Re: [GSAS-Member] Growing Live Food

["Clifford Miller" <clifford@clevergeek.com>]

The Fruitflies I have are the smaller ones, and are readily (greedily!)
eaten by my guppies and killies.  Even half sized or so guppy fry will try
to compete for the flies.  It took several tries to get the fish to look
for them, but now they much prefer the flies over flake food.

The only trick with these guys is to know that fruit flies don't eat
fruit, they eat yeast and alcoholish byproducts from yeast. (I've read
they can even survive on alcohol fumes...).  If you use a common recipe,
it's hard to go wrong.

Feeding with these is a breeze because there's no sorting or mess
involved.  I just open the jar, tip it over the tank (the medium stays
stuck to the jar), and dump them in.  The next day, a new batch of flies
has hatched.

Biggest Negatives: will escape if not kept carefully , mold (I haven't had
a problem with this), fruitflies (most folks would consider this a
negative by itself?)


My redworms get to a max size around half the mass of an earth worm (maybe
3 inches x 3mm?).  Nearly everything I keep (minus a few killies) loves
them.

I try to size them appropriately, but have found that my guppies, gardneri
killies, peacock gudgeons, mollies, dwarf puffers, and others will all
dive into any sized redworm in a tiny shark-like feeding frenzy. 
(especially the PG's and gardneri's...pretty violent, actually).  Many
websites suggest cutting them up for smaller fish (which would probably
work better for your loaches).  I've never cut them up, but have seen my
Cherry Shrimp and Ottos working on any worms or worm parts that make it
past the "frenzy".

Biggest Negatives: pests (mites, flies, etc- easily delt with by making a
new culture when you first notice an issue, I rarely have problems
inside), sorting worms is messy if you don't have hemostats


Cliff

> Both red worms and wingless fruit flies look like they grow pretty big.
> Is
> that just the blown up photos?   Will my guppies and polka dot loaches
> have
> a hard time getting their mouths around them?
>
> Thanks again.
>
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