Is it ok to feed your cichlids earthworms? and other bugs?

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
yeah when i had my Os i always threw in any insect that happened to make its way into the house or that was still alive when i cleaned my pool, they loved it and i never had a problem from them (but again i lived in country and didnt have to worry about pesticides and bugs that came from my pool were thoroughly rinsed in freshwater to get any Cl off of them
 
When you hear about pesticides in fish, it's usually bioaccumuation from the food chain and it's effect on humans eating the fish.
I'd feed the worm, and anything else in the yard, as long as you are pretty sure no one has recently sprayed, but then don't feed your cichlid to your pregnant wife, my wife hates when I try to do that.
I did kill some fish as a kid many years ago by dropping some dandilion(sp) leaves in a tiny tank with fish. that was the 50s, so it must have been the long banned DDT.
 
you know what you can do...grow your own earthworms. Buy some at a bait shop, throw it in a container, feed it vegetable, wait a few months....instant treat! That's what I am doing right now. I don't trust earthworms found on the street, curb, backyard because of all the chemicals they are exposed to when they crawl around.
 
Exactly - just the like the myths of black PVC killing fish and garden hoses (like the one I'm doing water changes with now) killing fish, the paranoia about killing your fish with pesticide-laced worms or bugs is, in my estimation, overblown.

Bioaccumulation is very different than instant death or poisoning. Not that I plan to eat my aquarium fish, but ick medicine is probably way worse than any residual whatever from my yard.

Matt

duanes;3643106; said:
When you hear about pesticides in fish, it's usually bioaccumuation from the food chain and it's effect on humans eating the fish.
I'd feed the worm, and anything else in the yard, as long as you are pretty sure no one has recently sprayed, but then don't feed your cichlid to your pregnant wife, my wife hates when I try to do that.
I did kill some fish as a kid many years ago by dropping some dandilion(sp) leaves in a tiny tank with fish. that was the 50s, so it must have been the long banned DDT.
 
Ive been thinking about this...
I have HUGE Spider Crickets in my basement and I want to feed them to my Chocolate. I know they love insects, but these things are monsters. Is there such thing as too large for a chocolate to eat or get injured trying?
 
Same situation here - my fish go nuts for them!

Matt

HONDO;3902246; said:
Ive been thinking about this...
I have HUGE Spider Crickets in my basement and I want to feed them to my Chocolate. I know they love insects, but these things are monsters. Is there such thing as too large for a chocolate to eat or get injured trying?
 
What about the chances of parasites?

Has anyone ever had a situation where their fish will no longer eat pellets after having a taste of live food? (Had a blue dolphin cichlid that starved itself to death because I wouldn't feed it anymore earthworms)

I have a 8 inch, 6 month old Trimac, but I''ve been hesitant on feeding it live food.

Thanks for the feedback!!!
 
Only experiance ive had with feeding bugs or anything to my tank is when my brother and his buddies decided to put a huge grasshopper in my malawi tank to see if they would eat it, turned out my venustus attempted to eat it and it had gotten stuck. Found out when my bro's friend came up saying, i think there's something wrong with ur fish, of course, they didnt tell me till after he died =S
 
mine love earthworms. as soon as one gets it every one in the tank chase after trying to get it. ive wondered about feeding slugs. is that ok? how about a list of insects to feed to oscars, jags, and other large carnivores. and insects maybe to stay away from.
 
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