# Guess what time of year it is?



## Kehy (Apr 19, 2011)

Live food time! I harvest straight from my container pond on the patio, usually getting daphnia of various sizes, mosquito larva (always the most popular treat), and other little critters that even the most mild mannered and picky fish can't resist. It's as easy as waving a net around in the pond, and I get at least a meal's worth for my 5 gallon of Heterandria Formosa. 

There's also the benefit of the daphnia that's too big for them to eat will survive to lay eggs for more daphnia. Critters that don't get eaten immediately will survive (tiny water critters are tough as nails) to become a meal for another day. Wild harvested critters have been living on the algae and microscopic critters themselves, making them packed with nutrition. A lot of people don't like getting non-fish, non-shrimp creatures in the tank, but personally, as long as they aren't harmful and the fish will eat them, I welcome them as a food source.

A word of warning though, watch out for dragonfly nymphs. A single one can easily destroy a tank, and they rarely come alone. 


A container of om nom noms for fish


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## Arthur7 (Feb 22, 2013)

It's true. A particularly nice time. I collect my feed by ourselves even in winter.
Daphnia are very healthy for the colon. Of this is no fish fat. But mosquito larvae are the best. It is written, the tropical fish life of insect larvae, aquatic insects, and flight food (prolapsed insects). Less of small crustaceans.
The nymphs of the slender virgin I remove with a strainer.
But the larvae of large precious dragonfly (Aechna viridis) are an interesting observation object in the glass.


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## sivakv (Aug 6, 2010)

what happens to fishes if you have larvae of dragonfly ? larger fishes can eat ? Kehy i would like to understand your view further....


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## henningc (Apr 17, 2013)

Dragon Fly Nymphs will eat your fish and as they grow the more they eat. I use a ton of live food from my outdoor pools and all one needs to do is watch what is swimming in the cup before tossing it in a tank. Mosquito larva are absolutely great food and the fish love hunting them. If you want to spawn bettas or gouramis there is no better conditioning food. My pools have Least Killies, Endlers, Swords or Platys in huge breeder traps and Cory Cats or Crayfish. If you're worried about dragon flys crayfish will gladly take care of the problem for you. Last year I had one Endlers and Least Killie pool 8'x8'x14" that I did not feed for almost two months. The fish kept reproducing and fry kept growing with no noticable difference to those that were fed. If you have a bumper crop of mosquito larva, after netting just put the water through a brine shrimp net and empty the net contents, mosquito larva, into one cube of an old time ice cube tray and freeze. When you want to feed some simply put the cube (s) in a cup and allow it to get to room temp and pour it in the tank. You can thank me later.


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## Kehy (Apr 19, 2011)

sivakv said:


> what happens to fishes if you have larvae of dragonfly ? larger fishes can eat ? Kehy i would like to understand your view further....


Dragonfly larva like eating fish. And shrimp. And biting people. And they're reeeeally hard to remove from a tank without ripping the tank apart, tossing all the plants and most decor in the trash, and carefully washing the substrate.


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## Arthur7 (Feb 22, 2013)

Of course, the large larvae of the rare dragonfly are not allowed in fish aquarium. They eat young guppy, tubifex and other small water animals. Under the mouth is a fold-out tongs, about 1/2 "long. Lightning fast, the collapsed to grab the victim. They eat very much. I once fed a few weeks until they hatch. Climb up on one stalk. Skin bursts on the back. then she fills her limbs and wings. After drying, it wants to fly. window and out. Very interresting.
The larvae of the beetle yellow border are predatory. Dityscus marginalis. Never do to the fish!.
BTW well picture!


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## sivakv (Aug 6, 2010)

oh ok. these dragonfly frys are deadly !!! thank you for educating me.


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## mambee (Jul 19, 2013)

I used to keep a tall trash container on my fire escape so that I could harvest mosquito larvae, but unfortunately it split during the winter. I was always surprised by the critters that I would find in there 3 flights off the ground.

I collected a bunch of mosquito larvae off of my sister's pool cover last weekend, and my fish loved them.


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## Arthur7 (Feb 22, 2013)

I have pans placed 90 liters (otherwise for cement mortar). It is water and a small bag grass clippings. The mosquitoes are attracted by the smell of the water. They lay their egg masses border. They look like small brown boats. 10mm long, 3 mm wide. I collect with a spoon in a glass. Home on the window sill slip the next day a lot of small babies from mosquitoes. A food for Killi-fry. Due to the jerky movement irritate to eat. The fish eat until they have rectangular bellies.


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