genie

I was reading an IBC Member's page.... he said that feeding live guppy fry to bettas is great and will perk them up b/c they have to chase them.
I have mixed feelings since we do feed other live food. I was just wondering what everyone else thinks. BTW I don't have guppies-- just interested in opinions.

voiceless_kat

Might be good for them...personally, I can't handle anything with a face, eating anything else with a face...........if the thing being eaten is still alive . I'm way to soft for that. I freaked out when I saw a huge tank in a Pet store with a kazillion little minnows in it....dahh me thought it was overcrowding, then I find out they are food for other things... .

Do you think you could watch it?? Icky!! I bet you are also a softee!!

Phloxface

I wouldn't have the heart to feed live baby fish to them. There is plenty of different foods out there. I've read on other forums of people breeding Bettas and feeding the Betta fry to their larger fish. * *I couldn't do it to a Betta or a Guppy. I even feel so sorry for the feeder goldfish and Rosy Red Minnows that they sell for food. *I've often wondered if Rosy Red Minnows would make good tankmates for Bettas? I don't know if they are fin nippers or not. *I sometimes feel like getting a separate tank and getting a few just to save them.

genie

I know I am gonna get slammed for this, but I am not that much of a softy.

I don't know, I just kinda feel like it is the food chain in action. And what do you think is in that food you buy-- it isn't just veggies and carbs!

Although, I did read that a betta breeder feeds undesirable bettas (like with genetic defects) to her Oscar. Her logic was that the betta couldn't be allowed to breed, and that no one would buy it, so instead of just killing it, it would at least be food. NOW THAT I COULDN'T DO, OR WATCH!!! I have read that most breeders kill unwanted bettas.

I guess this is just one of those topics that can go either way.

I really don't know how I truly feel about the guppy fry, but they breed like mad, so it isn't like they are going to go extinct.

OK EVERYONE: Feel free to call me a monster

uprightandlocked

Genie - You are a monster. LOL just kidding. Personally, I couldn't go and buy a baby fish for the sole purpose of feeding it to a larger fish. That would be too traumatic for me - and also for the little fishy! But then I think about how my Molly just gave birth (and I wasn't home!) and every little fry was eaten. So I guess it all equals out in the wash and its just nature taking its course. You just have to decide how much you'd like to help nature

COBettaCouple

I think i'd rather just feed them some thawed frozen bloodworms. If i want them to have to chase their food, i can just drop it in the current. It's a lot easier to find and store than live guppy fry, at least around here, probably cheaper (per meal) too.

genie

Well, I meant if you had guppy fry already and assuming that you don't want anymore guppy.

Phloxface

If people don't want tons of guppy fry then why do they keep males and females together? They should just keep all males or all females.

voiceless_kat

Genie's a monster!!! Nahh, I am just kidding. Do what you want- that is the beauty of living in the free world. I am not a vegetarian or anything...........I guess things like that that make my cry .... ..outa sight, outa mind. It is why I bought a sick fish instead of a healthy one, it's why I decided I can't use minnows to fish any more....

You are a good betta mom, and what you do in the privacy of your own home is your business...LOLOLOL- LMAO

antisen

My little sister keeps a guppy we jokingly call Mary because she's had two litters so far without males in the tank... Guppy fry just HAPPEN! Then she eats them all :P. No one really complains because we don't really have room for more guppies anyway, and my sister learns the circle of life . I know how guppies get overpopulated REAL fast, so I could totally see feeding them off to other fish. Their own mommy would eat them anyway!

COBettaCouple

lol.. yea, she bought them pregnant, like our Daisy was.. eventually they'll run out of fuel without males in the tank tho. You could catch the babies and release them into the sewers where they'd become radioactive, mutant guppies!

Fishface

I'm a monster like Genie.

I couldn't feed bettas to anything though. I'd feed huge guppies, giant danios..anything like that. Minnows, even neon tetras. But not bettas.

Bonochick

When I was a kid, my mom would buy feeder fish and keep them as pets.

Phloxface

I'd have no problem feeding shrimp to anything. I think they are the creepiest ugliest things! :P They look like bugs!
I couldn't feed live fish of any kind though. I can't even eat fish myself. It would be like eating dog or cat meat!

antisen

I was the same way for the longest time... until I tasted Sushi!! Of all things! I feel like a monster too... I just try not to think about what it is when I eat it.

Jendayi

mmmmm sushi.... *drools* *

I don't really have a problem with other people feeding live food or feeder fish or whatever. I just don't know that I could do it. It's kinda like the people who keep snakes and feed live mice. I just couldn't do it, even tho I think snakes are cool and that's what they eat.

Now, if there was something I could feed spiders to... I would do it HAPPILY! :P

COBettaCouple

lol.. my wife is all for the spider-feeding!

Asinity

A co-worker of mine breeds Platy's for his Piranha's. He's got a huge tank that the Platy's just keep breeding and breeding in. Really, it's cheap food for your fish more than anything. I would be interested in the whole guppy thing, but on the other hand guppy's are too darned cute.