Dana Posted January 8, 2013 Report Share Posted January 8, 2013 The valid advice I've received on here for my phosphate issues (among other probs) has been to move away from flake food, and more towards live food. I have a 215ltr 4 Dwarf Gourami 6 young clown loach 4 ghost cats and Bob the bristle nose Aside from visiting the LFS to start up, is there any advice from current members in regards to breeding live food for a beginner? Any traps or things to avoid? Any things you wish you'd known about before you started? Every little piece of advice I get on here seems to be one stop closer to my tank recovering from goo and sick fish hell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livebearer_breeder Posted January 8, 2013 Report Share Posted January 8, 2013 Culturing foods is incredibly easy and soooo worth while! I'm currently culturing - white worms, black worms, microworms and wingless fruit flys I say start with whiteworms! Needs: Container (plastic with lid) Soil ( i buy standard unfertilised soil and then lay it out in an oven tray and heat it for a while to kill other bugs) White worm starter (usually around $10 if purchased from a member) Small piece of glass Old bread Method: Add soil to container - i find they do better in slightly moist conditions Add worms to soil Soak bread in water Place in center of soil Place glass ontop I use bread that i put fish flake and spirilina powder on as anything you feed them they will be gut loaded with and will transfer to the fish but you can use luncheon and things like that too. The white worms will collect under and around the bread and the bread sticks to the glass piece. So when you life the glass the bread lifts and then you have clumps of worms with little soil available to be fed straight to your fish. When you start feeding live food best to get a live food feeder cone to help teach the fish first, last thing you want id to waste your livefood into a gravel bed. hope this helps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wellydave Posted January 8, 2013 Report Share Posted January 8, 2013 i just did a post in the diy on how to make a brine shrimp hatchery check it out might be of some use Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophia Posted January 8, 2013 Report Share Posted January 8, 2013 if you have space outside for a big bucket (mine is 80L) and it will get some sun, you could start a bugs trough. I can send you some snails to get started. The loaches will enjoy the snails and if they are squashed before going in, I think the others will eat them also. viewtopic.php?f=4&t=48293&hilit=bugtopia&start=60 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dana Posted January 8, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2013 Brilliant. Thanks guys. I've googled, and the options were unlimited, and mostly US or UK based. Sophia, the loaches love the snails, but they don't seem to be keeping up with the lot that came in with the last lot of plants lol. Lazy toads lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophia Posted January 8, 2013 Report Share Posted January 8, 2013 there is a thread in here somewhere about Biosuppliers.com, I just got a price list for live food as it's not on the website. If you send him an email he will send it to you. It's a .com but it's NZ based. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarletmonuka Posted January 9, 2013 Report Share Posted January 9, 2013 I say start with whiteworms! Needs: Container (plastic with lid) Soil ( i buy standard unfertilised soil and then lay it out in an oven tray and heat it for a while to kill other bugs) White worm starter (usually around $10 if purchased from a member) Small piece of glass Old bread Method: Add soil to container - i find they do better in slightly moist conditions Add worms to soil Soak bread in water Place in center of soil Place glass ontop I use bread that i put fish flake and spirilina powder on as anything you feed them they will be gut loaded with and will transfer to the fish but you can use luncheon and things like that too. The white worms will collect under and around the bread and the bread sticks to the glass piece. So when you life the glass the bread lifts and then you have clumps of worms with little soil available to be fed straight to your fish. When you start feeding live food best to get a live food feeder cone to help teach the fish first, last thing you want id to waste your livefood into a gravel bed. hope this helps or you can use dog biscuits soaked in water until they are soft instead of bread/ cheap homebrand ones work just fine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randomsam1001 Posted January 11, 2013 Report Share Posted January 11, 2013 Mosquito larvae works well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted January 11, 2013 Report Share Posted January 11, 2013 I use garlic luncheon with whiteworms and there is less offensive odour. I just lost mine as they do not like the heat we have been having. Lumbriculus do and are probably even easier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F15hguy Posted January 11, 2013 Report Share Posted January 11, 2013 I use a polybox filled with 5/6 topsoil and 1/6 river sand, feed it a slice of white bread every 3 days..... (currently up to 2 slices every 2 days) sell a few cultures and feed over 50 tanks once per week..... ime white bread makes them breed and luncheon makes them bigger.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livebearer_breeder Posted January 11, 2013 Report Share Posted January 11, 2013 pack them a sandwich then and combine both Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F15hguy Posted January 11, 2013 Report Share Posted January 11, 2013 ate some once, not that bad really, its the squirmy thats hard to deal with Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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