Insectivore Diet for Chalceus

[Midwater]

I have got a bunch of chalceus that eat floating food and love insects. I have previously bought live crickets, which I can get reasonably priced, by the kilo.

The fish love them They get everywhere. A right pain trying to retrieve all the crickets that find there way into every crevice in the house.

So I am interested in insectivore pellets. I can get insectivore diet, by the kilo, that is formulated for various insectivores, 'including mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians'. It contains 'fish oil, lecithin, high fiber, pigments and taurine'.

How would this be for fish?

 

[kno4te]

RD.

 

[Backfromthedead]

My fish all love the NLS insectum, i actually handfeed them to my chalceus. They are sold as sinking but are a bit more buoyant than regular nls sinking so it works well for the chalceus. I believe their diet in the wild is most likely 100% insects, never seen any of my chalceus go for any small fish like rummynose or lampeye tetras, but they seem to despise any other shiny, silvery fish in the tank with them.

 

[Cal Amari]

I too use NLS insectum for my fish, a variety of cichlids and dithers. Everybody loves them, but they've only ever had pellets, making the switch from unprocessed insects to pellets may take some work.

 

[Midwater]

I don't think New Life Spectrum products are available where I live.

 

[esoxlucius]

Although not exactly one of the really big players in the fish food industry, I believe Fluval bug bites aren't too bad an offering.

Back in the day when I had my chalceus he used to nail floating pellets in the same way he'd nail crickets and worms.

 

[Backfromthedead]

You could also try freeze dried crickets or likewise if that is an option, the only issue there being cost efficiency imo. Freeze dried always seems to carry the highest price by weight.

 

[Cardeater]

Although not exactly one of the really big players in the fish food industry, I believe Fluval bug bites aren't too bad an offering.

Back in the day when I had my chalceus he used to nail floating pellets in the same way he'd nail crickets and worms.

If NLS Insectum is not available, maybe I'd use Fluval bug bites. I've fed them before and fish like it.

The NLS has better ingredients and has other insects ingredients in addition to the black soldier fly larva that both contain.

There was a long thread here about bug bites if anyone wants to look up the discussion. One criticism that I remember is the fat content in bug bites was higher than ideal: more than 10%.

 

[Midwater]

Both NLS and Fluval not available here. Not worth importing.

In retrospect it is a good thing I did not get any of the 'insectivore pellets' that I had found. I sourced the ingredients, primarily chicken and soya. For an insectivore diet, not an insect in sight.

I can get:

• Locally raised live insects, crickets, cockroaches, beetles - great, but they get everywhere.
• Freshly killed and juicy crickets - great, but they go off quick.
• Dried and roasted assorted insects, salted, spiced - they might taste great with beer (if you like it), but not really for fish.

Still looking for non-enhanced dried crickets.

 

[Cal Amari]

You might look for insect based chicken feed, I believe another thread on here someone was using that, it was dried insect medly or something like that, not pellets but whole crickets, mealworms etc