Oct 3, 2005
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Edmonton, AB
I was wondering if anyone's figured out the cost of breeding feeders vs buying them from the store? While knowing your feeders aren't disease ridden is priceless, I'm curious if it's really worth the time and trouble in the end? Please let me know if anyone's got any input, thanks.
 
market shrimp is better, faster and cheaper than trying to breed fish for feeders...imo
 
If you have fish that absolutely MUST have feeders, it is usually easier and less expensive to purchase them.. This is based on the notion that most people only keep only one or two of these types of predators at one time.

If for some reason you have to feed ALOT of pure predators live food, then it might be a good idea to breed feeders on a major scale with pools or stock tanks. This is the only economical way to harvest feeders.
 
just buy liek 10 female convicts 10 male convicts throw them in a big indoor pond and ull have 1000 feeders in 2 weeks.
 
Cost of breeding feeders (assuming you dont have an extra tank) might be higher than you expect; tank, filter, light (opt), heater (opt), plus the breeding pair and food for the parents and fry. This can be fairly cheap if you buy used or find a great deal.

For me, I had fish that would ONLY eat feeders, so I would make friends with the LFS owner and go in on a batch of guppies for real cheap. I once got 500 fancy guppies for 50-60 bucks, they make beautiful feeders.
 
They will come around to eating shrimp in due time my friend... Unless u just want to breed something for the sake of breeding, and then use them as feeders than go with cons :thumbsup:

as for the answer to MarlboroMan's sig....YES I DO




yay 1,000
 
OldSchool said:
I was wondering if anyone's figured out the cost of breeding feeders vs buying them from the store? While knowing your feeders aren't disease ridden is priceless, I'm curious if it's really worth the time and trouble in the end? Please let me know if anyone's got any input, thanks.
If i were going to breed feeders... I would use Convicts.. They breed faster than feeders.... Get a few a few males and 6 to 10 females... Hehe..
 
Definately cost effective to buy feeders, there is no comparison. I do both, I breed convicts and sailfin mollies for feeders in a spare 35gallon tank in a heavily planted tank. But they are NEVER enough. So like someone said earlier, I made friends with my LFS guy and I'll get goldfish/ guppies or minnows in bulk.

Here is the difference. I keep the store brought feeders in a 10 gallon tank. I gut load them with flake food and old Wardley products (I'm a Hikari fan now) dip them in a salt bath then feed them to my fish. I change the water in this tank every day. They get only room light, no heat and a stream of bubbles to move the water around.

No comparison, like I said and to tell the truth, the breed-feeding program was an accident but it's working sooo well.

Tanyob
 
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