Category: GCKA – Foods and Feeding

 Each aquarist who makes his own fishfood (and there are many who do) seems to have a preferred recipe that works well for his fish. The following are two proven homemade foods that have worked well. Joe Dombkowski: Joe is mostly a cichlidiot, but this recipe would work for many fish that require a high proportion…

By Donna M. Recktenwalt         As aquarists, we know that feeding our fish a variety of quality foods is important, and we have developed a good feel for how much to feed at any given time.         To be healthy, fish require appropriate conditions (water, temperature, appropriate tank size, compatible companions), light, and food. Since…

 There are probably as many methods for culturing daphnia as there are people making the attempt. But what most agree on without question is that daphnia makes an excellent (although not exclusive) food for tropical fish, including killifish.         There are two species of these small free-swimming shelled crustaceans, Daphia pulex (fairly small and dark colored), and D.…

Those who breed fish are well aware that for fry to get off to a good start, they must be well fed. Among the many live foods that are suitable for small fry, perhaps one of the most popular are baby brine shrimp, or nauplii. These can be fairly easily hatched in the fishroom and…

By Donna M. Recktenwalt        Aquarists have long known the value of greenwater.         Basically, it’s green because of the photosynthetic algae and protozoans it contains, such as Euglena. It’s an excellent food for daphnia, but it’s also food for zooplankton such as rotifers, and the larger protozoans such as paramecium, making greenwater an excellent…

The confused flour beetle has been around a long time; remains of them have been found in Egyptian tombs and archaeological sites in the near east dating to before the time of Christ. Especially for top feeding killifish, both the adult beetles and their larvae provide an ideal food. Culture of confused flour beetles is…

By George Davis         Tired of spending megabucks per pound for fish food?         The way I figure it, if it’s good enough for the U.S. Government, it’s good enough for my fish. If I can eat it, it has to be OK for them, and there’s no chance of bringing in the problems from…

 Dedicated fish breeders have long known that the newly hatched nauplii (larvae) of Artemia salina (brine shrimp) are a perfect food for small and newly hatched fish, providing essential proteins, fatty acids, carbohydrates and carotenoids in an easily eaten, moving prey package.         Brine shrimp eggs are easy to hatch; the nauplii are simple to feed. Although…

 “Everybody but me uses an inverted pop bottle,” says Lee Harper about his brine hatching setup. “I use right side up 2 liter plastic bottles with the top cut off” just above where the neck flares out. Don’t throw the top away–this cut off piece makes a useful funnel.         “If the [brine shrimp] eggs…

 On the whole, microworms are one of the most dependable and simplest of the live foods you can culture. With a minimum of attention, you, too, can have live food for your juvenile fish and fry, whenever you need it.         Nearly every aquarist, it seems, has a different recipe to culture microworms, but basically…