new fish food idea

[rudyretama]

afew days ago, i was looking into a freshwater pond in the back yard when i saw millions of mosquito larvae, so i started to wonder "could i use these for live food if i only add the larvae and not the water?"
what do you think and why?
my fish are all small enough to eat these larvae with ease, and none of them are finicky eaters...
so what's your opinion??

 

[snorvich]

Not a good idea. But I would get some fish for the pond or you won't enjoy being outside.

 

[silverfly]

Just curious why it isnt a good idea snorvich?

 

[psilentchild]

I just done a google search on it and said you can do it but you run the risk of transferring disease or parasites to your fish.It also said mosquitoes can be carriers of pathogens dangerous to humans, pets, and wildlife. It may be against local regulations to cultivate mosquitoes, and please be responsible by draining any collection containers you will not be able to check regularly. To protect yourself against being bitten during collection wear clothing that covers as much bare skin as possible. Also note that mosquito pupae hatch into adult mosquitoes in about 2 days, it is therefore imperative that you make the collection of these a priority. Your fish will happily eat them.

 

[rudyretama]

thanks a lot everyone!
does anyone else out there have any other ideas/opinions?

 

[SDguy]

Basically, you'd be feeding your marine fish insects. I like to feed my fish marine based foods.

 

[snorvich]

Just curious why it isnt a good idea snorvich?

I like to have extremely tight control over what goes into my tank. Saving money on fish food makes no sense given the cost of some of my fish (some of which cannot be replaced). In general, I prefer giving marine animals marine based food.

 

[Elysia]

I assume you aren't planning to only feed your fish mosquito larvae, correct?

I collect mosquito larvae for my freshwater fish, and have fed it to my marines on more than one occassion. And they like it. I'm feeding mosquitos that breed in freshwater, although there are some that will breed in brackish water. The larvae stay alive in the saltwater for about a minute or so, long enough for each to be hunted down. I enjoy watching my fish have the "thrill of the hunt" as they take down their prey, and the larvae are all from local bodies of water; I know they haven't been polluted.

I don't feed the larvae to save money on food; rather, it can take a bit of time to seperate the larvae from dirt and leaves. I do it because I believe the fish benefit from it. I also feed my marines & fresh fish live bloodworms, but I purchase them. My cleaner shrimp loves both!