The following is a list of commonly available live foods for your fish.
Live foods are more nutritious than the frozen or dried equivalent, and are a must for some species of fish for full conditioning.
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Bloodworm
A midge larvae which is taken by just about all fish, even the so called herbivorous species, bloodworm can be found at many fish & pet stores. You may also find jumbo bloodworm (shown on the left) which is much much larger. Bloodworm are also sometimes sold at fishing tackle stores as fishing bait.
Bloodworm do not feed on blood.
Expect to pay 30p to 60p per portion.
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Brine shrimp (Artemia)
Also sometimes known as 'SeaMonkeys' newly hatched brine shrimp are the staple diet of many tank bred fish fry and can be hatched by the fishkeeper in a home hatchery quite easily. Adult brineshrimp can be bought from your local fish store and are ideal for all fish.
The brineshimp we buy is 'enriched' which means it has been fed on a vitamin rich diet.
Expect to pay around 50p per portion.
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Daphnia
Sometimes called 'Water fleas' and available from your local fish store. Can also be harvested from any still body of water but be careful of unwanted parasites and other pests.
Most fish will take daphnia.
We pay around 40p for a portion.
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Glassworm
Smaller than bloodworm making it suitable for juvenile fish & filter feeders such as violet gobies.
Less often found at your fish store and a little more expensive at around 90p per portion.
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Microworms
Another tiny worm ideal for fry. Microworms are usually sold as a 'do it yourself' culture which you grow at home. I've never come across them myself, so I have no idea on price.
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Vinegar Eels
A tiny aquatic nematode worm, not an eel. They are found naturally appearing in vats of vinegar. They make excellent food for fry of nearly all species of aquarium fish, and the adults of small fish like tetras and minnows love them too.
They live longer in the aquarium than Microworms and also can be home cultured although they are rather complicated to harvest (You don't want to put vinegar in your tanks!)
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River shrimp
A larger shrimp getting up to two inches long. Ideal for predatory fish and especially puffers. Not very easily available as a live food, but if you're lucky enough to have a local fish store that does them, expect to pay 60p to £1 for a portion of around 30 to 50 shrimp.
These shrimp go opaque pink when dead and must be removed from the aquarium as they foul the water very quickly.
The nutritional value of the shrimp is quite low but can be boosted by feeding algae wafers to the shrimp before feeding the shrimp to the fish.
As the shrimp are a coldwater species, they are best kept in outdoors or even in a fridge untill they're ready to be fed to your fish.
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Snails
Often available from your local fish or pond store for FREE! snails are an essential part of the pufferfish diet and a treat to many other fish such as botia species (loaches)
Avoid giving Malaysian trumpet snails as the shells are very hard and can break puffer's teeth. Go for ramshorn snails or common pond snails.
We buy large ramshorn snails from our local pond centre for £2.50 per five snails. Still looking for a cheaper alternative!
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Waxworms
Actually a moth caterpillar and sold in small pots in the reptile department of your pet store. Waxworms are eagerly eaten by most predatory fish. Our Gachua Snakehead, Jethro, loves them. They cost around £2.50 for a pot which contains around 30 grubs.
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Mealworms
This 'worm' is actually a beetle larvae and will be found in the reptile department at your local pet store and sometimes at bait shops.
It's available in regular or giant sized.
Larger carnivores such as cichlids, puffers and bichirs will gobble these down with enthusiasm as a nice crunchy meal.
A word of warning about the giant mealworms. If swallowed whole, these larvae have been known to eat their way through the stomach lining and kill the fish. It's best to either stick to the small variety, or behead the large ones before feeding. (don't worry, they still wriggle).
We pay £2.50 for a box of regular mealworms.
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Crickets
Look in the reptile section of your pet store. Crickets come in various sizes and colours from 'micro browns' to 'jumbo blacks' and are favoured by insectivorous surface feeders such as Arowana, archer fish & African Butterfly Fish.
Expect to pay around £2.50 for a boxfull.
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Earthworms
Extremely nutritious and available in every size. can be fed whole or chopped. Most carnivore & omnivore fish will chow down with gusto.
You can collect them yourself, one method is to spread a towel on the lawn at night then soak it with a hosepipe. Wait an hour then lift the towel and collect the worms. Be sure that the worms have not been in contact with toxins such as fertilisers and pesticides.
If in doubt, buy farmed worms.
Those of us in the UK can buy them online at Worms Direct
________________________________________
Feeder Fish
Feeder fish are 'low quality' fish sold in fish & pet stores as live food for other animals such as snakes, turtles and piranha.
Most commonly they are plain guppies, rosey reds (shown below) or common goldfish.
Feeder fish are usually mass bred in poor conditions and are often suffering from deformities from inbreeding and disease from poor water conditions so be careful and always quarantine the feeders before introducing them to your aquarium.
In the UK, it may be illegal to use live fish as food, but elsewhere they are quite commonly available.
Also in the UK, it's illegal to sell or keep rosey red minnows without a licence as they are a threat to our native fish species should they find their way into our rivers and watercourses.
Rosey red minnows.
________________________________________
Hope that's been helpful
Live foods are more nutritious than the frozen or dried equivalent, and are a must for some species of fish for full conditioning.
_________________________________________
Bloodworm
A midge larvae which is taken by just about all fish, even the so called herbivorous species, bloodworm can be found at many fish & pet stores. You may also find jumbo bloodworm (shown on the left) which is much much larger. Bloodworm are also sometimes sold at fishing tackle stores as fishing bait.
Bloodworm do not feed on blood.
Expect to pay 30p to 60p per portion.
_________________________________________
Brine shrimp (Artemia)
Also sometimes known as 'SeaMonkeys' newly hatched brine shrimp are the staple diet of many tank bred fish fry and can be hatched by the fishkeeper in a home hatchery quite easily. Adult brineshrimp can be bought from your local fish store and are ideal for all fish.
The brineshimp we buy is 'enriched' which means it has been fed on a vitamin rich diet.
Expect to pay around 50p per portion.
_________________________________________
Daphnia
Sometimes called 'Water fleas' and available from your local fish store. Can also be harvested from any still body of water but be careful of unwanted parasites and other pests.
Most fish will take daphnia.
We pay around 40p for a portion.
________________________________________
Glassworm
Smaller than bloodworm making it suitable for juvenile fish & filter feeders such as violet gobies.
Less often found at your fish store and a little more expensive at around 90p per portion.
________________________________________
Microworms
Another tiny worm ideal for fry. Microworms are usually sold as a 'do it yourself' culture which you grow at home. I've never come across them myself, so I have no idea on price.
________________________________________
Vinegar Eels
A tiny aquatic nematode worm, not an eel. They are found naturally appearing in vats of vinegar. They make excellent food for fry of nearly all species of aquarium fish, and the adults of small fish like tetras and minnows love them too.
They live longer in the aquarium than Microworms and also can be home cultured although they are rather complicated to harvest (You don't want to put vinegar in your tanks!)
________________________________________
River shrimp
A larger shrimp getting up to two inches long. Ideal for predatory fish and especially puffers. Not very easily available as a live food, but if you're lucky enough to have a local fish store that does them, expect to pay 60p to £1 for a portion of around 30 to 50 shrimp.
These shrimp go opaque pink when dead and must be removed from the aquarium as they foul the water very quickly.
The nutritional value of the shrimp is quite low but can be boosted by feeding algae wafers to the shrimp before feeding the shrimp to the fish.
As the shrimp are a coldwater species, they are best kept in outdoors or even in a fridge untill they're ready to be fed to your fish.
________________________________________
Snails
Often available from your local fish or pond store for FREE! snails are an essential part of the pufferfish diet and a treat to many other fish such as botia species (loaches)
Avoid giving Malaysian trumpet snails as the shells are very hard and can break puffer's teeth. Go for ramshorn snails or common pond snails.
We buy large ramshorn snails from our local pond centre for £2.50 per five snails. Still looking for a cheaper alternative!
________________________________________
Waxworms
Actually a moth caterpillar and sold in small pots in the reptile department of your pet store. Waxworms are eagerly eaten by most predatory fish. Our Gachua Snakehead, Jethro, loves them. They cost around £2.50 for a pot which contains around 30 grubs.
________________________________________
Mealworms
This 'worm' is actually a beetle larvae and will be found in the reptile department at your local pet store and sometimes at bait shops.
It's available in regular or giant sized.
Larger carnivores such as cichlids, puffers and bichirs will gobble these down with enthusiasm as a nice crunchy meal.
A word of warning about the giant mealworms. If swallowed whole, these larvae have been known to eat their way through the stomach lining and kill the fish. It's best to either stick to the small variety, or behead the large ones before feeding. (don't worry, they still wriggle).
We pay £2.50 for a box of regular mealworms.
________________________________________
Crickets
Look in the reptile section of your pet store. Crickets come in various sizes and colours from 'micro browns' to 'jumbo blacks' and are favoured by insectivorous surface feeders such as Arowana, archer fish & African Butterfly Fish.
Expect to pay around £2.50 for a boxfull.
________________________________________
Earthworms
Extremely nutritious and available in every size. can be fed whole or chopped. Most carnivore & omnivore fish will chow down with gusto.
You can collect them yourself, one method is to spread a towel on the lawn at night then soak it with a hosepipe. Wait an hour then lift the towel and collect the worms. Be sure that the worms have not been in contact with toxins such as fertilisers and pesticides.
If in doubt, buy farmed worms.
Those of us in the UK can buy them online at Worms Direct
________________________________________
Feeder Fish
Feeder fish are 'low quality' fish sold in fish & pet stores as live food for other animals such as snakes, turtles and piranha.
Most commonly they are plain guppies, rosey reds (shown below) or common goldfish.
Feeder fish are usually mass bred in poor conditions and are often suffering from deformities from inbreeding and disease from poor water conditions so be careful and always quarantine the feeders before introducing them to your aquarium.
In the UK, it may be illegal to use live fish as food, but elsewhere they are quite commonly available.
Also in the UK, it's illegal to sell or keep rosey red minnows without a licence as they are a threat to our native fish species should they find their way into our rivers and watercourses.
Rosey red minnows.
________________________________________
Hope that's been helpful
only thing i can find are wax worms, meal worms and crickets 
