Ditch minnows as feeder fish?

[oicu2]

As I was searching the internet for frozen silversides to feed my anthias I began to wonder if minnows would be a good substitution instead of silversides. I live in South Louisiana and minnows are in abundance here. You can find them in ditches after a good rain or anywhere there is water. I live right on the coast so finding them is not a problem. I was just wondering if it was a good idea or not. Now that I am thinking about it, my daughter's boyfriend works on a shrimp boat and may be able to get me as many silversides as I want at a good price....free. But, I am still curious about the minnows as food. Has anyone ever tried it?

Katherine

 

[jmaneyapanda]

something to consider when feeding live foods is that these animals may very well be harboring a pathogen. Even cultured food can cause a problems in these terms. Furthermore, if the food is wild caught, you really have no idea whats going into your tank. I would strongly advise against it. I'd be willing to bet there is little or no nutritional value any marine fish would get from eating a freshwater minnow anyway.

 

[thor32766]

yes there is no nutritional value of eating fresh water fish. they have also found them to cause many internal problems to killing fish like for example types of liver diesease.

 

[rambone]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8184640#post8184640 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by thor32766
yes there is no nutritional value of eating fresh water fish. they have also found them to cause many internal problems to killing fish like for example types of liver diesease.

ditch minnows aka mosquito fish can be found in brackish and full on salt, how can there possible be no nutritional value, that would mean it has no bones or muscle

 

[jmaneyapanda]

well NO nutrional value isn't the right word, but little nutrional value. This is why many people who keep carnivorous fish avoid feeding goldfish or other freshwater feeders, because they cause the medical concerns as thor indicated. Marine fish are meant to eat marine items.
Furthermore, it is a bad idea to frequently offer fish live food. They will have no inecentive or desire to eat prepared food, which can be provided to offer the proper nutrition.

 

[oicu2]

All of you make good points that I hadn't considered before. I now know to stay away from minnows. So what most of you are saying is that I should feed my squareback anthias frozen "saltwater" feeder fish instead of "freshwater" feeder fish? From what I've read on posts here alot of peope are feeding their marine fish silversides. If I did my research correctly aren't silversides freshwater? I know that there is a saltwater alternative to silversides (lancefish), but I have yet to find anyone who sells them. Maybe a bait shop? Any suggestions?

 

[rickh]

"yes there is no nutritional value of eating fresh water fish. they have also found them to cause many internal problems to killing fish like for example types of liver disease."

So the millions of pounds of marine fish that Humans eat every year have no nutritional value?? R

 

[jmaneyapanda]

I think what thor was trying to say is that we cannot exclusively feed our marine fish a freshwater based diet exclusively- otherwise a shortened life will occur. If a human eats marine fish everydayday for every meal, they woukld certainly not be as healthy as someone with a varied diet.

Personally, I do not think it is necessary to feed any fish we keep live diet items. If done so consistantly, these fish may not ever accept prepared (and likely healthier) foods. My square anthia relishes krill, so I offer this frequently, but not solely. I still offer mysis, sflake, pellets, formula cubes, all of which is eaten regularly.

While marine fish can survive on eating freshwater diets, they will not thrive.

 

[oicu2]

Actually, the reason I asked about minnows in the first place is because my squares aren't eating at all. I've tried frozen brine, bloodworms, pellets but they just stare at it floating by. I've even tried raw shrimp, which my other fish relish. Still nothing. The male square anthia just hides in his cave and when I do see him he uses his side fins to perch himself up as though he doesn't have the strength to swim. He hasn't even noticed the female. The female is swimming aroung pretty good but still won't eat. I've been having them for about three days or so. I even put one live feeder guppy in my tank to see what happens. The female noticed it and was curious but did not go after him. As of right now he is MIA so I hope one of the anthias got a free meal. I keep my feeder guppies in a separate tank in brackish water with my green spotted puffer and moray eel. You would think that the puffer and eel would eat them up but they don't. Every once in a while I notice some of the guppies missing. Which is the whole reason why they are in there. Anyway, I'm going off course here. As for the anthias, is this normal behavior for them?

 

[ClamIAm]

Silversides are a good food for getting saltwater fish started eating frozen. Be patient and it will probably take mysis or other frozen foods in time. Saltwater fish aren't used to the higher saturated fat contents of freshwater fish and thus have trouble metabolizing them. If I'm not mistaken a brackish fish won't be much better for a reef fish as these are more similar to fresh than saltwater fish.

 

[Kgoarmy17]

I would worry about contaminates within the water-supply/fish. Whether biological(aka diseases) or chemical from the runoff.

 

[rekn]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8186568#post8186568 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rickh
"yes there is no nutritional value of eating fresh water fish. they have also found them to cause many internal problems to killing fish like for example types of liver disease."

So the millions of pounds of marine fish that Humans eat every year have no nutritional value?? R

humans can also have weather changes in upward of 50 degrees with little to no harm done. we also drink pepsi, beer, and milk from other animals.


dont ever compare humans to other animals. were the most adaptive on the planet. if i dont like my environment i change it. ffs, people have been on the moon.

 

[rickh]

Unfortunately we have adapted through technology. The other species have adapted by genetic diversity. In the end, we will be long dead and they will still be here R

 

[rekn]

that doesnt change the fact that the human stomach can proccess alot of different kinds of foods. alot more than most animals too

 

[BTTRFLYGRL]

Don't know if it was mentioned but feeder fish can also pass along diseases