Feeder Fish

[jamie2010]

ello all.iv been hearing the term feeder fish on the forum,so please
#1 how do they differ from a normal fish?
#2 what breed or group of fish are they?
thanks

 

[MHunt]

Basically as i understand it, fish such as guppies or goldfish are bred as food for larger predatory fish such as pirahnas, or Oscars. They are just bred in vast quantity's for cheapness with no attention paid to quality, colour or breeding, Purely for food.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

Basically as i understand it, fish such as guppies or goldfish are bred as food for larger predatory fish such as pirahnas, or Oscars. They are just bred in vast quantity's for cheapness with no attention paid to quality, colour or breeding, Purely for food.

yup, although personally i wouldn't recommend them, they can be very poor stock and carry diseases.

if you have predatory fish that require live food i'd say it's best to breed your own from good stock

 

[The-Wolf]

also worth noting, it is illegal here in the UK to feed live fish to other animals, including other fish.

 

[jamie2010]

Basically as i understand it, fish such as guppies or goldfish are bred as food for larger predatory fish such as pirahnas, or Oscars. They are just bred in vast quantity's for cheapness with no attention paid to quality, colour or breeding, Purely for food.

ahh now i understand what people maeant when they said they dont live long anyway,apart from being food of course.iv never seen these fish for sale though.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

also worth noting, it is illegal here in the UK to feed live fish to other animals, including other fish.

even in your own home?

i know you can't sell feeders

 

[jamie2010]

dont have any predators myself (except my cat) wouldnt have the heart to drop a load pf fish in for another fishies dinner though.

 

[MHunt]

also worth noting, it is illegal here in the UK to feed live fish to other animals, including other fish.

even in your own home?

i know you can't sell feeders

I agree, if you don't tell anyone, who'd know?

 

[The-Wolf]

as with anything illegal
it is only ilegal if you get caught

The above post does not in anyway shape or form mean that I condone such actions.

 

[k.o.d]

All the above are spot on

1. Bred in quantity, in large vats and they are nutritionally crap, goldfish especially as they inhibhit the uptake of thiamine so are poor feeders
2. Because of quantity they are more likely to harbour parasites and disease

They are sold advertised as feeders in the States and people look on it as normal.

Although people on here say it is not neccessary to use feeders, for some fish it may be neccessary. For the majority of community fish you will never ever need feeders, and as correctly stated by others, a balanced diet of frozen and flake/dry food is much better for the fish.

There are some ambush predator type fish that will only see live food as food, but the vast majority will eat prepared after acclimitisation

 

[Miss Wiggle]

well obviously your unlikely to get caught in your own home.

i was just wondering if the law actually states you can't do it anywhere or just that they can't be sold.

cos surley if it's illegal to do it anywhere it would then also have to be illegal to buy some prediatory fish that need live food as to keep them you'd have to break the law to feed them??

 

[k.o.d]

I know LFS get into trouble for suppling fish to be used as feeders, am not sure how it would be if you used your own personal supply of feeders without going through retailers.

 

[muzzy]

cos surley if it's illegal to do it anywhere it would then also have to be illegal to buy some prediatory fish that need live food as to keep them you'd have to break the law to feed them??

Lol!! i was about to ask something similar.
If its illegal other than breaking the law how would you feed them?

 

[jamie2010]

thanks guys thats pretty much cleared that one up

 

[OohFeeshy]

I think the 'law' against it is a bit foggy, from what I've read it isn't illegal in the circumstances- e.g, an out and out piscavore. But apart from anything else, who is going to know, or, to be honest, care?