serious question
- Thread starter RobD23
- Start date
I understand its part of the allure to have your carnivorous fish wolf down a hapless fish. But to those that have lost their prized fish to a disease that came from feeders, they know its not worth it. I think i used feeders 3 times this year. Twice because this new fish wouldnt eat anything and its been 2 weeks already.
Other than that, i stick with my shrimp and pellets.
Other than that, i stick with my shrimp and pellets.
I wont used store bought feeders for that reason lost my first oscar to diseases from feeders.not currently breeding anything but I do use culls as feeders when I do.
I will order bulk platties thru my girlfriend at around 25 cents a piece.. Definately not as a staple though. Hey Guppy how much salt do you use when treating and do you just use aquarium salt or is it something different?
RobD23 said:
I agree with him. How is keeping a predatory mammal (cats, dogs, ferrets etc.) and not feeding it live food any different then doing the same with a fish? Some people keep dogs because they like em, same with cats, ferrets, pirahna and arowana. Surely the best diet for a cat would be birds and mice so why not buy some cheap feeder mice (or breed your own) and toss one over to the cat? People do it with snakes all the time. We don't do it with cats because there is a product called "Cat Food" made for cats to eat. There is also a product called "Fish Food", who do you think that is made for?
If I have time and space for a feeder tank I do 2 weeks at 2 teaspoons per gallon of canning salt or aquarium salt, Anything without iodine or flowing agents, ice cream rock salt also works, canning salt is the cheapest. If i am just dipping I use 2-3 times as much, usually 2-3 gallons of water in a bucket with 2 scant table spoons of salt dissolved in it , put the feeders in for 10-15 minutes, rinse them off in dechlorinated fresh water and use, it doesn't do anything for internal parasites. 2 weeks in the feeder tank is better, I was keeping them on the back patio in 35g longs for goldfish, and two 20g for guppies, the mollies I got from someone I knew who raised them in tubs of brackish water. boxfilters and 50% weekly water changes. I also try to buy my goldfish fish from a local pond fish breeder as they are healthier and low in copper.unknownuza13 said:
I like using feeders, i think the fish benefit from chasing them down, I think that there is nothing wrong with not using them if you rotate a couple types of good pellets but I still like feeding live foods and have had good results with a mixed diet.
A few fish I have kept like pike topminnows and phagos will starve to death without live food and african butterflyfish just won't breed and slowly waste away without at least live crickets.
In good old blighty (England) the saying goes we are fish keepers,not fish killers.We have a large variation of predatory fish and none have been fed live.I appreciate some fish will only eat live so I dont keep them.I suppose I am lucky living near a fishing port,where last week we bought our 3 weeks supply of 6lbs whitebait,8lbs prawns,5lbs shell on prawns,6lbs mussells,6lbs cockles.1lb of whelks and 1lb clams in shell,all for £60 or $100.That equates to a huge amount of feeder fi*****he other thing is why is a feeder fishes life any less than the predator.Many people tell me that that is the natural way for predators to to kill prey,but we have to remember we are not keeping them in their natural habitat where a prey fish has at least a chance to escape.
I think its pretty dumb to possibly kill something that you have dumped a ton of time and money into (let alone the fact that it is YOUR PET and a LIVING CREATURE). I didnt say I didnt think you should do it, I made a comment that was intended for you to think about. If you want to feed nothing but live food thats fine. I dont.RobD23 said:
I've certainly heard dumber things in my life. If that is the dumbest thing you have ever heard you really should get out more
