Feeding Silversides

[Cliff519]

I've read a lot of info that suggests not to anemones silversides. Just to be clear, I have tossed out all of the silversides I had been feeding my anemones and will now stick to shrimp. I learned a long time ago it is always best to listen to the voice(s) of experience.

I'm just having trouble finding out why that is a bad idea. Just out of curiosity, why is feeding silversides a bad idea.

I read through a lot of threads here last night but could not find the answere

 

[thereeftank]

I thought it was that they way they are frozen/unfrozen, more of a chance for them to spoil. Lets hear what others say.

 

[Cliff519]

OK, that makes sense. I guess I didn not realize how "low quality" they can be. the freezing - thawing - and freezing of the silversides by the time I would get the package into my freezer could really lower the quality of food and it would not be easy to spot as it would for shrimp (at least for me anyways).

 

[Toddrtrex]

I used to use them. But found that they can foul easily -- a lot easier then frozen krill, which I have been using for the last 5 years or so. I had a health H. Malu, fed it a half piece of a silverside, the next morning it was a ball of goo - no other changes were made to the tank. For me, that was enough never to use them again.

 

[Cliff519]

Thanks Toddrtrex

I feel a lot better now about tossing a almost full bag of silversides into the trash.

I'll add krill to the my anemones diet along with the shrimp

 

[davocean]

Same here, used to use them, then I fed 3 LTA's(all healthy) and they looked bad that night, next day released, all turned to mush.
Also no other changes to tank.
I'll never use them again, too many safer alternatives, though I did at least use what I had left over as fish bait!LOL
Now days I feed scallops.

 

[DeathWish302]

Todd & Dave,

Would you contribute it to the specific species, how they were stored prior to your purchase or that they are fully-intact with all entrails that could have 'spoiled'?

I ask b/c I currently rotate between table shrimp, scallop, mysis & smelt. I'm concerned mainly with smelt, as it is very similar to silversides, except it is fully gutted. No problems to date. Just wondered if I should be concerned with the bones, scales & skin that the anemone is ingesting. I assumed these items would add a little more diversity in my anemones diet. Unfortunately, it is a terrestrial FW fish too.

Anyway, I'm boycotting silversides at all costs now.

 

[Toddrtrex]

As for mine, not sure how they were stored before I purchased them, but they were solid bricks when I purchased them, and brought straight home. (( after I had to take food sanitation classes { used to manage a bar that served food } I became very anal about frozen foods and temps )). Never once, while in my possession, did they enter the temp danger zone.

The ones I used were the whole fish ones, with entrails, and not the "filet" ones that they (( used to )) have.

 

[davocean]

Yeah, I have no idea what the deal is honestly.
I had fed silvers to my giant crispa and LTA that I had 5 and a half years w/out issues.
My crispa ate 3 baby naso's at one point, and seemed to have no problem spitting out those bones(it's a bummer to see a naso's skull!LOL)
I had read about issues w/ silvers and used to be one for arguing that they were fine until my issue, and that killed 3 LTA's all at once, so I doubt it was a bone issue.
Could be stored/packaged improperly, something they ate that was in their gut, maybe a different shape/size of bones(doubtful though) or something we just don't see or know of.
All I know is raw shrimp, scallops, and mysis seem to have never caused anyone issues, so I'll stick w/ those.
Scallops seem to be pulled in very quickly.

 

[Paul B]

Just wondered if I should be concerned with the bones, scales & skin that the anemone is ingesting.

Bones, scales, skin and everything inside the fish is the best part. As a matter of fact, you would be better off throwing out the fillets of the fish and just feed the guts.
Of course if the fish are rotten, then don't use them.
IMO clams are the best food for anemones, not scallops because when you buy scallops, you are just buying the aductor muscle

 

[Cliff519]

Thanks for the replys everyone

I think I'll see if the stores in my area carry scallops and clams and give those a try as well.

Thanks for all the great info

 

[Reefvette]

Silversides

Silversides

They spoil very easy and chances are somewhere in between getting to you and the store they have thawed a little. I stopped feeding them like 8 years ago.

I had a RBTA eat one and then it slowly detirorated, when it finally when inside out i saw the left overs from a sliver side bones and all.

In the wild anemones rarely eat whole fish and if they do as in our aquariums you can assume after awhile they spit them out.

Bones are a no no when feeding anemones they are like a plastic bag and can be punctured.

 

[DeathWish302]

Bones are a no no when feeding anemones they are like a plastic bag and can be punctured.

Understand the point. For those whom do not know, smelt is one of those fish you cut the head off, gut and fry up with skin and bones still intact. I was assuming if you could eat those bones, it would be close to silversides in makeup (small, brittle bones).

 

[davocean]

Yeah we eat grunion in a similar way around here.
It's hard to say, like I mentioned mine had eaten big fish w/ big bones, and was fine, so I'm not sure which is worse, that or little ones that could lodge.
Either way I just avoid boney things all together.
Paul may be right on what is better in nutritional value, but since light is their main source of energy from my understanding, and since I know many that purposely don't spot feed at all I'm not too concerned.
I like that the scallops get pulled in faster than other foods I've tried, because that keeps my cleaner shrimp from stealing the nems food(and they try every time)
I could swear I see brighter colors coming off my nems after feeding as well, so I think it's working out well, and my nems seem to grow pretty fast/large.

 

[dunk373]

i dont feed bones, i used to but heard that bones are harder on a nem, it made sense so i feed shrimp and pieces of fish thats it and its all good

 

[jhentr]

I never had issues in the 4 plus years of silvers. I never thought about the handling part of it either. I just haven't fed the past couple of months since they've been multiplying too quickly. From one to seven currently.

At the time I was feeding, I would break the silver into head, body and tail. Then rotate those body parts among the nems. Never saw the end product get regurgitated out. I tried the Ocean Nutrition brand and also the no name off the Asian Store shelf. But if I do feeding again, I'll probably just use thaw PE mysis.

 

[smbrach]

I never had issues in the 4 plus years of silvers. I never thought about the handling part of it either. I just haven't fed the past couple of months since they've been multiplying too quickly. From one to seven currently.

At the time I was feeding, I would break the silver into head, body and tail. Then rotate those body parts among the nems. Never saw the end product get regurgitated out. I tried the Ocean Nutrition brand and also the no name off the Asian Store shelf. But if I do feeding again, I'll probably just use thaw PE mysis.

I haven't had a problem either, but I also break up the silversides. I now have 5 BTAs in my tank. They all readily take in the pieces, and what they drop, my serpent star grabs and shoves in it's mouth - very strange.

I have to say though, you all have me concerned about my current supply. I recently had a 2 day power outage where they completely thawed. i refroze them, not even thinking that they may spoil - stupid me. I wouldn't' eat fish that thawed and refroze, why feed it to something that could poison my tank if it dies?! So, I thank you for this topic. Mine are going in the trash.

 

[Angel*Fish]

Bones, scales, skin and everything inside the fish is the best part. As a matter of fact, you would be better off throwing out the fillets of the fish and just feed the guts.
Of course if the fish are rotten, then don't use them.
IMO clams are the best food for anemones, not scallops because when you buy scallops, you are just buying the aductor muscle

I agree and imo feeding musle only is probably a good way to get an undernourished anemone. I think they need a varied diet, depending on a single food, not such a good idea. The only thing about silversides that I've read is that they have a high sugar content.

The only issues I ever had with feeding silversides are that a weak BTA can't handle them - they shouldn't be given to anemone that isn't sticky and strong. I always sliced off bits of the big frozen chunk the whole ones come in, never allowing any thawing of the whole piece.

Did somebody say anemones rarely eat fish in the wild? I never heard that before. I thought some of them were very adept at catching a fish. My BTA's never have had a problem gobbling a dead fish in the tank. Seems to put a smile on their faces, if anything.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

Just out of curiosity, why is feeding silversides a bad idea.

fish bones can create problems (PO4 etc. etc.)

I've heard it suggested by certain "experts" that feeding fish bones (inside whole fish) is good for anemones. IME anemones don't digest fish bone.

IME different species of anemones have different food preferences but I tend not to feed any anemone species silversides nowadays.

 

[Paul B]

Did somebody say anemones rarely eat fish in the wild?

That is just about all they eat. I really can't picture them catching, opening and cutting out the muscle of a scallop to eat.
They eat fish and the fish are fed to them by clownfish. I see this all the time in the sea, clownfish don't feed anemones on purpose but clownfish eat fish, like most fish do. When a predator like a moral eel, baracuda or shark eats a fish, usually parts of that fish fall to the bottom, on it's way down all the other fish feast on it. Clownfish also eat this abd bring it back to their anemone. In the process of eating this piece of fish the clownfish may get disturbed or see another meal and then the anemone can eat the fish.
Of course this is only one scenario but I have seen it happen a few times and that is how anemones eat. They are not that good at catching fish themselves and they never catch scallops.
Like most fish in the sea, anemones eat fish, bones, skull, scales, intestines and all. That is where the nutrition is. Unlike us, thery don't spit those parts out and the bones also do not bother them as I have seen them eat fish as large as themselves with no problem and their big smile after they are done means to me that they enjoy it.
Anemones in the sea get very large, large enough to lay in.
Those probably do catch some fish and maybe an occasional Supermodel