? on predator tanks and live food sources

[littlewrentx]

I'd like to hear what people are feeding their eels, sharks, etc.

How much does it cost to feed some of the larger predators?

[rrasco]

You can feed them most store-bought seafood. Right now I am feeding my shark tail-off, deveined shrimp. It was like $5 for a pretty big bag at HEB that should last me a few months. You can also feed squid or various other frozen fish from the store. You could feed ghost shrimp too.

[Sherita]

I'm feeding the following predators:

Ocellated Moray eel
Zebra Moray eel
Dwarf Zebra lion fish
Lunar Wrasse
Marine Betta
Harlequin Tusk

I feed squid, whole shrimp (whole is a must in order to provide good nutrition, the exoskeleton and innards contain necessary nutrients), octopus, cracked open clams, mussels, saltwater fish flesh (normally speckled trout scraps left over after I clean them), grass shrimp (live and frozen), peppermint shrimp (live and frozen), small mud crabs (frozen), mullet, silverfish and mysis shrimp. The grass shrimp are collected in Port Aransas, so are the peppermint shrimp, mullet, silverfish and mud crabs. Any good asian market will have a seafood mix in the frozen section, it will have squid, octopus, shrimp, mussels and clams in it, and it is raw. This is a good food source for predators. Silversides are not a good food, nor are freshwater feeder fish.

I've had a couple of very good discussions with Bob Fenner regarding my ocellated moray. The consensus is that if you are feeding a prey item, feeding it whole is the best way to go if possible. As far as live foods, I catch peppermint and larger grass shrimp and put them in the tank. My fish enjoy hunting for their dinner. I consider it environmental enrichment.

[rrasco]

Do you know of any asian markets in SA Sherita?

[Sherita]

Can't help ya there since I don't live in SA.

But I found the same frozen seafood mix in my tiny little grocery store out here in nowheresville west Texas (not exactly a hotbed of asian cuisine here). I bet any larger chain grocery in SA would have it, and probably super Walmarts too.

[Scutterborn]

Robert, I'm willing to bet that spiffy new heb at bandera/1604 would have some. I haven't been there since I built the water tower but it looks similar to the one at stone oak and 281. They have everything!


- Ben -

[rrasco]

I bet they do. I avoid that store like I do Alamo Ranch though. I hate crowded places.

[allan]

I hate crowded places as well. But I've never appreciated getting elbowed in the groin much.

There are plenty of asian markets here, you stand a better chance finding them close to one of the military installations or one of the Air Force bases. I've seen them around Fort Sam, I think there's one on Harry Wurzebach as well.

Failling that, I also hit the HEB for raw octo, shrimp, squid, and I have even done the oysters. I've not gotten any fish to feed my fish... just sounded wierd and never sure what kind I should get.

I've even picked up clams, the live ones from the produce, acclimated them and dropped them in. They tend to bury themselves and send out their spout to breeth or look for foods.

[Big_Pun]

Do you know of any asian markets in SA Sherita?


tims oriental market on bandera, great place.

[rrasco]

Sweet. That's on the way home too. Thx.

[Sherita]

LOL@Allan. I don't feed fish to my fish, I feed fish to my eels. But my fish will eat fish, including the live ornamental kind that I paid good money for :P

If you decide to feed fish flesh, the most important thing is that it be a saltwater fish. Freshwater fish lack essential nutrients that our saltwater animals need. I normally bring back a bag or two of frozen "leftovers", from when I clean what I catch at the coast. It's almost always a combination of speckled trout, croaker, gafftop, redfish. Sometimes I cast net for piggie perch and small mullet. My eels love those.

[littlewrentx]

There is a good asian market called Tim's on Bandera Rd and there is another one on REmount on the east side that have various frozen sea foods.