Mussells For My Fahaka

[chris_1127]

to date i've been feeding my fahaka cooked and shelled mussels from morrisons (99p lasts a month ) however living by the sea, and as hes getting bigger I'm thinking that it might be worth going down to the beach and collecting mussells off the rocks to feed him shell-on - it'll help keep his teeth in trim too. Just a bit concerned about introducing any parasites or disease - is this likely to be a problem? Does anyone do similar, or have any advice about it?

 

[Fella]

to date i've been feeding my fahaka cooked and shelled mussels from morrisons (99p lasts a month ) however living by the sea, and as hes getting bigger I'm thinking that it might be worth going down to the beach and collecting mussells off the rocks to feed him shell-on - it'll help keep his teeth in trim too. Just a bit concerned about introducing any parasites or disease - is this likely to be a problem? Does anyone do similar, or have any advice about it?

I've considered these kind of things in the past as well, not just with actual foods, but with the introduction of rocks from the sea as well, as my girlfriend's parents live in plymouth and we always visit the sea there.

I came to the conclusion that rocks would need to be thoroughly washed, boiled (or at least boiling water poured over them) cleaned and removed of any decaying material before adding it to the aquarium. Parasites I don't think would be too much of a problem; in marine aquaria, you can often kill parasites by lowering the salinity, so adding these to a fahaka tank may not produce too much of a risk. With food it may be different, but, I wouldn't be willing to risk my pride and joy for the sake of a few quid.

My tip would be to check out with local fishmongers if they can offer you anything. The way i save money on it, is to buy from a chinese supermarket, where you can find all different kinds of foods suitable for fish often a lot cheaper than tescos or other large chain store.

 

[chris_1127]

yeah its something i have been giving thought. I was thinking more for the sake of feeding something thats a bit crunchy really, rather than the money side. i know with some shellfish they reccomend leaving in fresh water to clean themselves out before eating - didnt know if this might be necessary or anything. As you say, it is a risk with a "specimen" fish

 

[Fella]

yeah its something i have been giving thought. I was thinking more for the sake of feeding something thats a bit crunchy really, rather than the money side. i know with some shellfish they reccomend leaving in fresh water to clean themselves out before eating - didnt know if this might be necessary or anything. As you say, it is a risk with a "specimen" fish

The mussels I buy from Chinese supermarkets are always still shelled, and a lot bigger than supermarket ones! It's well worth checking out.

 

[Paul_MTS]

I get live mussels from tesco's or morrisons, i think a net of them costs around 3-4quid and will last a month or 2