Feeding Live Food?

[jakester]

Hi, I live in the uk and at the beggining of the summer I put my small 2.5 gallon tank outside in the garden with some live plants in it to see if they would grow. I have just had a look at it and all the plants are dead or very nearly dead. But there is an abundance of small, slightly hairy wriggling things(there are also some worm like things) would it be safe to feed these to my fish considering that most of the water is probably rain water.

P.S
I have sieved most of the dead plant out.

 

[BigC]

Most likely midge larvae and other insect larvae. most are excellent foodstuffs. I have lots of plastic barrels with the tops cut off and placed under my leylandii trees in my back garden, this supplies me with an extra source of livefood in the summer months. try placing a starter culture of Daphnia in one of your tubs and they will flourish and and dieback according to season.
Excellent food but clean well before placing in your tank.
Regards
BigC

 

[edgun88]

Those little things you are talking about are mosquito larvae. Get rid of them ASAP, unless you want a bunch of mosquitos in your yard.

 

[BigC]

Those little things you are talking about are mosquito larvae. Get rid of them ASAP, unless you want a bunch of mosquitos in your yard.

Going by the time zone in his sig then he's from the UK region. Knowing that we have around 32 species of mossie over here, in general most do not bite humans and do not carry the same diseases associated with warmer climatic countries. Females are the only ones that bite as they need animal and human protein to produce their eggs. The males prefer to live off nectar from plants and do not bite humans. The ones in his tubs are more likely to be midge larvae.
Regards
BigC

 

[jakester]

So these migde or mosquito larva can I feed these kind to my fish or is this not a good idea?

Thanks very much for your reply jakester.

 

[BigC]

Feed away, collect in net and rinse well. and give your fish a treat. Obviously your going to get the skeptics on here advising you against. I have been feeding this type of food for many a year with no ill effects. Just be careful and rinse well. Also in the summer when there is lots of greenfly on the roses take jamjar full of water and dip the heads of the roses in and give it a wiggle, some more excellent food courtesy of your garden (roses that havent already been sprayed with pesticides)
Regards
BigC
Nothobranchius species of killifish (annuals) have for many years been used as part of the scheme to eradicate malaria carrying mossies. in Africa.