Can we collect food for our Apistos?

[DannyG]

So I would like to open for discussion whether anyone collects food for their apistos from their environs. This could include collecting to start keeping a food culture. Sorry if this has been covered before.

I live in rural Vermont with an abundance of insects at this time of year, but lack the knowledge to begin collecting. I do have a friend who is a Phd entomologist (working for the state trapping and studying mosquitoes to keep track of West Nile), so I could get him involved as a resource. It just seems crazy to pay money to a LFS for frozen stuff, with this abundance around me. And I have no idea where to start.

 

[fishgeek]

mosquito larvae
daphnia or water flea's
almost any other small water associated insects will be eaten aswell


the only problem with collection is potential for disease
saying that, most of these food items will not be found in waters with many fish (otherwise they get eaten), though other veterbrate vectors may be involved in transmission of disease between possible inveterbrate vectors


andrew

 

[Apistt_ed]

mosquito larvae and daphnia are excellent forms of food for almost all full grown adult apistos, but be careful of dragonfly nymphs as they will kill and eat fish they can get a hold of.

 

[P.W.]

I use to collect a lot of black mosquito and white mosquito larvaes this time of the year. Since there is a lot of marshlands in north of Sweden and the climate is close to sub arctic, we have a LOT of mosquitos in the summertime.
There´s no risk of diseases if you catch your mosquito larvaes in ponds where there are no fishes. Apistos get fishdiseases, not diseases from insects, frogs, toads or the like.
The same of course if you collect daphnias, cyclops or mysis.
If you anyhow have to collect from a lake with fishes, you should have the food frozen down for two or three days before feeding. Otherwise there can be a risk for parasites and diseases.

My basic food for my apistos is frozen mysis relicta, I can catch a lot in the sea during the spring months. And it is a great food!

Best regards/ Per

 

[ragmansrams]

for about ten dollars

you can get a daphnia culture on aquua bid put it in a 30 gal rubbermaid tub and in a couple weeks have plenty of food