Best way to keep 100+ feeder fish alive

[burntrubber]

Starve them a week then feed frozen food.

To your main question, do the pet stores sell those rectangular plastic tubs for goldfish and turtles?

 

[ParrotCichlid]

Starve them a week then feed frozen food.

To your main question, do the pet stores sell those rectangular plastic tubs for goldfish and turtles?

I've got most of my fish on frozen food with the same method. Starving them for up to 14 days then frozen food. Its worked with most fish accept the stubborn gar. After about 11 days he actually tasted a prawn then spat it back out. Same with blood worm. If its not moving he kind of looks at it as though its not food.

Yes i think i know a place that sells them large tubs for turtles??

 

[Szar]

Buy convicts, let nature do its thing.

you have more feeder then you need.

 

[duanes]

I believe one of the reasons most store bought feeders are disease carriers, is that too many are packed into too small a space, which causes stress and leads to disease, and in when a crowd, water quality is quickly degraded. Treat them as well as you treat your show fish, and they will be healthy for your fish as feeders, treat they shoddily, and they will return the favor.

 

[ParrotCichlid]

I believe one of the reasons most store bought feeders are disease carriers, is that too many are packed into too small a space, which causes stress and leads to disease, and in when a crowd, water quality is quickly degraded. Treat them as well as you treat your show fish, and they will be healthy for your fish as feeders, treat they shoddily, and they will return the favor.

I don't necessarily agree with that. I agree that water quality and lack of oxygen lead to the common feeders being disease ridden. But i don't think cramming them all in a small space causes it. Sure tye more overstocked the feeder tanks are the more likely water quality and oxygen are to drop but i think it can be counteracted. Great filtration and additional air pumps should be able to make up for overstocking the tanks.

I wish that i could raise feeders the same as my prized fish but its simply not feasible. You would need to invest thousands into it with lots of space.

Anyone think its possibly to do 50 or 70 2 to 3 inch feeders in a 60g drum? The water butt would just be so handy as i could do huge water changes regularly thanks to the tap.

 

[Gourami Swami]

I don't necessarily agree with that. I agree that water quality and lack of oxygen lead to the common feeders being disease ridden. But i don't think cramming them all in a small space causes it. Sure tye more overstocked the feeder tanks are the more likely water quality and oxygen are to drop but i think it can be counteracted. Great filtration and additional air pumps should be able to make up for overstocking the tanks.

I wish that i could raise feeders the same as my prized fish but its simply not feasible. You would need to invest thousands into it with lots of space.

Anyone think its possibly to do 50 or 70 2 to 3 inch feeders in a 60g drum? The water butt would just be so handy as i could do huge water changes regularly thanks to the tap.

But cramming them all in a small space causes the bad water quality and lack of oxygen. So indirectly causes the poor health. To say otherwise is to nit-pick a bad situation.
Can you cram 50 to 70 2-3" fish in a 60g drum? Sure. Will they be healthy even with daily water changes? Probably not.

 

[Fat Homer]

As already mentioned, but i do believe the cramped space alone could cause deaths

I've got most of my fish on frozen food with the same method. Starving them for up to 14 days then frozen food. Its worked with most fish accept the stubborn gar. After about 11 days he actually tasted a prawn then spat it back out. Same with blood worm. If its not moving he kind of looks at it as though its not food.

Yes i think i know a place that sells them large tubs for turtles??

The trick is not to quit!!! I’ve staved fish for over a month in order to get them at least taste testing other foods...

But end of the day your fish and your money, so if you’re happy doing it that way, then more power to you...

 

[Coryloach]

As advised here, you'll have a crowded feeder tank rampant with pathogens due to the over-crowding, unless you take care of the feeders as well as quality fish....It's not going to work out well for either the feeder, nor your fish...Overstocking is a ticking bomb.....

Teach your fish to eat manufactured food of high quality, which long term will be highly beneficial to them as well. A healthy fish will eventually start eating whatever is on the menu...

 

[johnny potatoes]

I've used this method several times with success. Cut a piece of shrimp or fish into a feeder size/ shape. Take a piece of fishing line and tie a knot on one end. Don't tie the line to the shrimp it is simply to keep the shrimp from sliding if the line. Thread the shrimp into the line and "go fishing". Once the fish grabs the shrimp a quick tug will pull the fishing line out. I've never had to do this more than a few times for any fish I've had, after a few times I was able to just drop in the shrimp. Good luck

 

[dogofwar]

See if they'll eat live worms - I've yet to find a fish that doesn't like red wigglers (AKA composting worms). They're super easy to culture, safe and nutritious. Way safer than feeder fish or blackworms.

Haven't bought live or frozen food in years because I have a bin of them in my fishroom (where I drop banana peels, shredded junk mail, corn cobs and other stuff that can be composted)... In the summer when it's warmest, they can double in weight in a month (once they're established). I even use them as fishing bait

Matt