sandfleas from the beach as livefood

[martink]

i walk home from the beach and these guys are abundant. ive fed a few testers and my ivanacara like them but I thought id post incase someone could think of a reason why not.

 

[MacZ]

After making sure you are talking about sandhoppers (Talitrus saltator) and not parasitic sand fleas (Tunga penetrans)... technically yes. Question is whether you can find and catch them in sufficient numbers.
I'd be generally cautious with stuff from the sea, you don't know how much pollutants they are contaminated with.

 

[martink]

After making sure you are talking about sandhoppers (Talitrus saltator) and not parasitic sand fleas (Tunga penetrans)... technically yes. Question is whether you can find and catch them in sufficient numbers.
I'd be generally cautious with stuff from the sea, you don't know how much pollutants they are contaminated with.

i dont need that many its just a bi weekly treat to bolster the earthworms and bbs

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

After making sure you are talking about sandhoppers (Talitrus saltator)

Yes, "Sand hopper" <"https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/210201-Talitrus-saltator">, an Amphipod crustacean. Smaller cichlids really like Crangonyx pseudogracilis (another Amphipod) so I'm guessing that these would be equally palatable.

Crustaceans are generally good food for cichlids, because they are chitin rich, don't contain too much fat etc.

I might give them a rinse, just to stop any salt (NaCl) build up.

cheers Darrel

 

[martink]

Hi all,

Yes, "Sand hopper" <"https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/210201-Talitrus-saltator">, an Amphipod crustacean. Smaller cichlids really like Crangonyx pseudogracilis (another Amphipod) so I'm guessing that these would be equally palatable.

Crustaceans are generally good food for cichlids, because they are chitin rich, don't contain too much fat etc.

I might give them a rinse, just to stop any salt (NaCl) build up.

cheers Darrel

yeah am doing that, worse is the shell debri but they get a little quarantine. thanks