Tanksman Posted February 2, 2006 Report Share Posted February 2, 2006 Does anyone know whether I can feed caterpillars to my cichlids? Now after I put my flak jacket on - click - they are monarch caterpillars living on a swan plant outside. They have eaten it in less than two daysand are now all going to starve to death unfortunately. I know this because I seen it a couple of months ago and this batch is bigger still. I'm thinking why waste a live food but are they poisonous ??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Posted February 2, 2006 Report Share Posted February 2, 2006 I think monarchs are poisonous aren't they?? Although wasps bowl themquite happily. Try feeding the caterpillars on pumpkin, they'll also eat the moth-catcher plant. At the moment I'm growing some 160 swan plants, but they are a bit small at the moment to help you out. Alan 104 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanksman Posted February 2, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2006 Thanks Alan I did a quick google on it and It may be posionous - it said they live on inkweed which makes them poisonous so don't know about the swan plant scenario though. I did chuck one in with the jewels earlier - it was a bit big I think and they found it weird that it grip them so quickly spit it out. I was surprised cause usually it is all over in a mouthful - but they retreated and stuck up their fins at it so I took it out - it was only 20 seconds in there tho - someone else may be getting away with it. Hey does the swan plant grow from cuttings? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faran Posted February 2, 2006 Report Share Posted February 2, 2006 tanks - I was just educated about the monarchs just last night. The swan plant, a.k.a. milkweed, has a toxic milk-like substance that you can see oozing out when you break a leaf. it is this toxin that the monarch caterpillars build up to make them inedible. Due to this I wouldn't recommend feeding them to.. well, anything really - unless you've raised them on pumkins or otherwise as recommended by Alan. And this comment isn't just speculation like the the cichlid plants Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanksman Posted February 2, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2006 Thanks Blue Yep Inkweed :oops: should be milkweed - And it's swanplant even So the wasp nest outside's no good and neither is the caterpillar idea . Well off to the supermarket for pumpkin then - Hate to see them all starving I'd still like to know whether I can grow more swanplants from cuttings - need more grazing for the wee blighters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Posted February 2, 2006 Report Share Posted February 2, 2006 Swan plants aren't worth wasting time with on cuttings The seeds are very prolific and also very fertile. I thought I'd have maybe 20 or so grow. But as you can see from my previous post, I have 3 seed trays with 56 in each one, pricked out, and now up to their third or fourth leaf, about 75mm high. I have another 50/100 or so in the tray where I planted the seeds. An adult catapillar would eat a plant in about 10 minutes. Alan 104 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharn Posted February 2, 2006 Report Share Posted February 2, 2006 you dry out those little seed pods and plant them.. thats how weve got all ours Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanksman Posted February 3, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 3, 2006 Thanks for that - The trouble is all that is left after the plant regenerates and is laid on again is a big stalky stick bush. I hope it does gro seeds sometime. Will the seeds be an autumn thing or spring? They certainly can eat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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