Small live food that needs minimal effort

[bogmummy]

I'm looking for something I can keep forever in a small amount of water, preferably with no heat or filtration. I'll be only feeding very small fish as all I have is a 10 gal. Planning on cpds but that might change, so like something a 1-inch fish or less would swallow. I was thinking daphnia but I heard they don't do well long term in small enclosures. I also heard of vinegar eels, but I'm worried they would taste weird or be too small to be appetizing. Do you guys know of any terrestrial worms that would work? I'm not opposed to that.

 

[stopwhiningsadie]

blood worms my cousin farms them for his goldfish

 

[fjh]

I keep grindal worms in a tupperware for my fish. super easy to care for... just give them some moist dirt/mulch and throw in pieces of cat/dog kibble for them to eat. small fish love them!

 

[goldface]

Bloodworms and mosquito larvae are easy to cultivate.

 

[david1978]

Fairy shrimp are fun and easy. Think freshwater sea monkies.

 

[bogmummy]

I keep grindal worms in a tupperware for my fish. super easy to care for... just give them some moist dirt/mulch and throw in pieces of cat/dog kibble for them to eat. small fish love them!

I think that might be the winner thanks

 

[chromedome52]

Vinegar worms are easier than Grindals, and are small enough for fry of your CPD, as well as the adults. I don't know how they taste - never tried eating any - but the fish certainly seem to love them, which suggests that they find the taste quite acceptable.

I had a half gallon jug Vinegar worm culture that I didn't do anything to for almost a year, and it still produced. I put a bit of apple and sugar water in to renew it, and it blossomed up and was good for another two or three years. There are numerous tricks for collecting the worms, but it's easier than trying to collect Grindals, and nowhere near as dirty.

Grindals require regular monitoring, as they can go dry, the food can go moldy, and they can get bugs. Hatching brine shrimp eggs is less work.

 

[bogmummy]

Vinegar worms are easier than Grindals, and are small enough for fry of your CPD, as well as the adults. I don't know how they taste - never tried eating any - but the fish certainly seem to love them, which suggests that they find the taste quite acceptable.

I had a half gallon jug Vinegar worm culture that I didn't do anything to for almost a year, and it still produced. I put a bit of apple and sugar water in to renew it, and it blossomed up and was good for another two or three years. There are numerous tricks for collecting the worms, but it's easier than trying to collect Grindals, and nowhere near as dirty.

Grindals require regular monitoring, as they can go dry, the food can go moldy, and they can get bugs. Hatching brine shrimp eggs is less work.

sounds like about the same amount of work I put into my isopods honestly, and they're not that bad. Still, I might get vinegar eels too, as a backup and fry food.