I'm not sure if this is the right forum section for this topic, but couldn't find anything related to fish food (or Grindal worms except the for sale topics)..so here it goes
I have been debating with myself for a long time about raising live food for my fish (livebearers). It can't smell, must need minimum of equipment and space and minimum care is welcome too. For some time I used to hatch artemia eggs, but despite having "low maintenance" hatching disc gadget it was still too much work with not enough of food produced. If I skipped just one disinfection of all the equipment, there were hardly any artemia hatched. Attempts with Moina macrocopa and Daphnia were total failures (too small jars and probably lack of appropriate food for them).
Then I moved to frozen cyclops, which are probably OK in terms of nutrients, but I noticed that fish were just a bit better looking and more "happy" with live food. After a long research about different types of live food I've chosen Grindal worms. I'm sure that most of you already know about Grindal worms and probably also breed them, but I'm new to the "worms world"
I received the starter culture (synthetic method, yellow sponge) few days ago - don't be alarmed by green color, it's just spirulina powder. For some reason I find synthetic method less appealing, so I immediately started also "natural" containers with coco peat (coir, Lignocel). Plastic mesh is used to minimize peat sticking to the glass cover. I tried to glue silicone suction cups to the glass, just to realize that cyanoacrylate can't bond with silicone (they hold fine by suction though).. Well, lesson learned
As for the food, at least in Slovakia and Czech Republic it's very common to use "sponge biscuits" (https://image.shutterstock.com/z/st...-isolated-on-a-white-background-415774450.jpg). However in my case they spoil very quickly, they smell bad in less than 24 hours. I switched to oatmeal flakes (the second most used food) and these seem to be much better. For good air exchange I cut small holes in lids and covered them with cosmetic cotton pads. They allow air in and out, but should keep pests away.
All three food boxes are still starting, there isn't enough worms for fish, but it should change in about a week or two.
If you have any recommendations or personal experience (good or bad), please share it
I have been debating with myself for a long time about raising live food for my fish (livebearers). It can't smell, must need minimum of equipment and space and minimum care is welcome too. For some time I used to hatch artemia eggs, but despite having "low maintenance" hatching disc gadget it was still too much work with not enough of food produced. If I skipped just one disinfection of all the equipment, there were hardly any artemia hatched. Attempts with Moina macrocopa and Daphnia were total failures (too small jars and probably lack of appropriate food for them).
Then I moved to frozen cyclops, which are probably OK in terms of nutrients, but I noticed that fish were just a bit better looking and more "happy" with live food. After a long research about different types of live food I've chosen Grindal worms. I'm sure that most of you already know about Grindal worms and probably also breed them, but I'm new to the "worms world"
I received the starter culture (synthetic method, yellow sponge) few days ago - don't be alarmed by green color, it's just spirulina powder. For some reason I find synthetic method less appealing, so I immediately started also "natural" containers with coco peat (coir, Lignocel). Plastic mesh is used to minimize peat sticking to the glass cover. I tried to glue silicone suction cups to the glass, just to realize that cyanoacrylate can't bond with silicone (they hold fine by suction though).. Well, lesson learned
As for the food, at least in Slovakia and Czech Republic it's very common to use "sponge biscuits" (https://image.shutterstock.com/z/st...-isolated-on-a-white-background-415774450.jpg). However in my case they spoil very quickly, they smell bad in less than 24 hours. I switched to oatmeal flakes (the second most used food) and these seem to be much better. For good air exchange I cut small holes in lids and covered them with cosmetic cotton pads. They allow air in and out, but should keep pests away.
All three food boxes are still starting, there isn't enough worms for fish, but it should change in about a week or two.
If you have any recommendations or personal experience (good or bad), please share it