Fins Posted May 28, 2005 Share Posted May 28, 2005 <H1>On culturing mosquito larvae</H1><DIV id=Qtextbox><P><STRONG>Author: YeW2001</STRONG><BR><BR>Hi Guys - <br> <br> Summer is almost here so I thought I'd post some info on how to use mosquito larvae as fish food. <br> <br> Obviously you cannot easily culture adult mosquitos - but you can encourage them to lay their eggs in water in your backyard. <br> <br> While this doesn't necessarily sound like a great option - 99% of the eggs laid will hatch into fish food for you - so in a way you are limiting their breeding elsewhere. <br> <br> Here's what I do - get a 80-100 tub (from discount stores). Fill with tap water - add some grassclippings (about a handful in a stocking) and some yeasts. <br> <br> The water will go "stagnant" more quickly - and the smell (it isn't bad) attracts the mozzies! In a few weeks you'll have lots of mosquitos in your tub(s) - which you can feed to your fishes. <br> <br> I have also introduced Daphnia to my tubs and they breed quite happily in there (Thanks Craig for the starter!). <br> <br> HTH - </DIV><H2>Replies »</H2><DIV id=Atextbox><P><STRONG>Author: YeW2001</STRONG><BR><BR>Forgot to add - harvest them regularly (eat them before they eat you!). You'll know you are harvesting them enough if you don't get any "tumblers" the pupal form of the mosquito. <br> <br> Interestingly, I also get many bloodworms - colonising the sides of my tubs in their little mud tube-homes . </DIV><DIV id=Atextbox><P><STRONG>Author: 23Skidoo</STRONG><BR><BR>Do you use the blood worms? I've found them in my mossie farm too, but how do you remove the mud-casing, i'm not too keen to give that to my fish? </DIV><DIV id=Atextbox><P><STRONG>Author: YeW2001</STRONG><BR><BR>Skidoo - <br> <br> When they are swimming about (early morning - nighttime) I also net them and feed them to my fish. I doubt one or two mud homes will hurt your fish (don't add many of them though ). </DIV><DIV id=Atextbox><P><STRONG>Author: 23Skidoo</STRONG><BR><BR>Yeah, we had an issue with one farm we had going, don't know why but form a 20L bucket i got almost half a net full of blood worms in thier little mud homes. And i didn't want to add all the mud to my tanks, i swooshed them about in water to try and wash off the mud, but it wasn't worth it in the end, lost too many worms. </DIV><DIV id=Atextbox><P><STRONG>Author: thekrib</STRONG><BR><BR>80to 100 liters is way way more then you need, you will get thousands (at least if its like here in California). the best way to get them is to get a 5 gallon bucket, and put a rotten banana in it, there will be tons in days. just make SURE the banan is rotten, if it isnt then it will turn the water into the smelliest thing youve ever seen. <br> <br> also the "rafts" which are the mosquito larvae eggs are IMO one of the easiest and best choices for fish fry. you can just get the rafts (look like little black things) that float on the surface, and put them in ur fry tanks and they will hatch in with the fry, and not all at once, providing a long lasting source of food. you can raise even new born neon tetras on these. </DIV><DIV id=Atextbox><P><STRONG>Author: CThompson</STRONG><BR><BR>It's good to know that you still have the daphnia Yew, there are some amongst us who have taken several bites of the cherry, and still come back for more (hi Craig). I think that something should also be said for the placement of the container the wrigglers/daphnia are being cultured in. Daphnia feed on green water, not sure about wrigglers but I expect they do also. That means you want the container to receive some sunlight, but not too much as the container will overheat in our hot Summer days. <br> <br> And speaking of heat, I personally use 100 and 200 litre barrels to raise my daphnia and wrigglers in. I believe they hold an advantage in that on those really hot Summer days, smaller containers may overheat, but with 100 & 200 litre barrels, the daphnia can go deeper and select their temperature by their depth. Wrigglers on the other hand must come to the surface to breath, and I have on numerous occasions seen cooked wrigglers floating dead on the surface. No great lose as these are soon replace, but to lose daphnia, you will have to go to the effort and source them again. <br> <br> I use a green net which has courser holes in it to collect the wrigglers and daphnia, this will in effect, collect wrigglers and daphnia above a certain size, below this size they will pass through the net, to grow larger, and to be caught later. I always rinse this food with the tap before I feed the fish, and I do so by placing the net and all inside a white fine net, that has really small holes (like pantihose), which lets nothing through, and you'll be surprised how much will be caught in this white net after being washed through the green net. <br> <br> I also feed my containers yeast, just sprinkle some on the surface, and either swirl it in, or just let it sink in its own time as I do now. You could also pre-mix the yeast in a separate container and pour this mixture in. Personally, I have found that this doesn't seem to work as well (for me anyway) as I get little clumps that don't dissolve, and float to the surface in little brown clumps at a later date. I will usually add more yeast when the water become clear. <br> <br> I have always been concerned about the extra mozzies I will be producing from this (I use 4 200 litre barrels and 3 100 litre ones), but I figure that the mosquitos are going to be out there anyway, breeding in any open body of water, and growing to adult hood. I'm sure I don't get every one that are laid in my barrels, but taking out dessert spoon amounts of wrigglers at a time, which would otherwise be laid elsewhere, but in this case are fed to my fish, has to have an impact. So though some will grow to become mozzies, I believe I remove a greater number than I actually produce. <br> <br> Craig </DIV><DIV id=Atextbox><P><STRONG>Author: dodol</STRONG><BR><BR>Hi Guys, <br> <br> Just a quick question, isn't the whole idea running a risk of parasites? Especially mosquitos, you never know who/what they bite <br> <br> <br> DD </DIV><DIV id=Atextbox><P><STRONG>Author: 23Skidoo</STRONG><BR><BR>Yes we don't know. But it isn't passed onto the mosquitoes young. <p></P></DIV><DIV id=Atextbox><P><STRONG>Author: hungsta</STRONG><BR><BR>some disease do get passed on to the young (female youngs, but not sure about male?).....but not sure if it is fish-related diseases! <br> <br> </DIV><DIV id=Atextbox><P><STRONG>Author: Perspicax</STRONG><BR><BR>If you do not want the mosquitos that hatched to get out of your barrel then you can put a mosquito net over it. The mosquitos will still come to your barrel to lay their eggs, but any larvae that hatched won't be able to get out. </DIV><DIV id=Atextbox><P><STRONG>Author: YeW2001</STRONG><BR><BR>I think the risk of parasites are relatively low. <br> <br> I've fed them to most of my fish over the years without problem. </DIV><DIV id=Atextbox><P><STRONG>Author: cbrian2</STRONG><BR><BR>Hi YeW2001, <br> just wanted to know where i could get those daphnia starting culture. tried my lfs but they only have the frozen daphnia... <br> thanks <p></P></DIV><DIV id=Atextbox><P><STRONG>Author: YeW2001</STRONG><BR><BR>Brian - <br> <br> You're most welcome to get a starter from me at some point. Email me and we'll work something out. <br> <br> Cheers - </DIV><DIV id=Atextbox><P><STRONG>Author: SciBlue</STRONG><BR><BR>For daphnia just line your tank with old wooden fence pailings and fill with water, Add a little grass clippings and some sheep manure the daphnia will slowly start to appear and will then breed on the old wooden pailings. This is slow but ive seen it done many a time, and while waiting for the daphnia just use the mosquito larve. </DIV><DIV id=Atextbox><P><STRONG>Author: eedward</STRONG><BR><BR>is there any fish that wouldn't eat mozzie larvae? </DIV><DIV id=Atextbox><P><STRONG>Author: Perspicax</STRONG><BR><BR>I haven't given live food to my fishes for quite a long time the reason is, because when I used to have tropicals and gave them live food (what they loved) after they refused or reluctantly ate the dry foods, flake, pellets, etc. Anyone else had that problem? </DIV><DIV id=Atextbox><P><STRONG>Author: Link 2 Hell</STRONG><BR><BR>Like all things that are liked to the extreme od addiction, moderation needs to be use <br> I feel that in some cases a shot of live food will stimulate some fish to breed <br> L2H </DIV><DIV id=Atextbox><P><STRONG>Author: aymenz</STRONG><BR><BR> hey yew <br> <br> just a quick question..... <br> <br> does these mosquitos... lay their eggs also in a swimming pool if it's not used for a long time ???? <br> <br> and they also float on the surface of the pool ???? <br> <br> they are very small and in a big number ........ <br> because my cuz said that they become mosquitos after a while .... is that true.....???? <br> <br> and if yes can i feed them to my severums, jacks and texas ? <br> also to babies ???? <br> <br> thx in adv <br> c ya <br> <br> </DIV> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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