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Roberto G · 30-mar-2008, 13:32

Feeding Killifish

A varied and balanced diet is a practical necessity to achieve any degree of success with killifish, particularly in breeding them. Many killifish do really well only if supplied with livefood. Others do well on frozen foods and some, on dry foods. At any rate, exclusive use of a single food should be avoided, as this practice is likely to lead to nutritional imbalances and deficiencies. You will find useful information on foods on other sites, such as the Krib.
Feeding Adult Killifish

Brine Shrimp

This food is a staple of many killie fishrooms. In some areas live adult brine shrimp can be purchased. These are a good nutritional source and are eagerly taken by most killies. As they live in strong salt water, they are less likely to carry parasites and bacteria harmful to freshwater fish. Frozen brine shrimp are widely available and widely used. They are readily accepted by most fish but, as with any non-live food, care must be taken not to overfeed.
Daphnia

This little crustacean is one of the most widely used live foods. Daphnia can be cultured artificially, at least in limited quantities, but most aquarists collect them from pools and ponds. A drawback to use of daphnia collected in this way is the danger of collecting other organisms potentially dangerous to aquarium fish. Daphnia are said to act as a laxative for fish and, like other foods, daphnia should not be fed exclusively.
Mosquito Larvae

This is an excellent live food for killies, although available only seasonally. They may be collected from standing water and ponds, either by swiftly passing a net through the water near the surface, or by collecting the egg "rafts", which can be allowed to hatch in a container of water in the fishroom. Many aquarists recommend culture of mosquito larvae by leaving out a container of water, which is allowed to become green with algae. The egg rafts or larvae are then collected under controlled conditions. Care must be taken to avoid allowing the larvae to complete the life cycle and become mosquitoes. That is a good way to make yourself unpopular with the neighbors and should be avoided because of the mosquito borne West Nile virus. As with the collection of other live foods, there is a risk of introducing fish enemies with the food.
Tubifex Worms

Tubifex worms are small worms that live in filthy places, such as sewage run-offs and the like. They can be collected from such sites, or purchased from some stores. Tubifex are an excellent food for killifish, but they carry the reputation of transmitting a variety of diseases. This risk may be reduced somewhat by holding the worms for a time in a shallow tray through which cold water runs. In this way evacuated matter and detritus from dead worms are washed away.
Blackworms

Blackworms are similar to, but distinct from, tubifex worms and are also an excellent food. They can be purchased, either from a store, or directly from companies that grow them for profit. Some of these producers are associated with fish farming operations. Others are dedicated purely to growing blackworms. Those associated with fish farms may be more likely to transmit fish diseases. Like Tubifex, blackworms carry a reputation for transmitting diseases. However, some breeders swear by them. Blackworms may be maintained for some time under running, cold water or refrigerated in dishes with enough water to barely cover them.
White Worms

White worms (Enchytrae) are another excellent live food for killies. Possibly they too can carry parasites or pathogenic bacteria but, because they are cultured, this is less likely than it is for tubifex and blackworms. It is said that white worms are fatty, and that they should not be fed exclusively for that reason. There are many methods for culturing white worms. Starter cultures can be obtained from other hobbyists and they are often listed in the Fish and Egg Listing of the AKA's Business Newsletter. Typically, these worms are cultured in a mixture of potting soil and peat moss, usually about 50:50. However, some hobbyists use garden soil, leaf mold, etc. It is best to sterilize the substrate before starting the culture. One way to do this is to place the mixture in a plastic bag and heat it in a microwave for a few minutes. After cooling the substrate is placed in a box, allowed to cool, sprinkled with water until thoroughly damp, and the starter added. The worms may be fed baby cereal or boiled oatmeal, but the most commonly used food is break soaked in milk or in yeast water (a milky suspension of yeast in water). These worms do not like high temperatures, the ideal being about 50 Â°F. Worms may be collected by picking them out, if the culture is a good one, or by placing some of the substrate in a strainer over a container of water. A light bulb is positioned over the strainer, which drives the worms through the strainer and into the water. The worms can be washed, then fed to your killies.
Fruit Flies

Two fruit fly (Drosophila) mutants, vestigial wing and flightless, make excellent food for killies. By virtue of the mutations they bear, they cannot fly. They can crawl, though, so it is advisable to feed just enough that the fish will eat them immediately. These flies are usually cultured in some sort of bottle into which a fruit fly medium, with a sprinkle of dry yeast, has been placed. The bottle is plugged with a piece of plastic sponge, or some such thing, after the flies are added. After some days larvae will appear, which then pupate, and eventually adult flies will emerge, at which stage they can be fed to the fish. Fruit fly medium can be cooked, but this is a time consuming and messy business. Instant medium can be obtained from biological suppliers such as Carolina Biological, and is much easier to use. A starter culture of flies can be purchased from similar sources, or obtained from other hobbyists. Starter cultures, again, are often listed in the F&EL.
Beef Heart and Paste Foods

Beef heart, trimmed of fibrous tissue and fat, can be frozen, then grated to produce "worm-like" pieces. Many hobbyists use beef heart as the basis for a prepared food containing vegetable matter, vitamins and other additives. Others prepare similar paste foods based on shrimp and fish. These are fed as small pieces or gratings. Care must be taken to feed only as much as will be eaten immediately, as remnants of this type of food can quickly foul the water. Here is a recipe for a (non-beef heart based) paste food. Recipes can also be found on the Krib.
Dry Foods

Many quality dry foods are available in the hobby today. Killies have a reputation of being reluctant to eat dry foods. However, some will eat them readily, and others can be trained to do so. The advantage of commercial dry foods is that they contain a balance of nutrients, including vitamins.
Foods for Newly-Hatched Killifish Fry

Newly-Hatched Brine Shrimp

Virtually every breeder of killifish uses newly hatched brine shrimp (nauplii of Artemia) as a food for fry. Many killie fry can eat them as a first food, and even small fry can eat them after a few days on infusoria. Artemia eggs are available commercially, from aquarium stores and other suppliers. Essentially, the aquarist hatches these eggs by incubating them in a salt solution (6-8 tablespoonfuls per gallon). A number of methods have been described. One method is to hatch the eggs in a tray, using a light to attract the newly hatched shrimp. Others hatch the fry in jars, aerating the salt solution. A popular variation today is to use inverted clear plastic soda bottles (2 liter), from which the bottom has been cut. A piece of tubing is glued into a hole drilled in the cap and used to aerate the solution. The inverted bottle can be held in some sort of frame, often one holding two bottles. A useful advance in hatching brine shrimp, especially those of lower grade, is dechorionation, in which the "shells" of the eggs are removed before hatching. Again, methods vary, but the one described here is used by a number of aquarists. A cup of cool water is placed in an inverted soda bottle hatchery (as described above) and one teaspoonful of brine shrimp eggs is added. This is allowed to bubble gently for about an hour. One cup of concentrated bleach (such as Chlorox) is added and the solution bubbled vigorously for 6 minutes. During this time the suspension of eggs will turn from brown to orange. The suspension of eggs is then run off the hatchery and strained through an ordinary white handkerchief. The eggs are rinsed thoroughly with cool water, then returned to the hatchery, in which the salt solution for hatching has been placed. This suspension is bubbled at a moderate rate. The eggs will hatch after 24-36 hours, depending on temperature. Temperatures of 72 to 80 Â°F are suitable. The hatched shrimp are collected by straining through a handkerchief. The advantage of this method is that very high hatch rates are almost always achieved, even with brine shrimp eggs that give only modest hatches without dechorionation.
Microworms

Microworms are another excellent first food for killifish fry. Starter cultures are often listed in the F&EL. To culture them, baby cereal is added to a suitable plastic container (say a one pint translucent container of the type often used to sell food). Water is added to make a paste. A little dry yeast is sprinkled onto the paste and the starter added. After some days microworms can be seen crawling up the sides of the container. They can be scraped off with a finger or a small stick and fed directly to the fry. After some time the culture will begin to sour, at which time a new one should be started.
Vinegar Eels

These tiny worms are also an excellent starting food for fry. They have the advantage of staying suspended in the water, where they can live indefinitely. They are easy to culture, but more difficult to collect that microworms. To culture a large jar, such as a one gallon pickle jar, is almost filled with a 50:50 mixture of cider vinegar and water. A small piece of apple is added, and the stared culture added. After some days thousands of tiny worms can be seen suspended in the vinegar. These cultures will go on for many months with little or no attention. To feed, the worms must be strained through a fine material such as filter paper and rinsed several times to remove the vinegar, which would otherwise acidify the hatch water.
Infusoria

Infusoria is the collective name given to a host of tiny organisms that live in naturally conditioned water. Green water, for example, contains such creatures. For feeding newly hatched fry that are too tiny to take the foods described above, green water may be cultured, or cultures of paramecium may be maintained. Paramecium starter cultures may be obtained from biological suppliers, or again through the F&EL. To maintain a culture, a large jar, such as a one gallon pickle jar, is nearly filled with chlorine free water (tap water allowed to stand to remove chlorine), and a few dry peas and a sprinkle of baby cereal added. After a couple of days the water will become cloudy due to bacterial growth. The paramecium starter is then added. Over several days the paramecium will increase in number. They can be seen as tiny white "splinters" suspended in the water. The culture is fed a few dry peas every week or two. To feed to fry, some are drawn off with a baster and added to the fry hatchery. Paramecium cultures often smell quite bad for the first week or so. After that they become less objectionable. This author prefers not to use a culture until the "bad" smell, which is due to bacterial growth, has passed. Other hobbyists use corn husks to culture paramecium.
Grindal Worms

Grindal worms are an excellent food for young fish, that is for partially grown fry. They are cultured in a similar manner to white worms, but prefer higher temperatures, about 70 Â°F being ideal. To culture them, prepare a bed of 50:50 potting soil and peat moss (sterilized by microwaving and allowing to cool). The mixture is thoroughly dampened with water until it is not quite wet. The starter is added and the worms are fed with a sprinkle of baby cereal daily. A piece of glass is laid on the surface of the culture and the box closed with a lid. As the culture develops the worms congregate on the glass sheet, and can be scraped off with a finger to feed. An alternative method for culturing grindal worms is to use plastic foam ("sponge") as the substrate. A suitable type is the "egg crate" foam often sold as mattress pad. A piece of this material is placed in a plastic food storage box, and water added such that the foam is damp at the surface. The starter culture is added and the culture fed with a sprinkle of baby cereal. The lid is placed on the box. Ideally, the inner surface of the lid will just touch the surface of the foam. The culture is fed lightly each day. After some days, worms will be seen congregating on the lid, where they can be collected for feeding to the fish. The advantage of this method is that there is no soil contamination and the cultures do not become invaded by house mites, which are a common problem in conventional grindal worm cultures, as well as white worm cultures.

30-mar-2008, 13:32	#3 (permalink)
Roberto G Colaborador Registrado: junio-2007 Localización: Alajuela, San Rafael Posts: 651 Premios Recibidos Total de Premios: 1	Tercera Parte Alimentacion Feeding Killifish A varied and balanced diet is a practical necessity to achieve any degree of success with killifish, particularly in breeding them. Many killifish do really well only if supplied with livefood. Others do well on frozen foods and some, on dry foods. At any rate, exclusive use of a single food should be avoided, as this practice is likely to lead to nutritional imbalances and deficiencies. You will find useful information on foods on other sites, such as the Krib. Feeding Adult Killifish Brine Shrimp This food is a staple of many killie fishrooms. In some areas live adult brine shrimp can be purchased. These are a good nutritional source and are eagerly taken by most killies. As they live in strong salt water, they are less likely to carry parasites and bacteria harmful to freshwater fish. Frozen brine shrimp are widely available and widely used. They are readily accepted by most fish but, as with any non-live food, care must be taken not to overfeed. Daphnia This little crustacean is one of the most widely used live foods. Daphnia can be cultured artificially, at least in limited quantities, but most aquarists collect them from pools and ponds. A drawback to use of daphnia collected in this way is the danger of collecting other organisms potentially dangerous to aquarium fish. Daphnia are said to act as a laxative for fish and, like other foods, daphnia should not be fed exclusively. Mosquito Larvae This is an excellent live food for killies, although available only seasonally. They may be collected from standing water and ponds, either by swiftly passing a net through the water near the surface, or by collecting the egg "rafts", which can be allowed to hatch in a container of water in the fishroom. Many aquarists recommend culture of mosquito larvae by leaving out a container of water, which is allowed to become green with algae. The egg rafts or larvae are then collected under controlled conditions. Care must be taken to avoid allowing the larvae to complete the life cycle and become mosquitoes. That is a good way to make yourself unpopular with the neighbors and should be avoided because of the mosquito borne West Nile virus. As with the collection of other live foods, there is a risk of introducing fish enemies with the food. Tubifex Worms Tubifex worms are small worms that live in filthy places, such as sewage run-offs and the like. They can be collected from such sites, or purchased from some stores. Tubifex are an excellent food for killifish, but they carry the reputation of transmitting a variety of diseases. This risk may be reduced somewhat by holding the worms for a time in a shallow tray through which cold water runs. In this way evacuated matter and detritus from dead worms are washed away. Blackworms Blackworms are similar to, but distinct from, tubifex worms and are also an excellent food. They can be purchased, either from a store, or directly from companies that grow them for profit. Some of these producers are associated with fish farming operations. Others are dedicated purely to growing blackworms. Those associated with fish farms may be more likely to transmit fish diseases. Like Tubifex, blackworms carry a reputation for transmitting diseases. However, some breeders swear by them. Blackworms may be maintained for some time under running, cold water or refrigerated in dishes with enough water to barely cover them. White Worms White worms (Enchytrae) are another excellent live food for killies. Possibly they too can carry parasites or pathogenic bacteria but, because they are cultured, this is less likely than it is for tubifex and blackworms. It is said that white worms are fatty, and that they should not be fed exclusively for that reason. There are many methods for culturing white worms. Starter cultures can be obtained from other hobbyists and they are often listed in the Fish and Egg Listing of the AKA's Business Newsletter. Typically, these worms are cultured in a mixture of potting soil and peat moss, usually about 50:50. However, some hobbyists use garden soil, leaf mold, etc. It is best to sterilize the substrate before starting the culture. One way to do this is to place the mixture in a plastic bag and heat it in a microwave for a few minutes. After cooling the substrate is placed in a box, allowed to cool, sprinkled with water until thoroughly damp, and the starter added. The worms may be fed baby cereal or boiled oatmeal, but the most commonly used food is break soaked in milk or in yeast water (a milky suspension of yeast in water). These worms do not like high temperatures, the ideal being about 50 Â°F. Worms may be collected by picking them out, if the culture is a good one, or by placing some of the substrate in a strainer over a container of water. A light bulb is positioned over the strainer, which drives the worms through the strainer and into the water. The worms can be washed, then fed to your killies. Fruit Flies Two fruit fly (Drosophila) mutants, vestigial wing and flightless, make excellent food for killies. By virtue of the mutations they bear, they cannot fly. They can crawl, though, so it is advisable to feed just enough that the fish will eat them immediately. These flies are usually cultured in some sort of bottle into which a fruit fly medium, with a sprinkle of dry yeast, has been placed. The bottle is plugged with a piece of plastic sponge, or some such thing, after the flies are added. After some days larvae will appear, which then pupate, and eventually adult flies will emerge, at which stage they can be fed to the fish. Fruit fly medium can be cooked, but this is a time consuming and messy business. Instant medium can be obtained from biological suppliers such as Carolina Biological, and is much easier to use. A starter culture of flies can be purchased from similar sources, or obtained from other hobbyists. Starter cultures, again, are often listed in the F&EL. Beef Heart and Paste Foods Beef heart, trimmed of fibrous tissue and fat, can be frozen, then grated to produce "worm-like" pieces. Many hobbyists use beef heart as the basis for a prepared food containing vegetable matter, vitamins and other additives. Others prepare similar paste foods based on shrimp and fish. These are fed as small pieces or gratings. Care must be taken to feed only as much as will be eaten immediately, as remnants of this type of food can quickly foul the water. Here is a recipe for a (non-beef heart based) paste food. Recipes can also be found on the Krib. Dry Foods Many quality dry foods are available in the hobby today. Killies have a reputation of being reluctant to eat dry foods. However, some will eat them readily, and others can be trained to do so. The advantage of commercial dry foods is that they contain a balance of nutrients, including vitamins. Foods for Newly-Hatched Killifish Fry Newly-Hatched Brine Shrimp Virtually every breeder of killifish uses newly hatched brine shrimp (nauplii of Artemia) as a food for fry. Many killie fry can eat them as a first food, and even small fry can eat them after a few days on infusoria. Artemia eggs are available commercially, from aquarium stores and other suppliers. Essentially, the aquarist hatches these eggs by incubating them in a salt solution (6-8 tablespoonfuls per gallon). A number of methods have been described. One method is to hatch the eggs in a tray, using a light to attract the newly hatched shrimp. Others hatch the fry in jars, aerating the salt solution. A popular variation today is to use inverted clear plastic soda bottles (2 liter), from which the bottom has been cut. A piece of tubing is glued into a hole drilled in the cap and used to aerate the solution. The inverted bottle can be held in some sort of frame, often one holding two bottles. A useful advance in hatching brine shrimp, especially those of lower grade, is dechorionation, in which the "shells" of the eggs are removed before hatching. Again, methods vary, but the one described here is used by a number of aquarists. A cup of cool water is placed in an inverted soda bottle hatchery (as described above) and one teaspoonful of brine shrimp eggs is added. This is allowed to bubble gently for about an hour. One cup of concentrated bleach (such as Chlorox) is added and the solution bubbled vigorously for 6 minutes. During this time the suspension of eggs will turn from brown to orange. The suspension of eggs is then run off the hatchery and strained through an ordinary white handkerchief. The eggs are rinsed thoroughly with cool water, then returned to the hatchery, in which the salt solution for hatching has been placed. This suspension is bubbled at a moderate rate. The eggs will hatch after 24-36 hours, depending on temperature. Temperatures of 72 to 80 Â°F are suitable. The hatched shrimp are collected by straining through a handkerchief. The advantage of this method is that very high hatch rates are almost always achieved, even with brine shrimp eggs that give only modest hatches without dechorionation. Microworms Microworms are another excellent first food for killifish fry. Starter cultures are often listed in the F&EL. To culture them, baby cereal is added to a suitable plastic container (say a one pint translucent container of the type often used to sell food). Water is added to make a paste. A little dry yeast is sprinkled onto the paste and the starter added. After some days microworms can be seen crawling up the sides of the container. They can be scraped off with a finger or a small stick and fed directly to the fry. After some time the culture will begin to sour, at which time a new one should be started. Vinegar Eels These tiny worms are also an excellent starting food for fry. They have the advantage of staying suspended in the water, where they can live indefinitely. They are easy to culture, but more difficult to collect that microworms. To culture a large jar, such as a one gallon pickle jar, is almost filled with a 50:50 mixture of cider vinegar and water. A small piece of apple is added, and the stared culture added. After some days thousands of tiny worms can be seen suspended in the vinegar. These cultures will go on for many months with little or no attention. To feed, the worms must be strained through a fine material such as filter paper and rinsed several times to remove the vinegar, which would otherwise acidify the hatch water. Infusoria Infusoria is the collective name given to a host of tiny organisms that live in naturally conditioned water. Green water, for example, contains such creatures. For feeding newly hatched fry that are too tiny to take the foods described above, green water may be cultured, or cultures of paramecium may be maintained. Paramecium starter cultures may be obtained from biological suppliers, or again through the F&EL. To maintain a culture, a large jar, such as a one gallon pickle jar, is nearly filled with chlorine free water (tap water allowed to stand to remove chlorine), and a few dry peas and a sprinkle of baby cereal added. After a couple of days the water will become cloudy due to bacterial growth. The paramecium starter is then added. Over several days the paramecium will increase in number. They can be seen as tiny white "splinters" suspended in the water. The culture is fed a few dry peas every week or two. To feed to fry, some are drawn off with a baster and added to the fry hatchery. Paramecium cultures often smell quite bad for the first week or so. After that they become less objectionable. This author prefers not to use a culture until the "bad" smell, which is due to bacterial growth, has passed. Other hobbyists use corn husks to culture paramecium. Grindal Worms Grindal worms are an excellent food for young fish, that is for partially grown fry. They are cultured in a similar manner to white worms, but prefer higher temperatures, about 70 Â°F being ideal. To culture them, prepare a bed of 50:50 potting soil and peat moss (sterilized by microwaving and allowing to cool). The mixture is thoroughly dampened with water until it is not quite wet. The starter is added and the worms are fed with a sprinkle of baby cereal daily. A piece of glass is laid on the surface of the culture and the box closed with a lid. As the culture develops the worms congregate on the glass sheet, and can be scraped off with a finger to feed. An alternative method for culturing grindal worms is to use plastic foam ("sponge") as the substrate. A suitable type is the "egg crate" foam often sold as mattress pad. A piece of this material is placed in a plastic food storage box, and water added such that the foam is damp at the surface. The starter culture is added and the culture fed with a sprinkle of baby cereal. The lid is placed on the box. Ideally, the inner surface of the lid will just touch the surface of the foam. The culture is fed lightly each day. After some days, worms will be seen congregating on the lid, where they can be collected for feeding to the fish. The advantage of this method is that there is no soil contamination and the cultures do not become invaded by house mites, which are a common problem in conventional grindal worm cultures, as well as white worm cultures. __________________ Saludos... Pagina Discos Costa Rica Atentamente, Roberto Gutierrez KCA 113 (Killi Club Argentino)