Live food for the aquarium - part 1

Cultivating live food for aquarium animals can significantly improve their health and vitality. Live foods mimic the natural diet of many fish and invertebrate species, encouraging natural behaviour and providing essential nutrients often lacking in commercial diets.

1. Understanding the benefits of live food for aquarium animals

• Nutritional value: live foods are rich in protein and essential fatty acids, which are essential for growth and health and will also promote beautiful coloration in fish. In addition, they contain live enzymes that aid digestion.
• Stimulation and natural behaviour: hunting or collecting live prey stimulates fish mentally and physically, reduces stress and promotes healthy, natural behaviour.
• Reproductive success: Many species require specific live foods to initiate typical reproductive behavior. Live food can be a necessary trigger for spawning.

2. Establishing cultures

Cultivation of live feed requires an understanding of the life cycle and environmental needs of the selected organism.

Paramecium

• Nutritional value: Paramecium contains approximately 50-60% protein, which is very important for the growth and development of young fish. The fat content is around 10-20 %, and they also contain small amounts of essential fatty acids, which are important for energy and proper cell function. The carbohydrate content is relatively low, around 10 %, which is suitable for the metabolism of fish fry. Paramecium also contains micronutrients and vitamins, such as B-complex vitamins, which contribute to the overall health of aquarium animals.
• Description. The surface of the trematode's body is covered with thousands of tiny cilia, which perform synchronized movements and allow the organism to swim forward or rotate. These cilia also help bring food to the mouth opening, which is located on the side of the body.
• Where to get:
  1. In the wild: Paramecium is commonly found in freshwater environments such as ponds, pools or streams. To collect them, you can do the following:
     • Paramecia are often found in still waters with a lot of organic material, such as stagnant waters, pools with plant material, or near decaying leaves and other organic debris.
     • Collecting is done using a fine mesh, pipette or container you can remove water from these areas. Allow the water sample to stand and then check under a microscope to see if it contains Paramecium.
     • You can filter the collected sample through a fine sieve to separate larger organisms.
  2. Purchase a culture medium: A purchased starter culture usually contains a small concentration of Paramecium in the nutrient solution. Simply transfer it to a container of clean water and provide them with food so that they will reproduce quickly.
  3. Using the natural decomposition of organic matter
     Another method for obtaining Paramecium is to create an environment that encourages their natural growth. Fill a container with water and add a piece of vegetable (such as a lettuce leaf) or other organic matter that you allow to decompose. After a few days, Paramecia and other microorganisms may appear in the water thus prepared. This process mimics the natural environment where Paramecia are often found.
• Setting up: use a small container of chlorine-free water. Add a nutrient source such as yeast, wheat flour or decomposing plant material to encourage growth.
• Keeping and maintenance: keeping Paramecium requires small tanks with boiled stagnant water or rainwater and a food source: usually yeast or finely ground aquarium food or ground oatmeal. Trefoils multiply rapidly and can provide a steady supply of live aquarium food. This type of food is especially ideal for species that have high requirements for high quality and easily digestible food in their early life stage. Keep the culture in a warm place with indirect light. If necessary, gently aerate and renew the medium regularly to prevent decay.

Lumbriculus variegatus - Blackworm

• Nutritional value: this species of worm is popular for its high nutritional value, containing approximately 50% protein and around 10-15% fat. Its haemoglobin content also contributes to it being well accepted by fish as a natural food. It is an ideal food for fish that prefer to collect food from the bottom.
• Description. This species is highly adaptable and can survive in a variety of freshwater environments, from shallow ponds to flowing rivers. The earthworm lives mainly in muddy sediments where it feeds on organic material such as plant debris, detritus and micro-organisms. If the worm is divided into several parts, each has the potential to regenerate into a complete organism.
• Where to get it: ideally by buying from a live fish food farmer, as collection in natural conditions is difficult.
• Breeding and maintenance: Breeding Lumbriculus variegatus in domestic conditions is relatively easy. It can be kept in smaller tanks with a muddy substrate and a regular supply of organic debris. It is important to maintain good quality water, which must be well aerated to keep the worm population growing and healthy. Aquarists often keep earthworms in separate tanks from where they are regularly removed as fish food.

Microworms or microhelminths - e.g. Panagrellus redivivus (micras)

• Nutritional value: Panagrellus redivivus are highly nutritious, with approximately 48-52% protein and 20-25% fat. They also contain essential fatty acids and other important micronutrients
• Description: Panagrellus redivivus is a small, translucent nematode with an elongated, cylindrical body. Due to their microscopic size, the worms are only visible to the naked eye as small, white threads that actively move through the water. Microalgae are soft and easy to digest, which is particularly important for spawning
• Where to get them: ideally by buying them from a live fish food breeder.
• Stocking: For these worms, use a shallow container with oatmeal or potato slices as a substrate. Add a starter culture of worms and cover lightly. The worms feed on microorganisms that develop in the substrate, and by feeding regularly, the population can grow rapidly.
• Care and maintenance: It is important to provide sufficient moisture and keep the substrate slightly moist for the worms to thrive. The temperature should be at room temperature (20-25 °C), which ensures optimal conditions for their growth. It is ideal to harvest the worms with a brush or spatula when they are crawling on the sides of the container. Refresh the substrate as soon as it is used up or spoils.

Artemia salina

• Nutritional value: freshly hatched nauplii are ideal food for small fish and larvae because they are rich in protein (about 50-60% of dry matter), fat (about 20%), and contain important vitamins and minerals.In addition to protein and fat, Artemia are rich in essential fatty acids such as EPA and DHA, which are crucial for healthy growth and development of fish and strengthen their immune system. Due to their size and mobility, nauplii naturally stimulate fish fry to hunt, which promotes their growth and development.
• Description: Their body is segmented, with individual segments bearing pairs of webbed limbs that are used for locomotion and respiration.  
  Where to get them: ideally by buying them from an aquarium shop.
• Keeping: Use a saltwater hatchery, either one designed specifically for artemia or one made from an inverted pet bottle where you place an air stone, for example. Use 20g of salt per 1.5 litres of water. Add the artemia eggs and provide strong aeration to keep the eggs moving.
• Hatching: After hatching (typically 24-48 hours depending on temperature and light), separate the nauplii from the shells and use a fine sieve or light tug to hatch. The shells will go to the surface and the nauplii will go down or behind the light.
• Storage: eggs should be stored in a cool, dry place, otherwise their quality will be reduced.

Daphnia

• Nutritional value: pearl mussels are high in protein (approximately 50-60% of dry matter) and also contain fat (around 10-20%)
• Description: Body length varies between 0,2 and 5 millimetres, with most species not exceeding 1 millimetre in size. The body is protected by a transparent carapace that allows the internal organs, including the heart, digestive system and eggs in females, to be seen. A distinctive feature of guinea fowl is their two antennae, which they use to move around. They move jerkily, earning them the nickname "water fleas". These antennae act like oars, allowing the pearlfish to swim in irregular leaps, which helps them avoid predators and find food.
• Where to get it:  From breeders or specialized shops.
• Natural bodies of water: Daphnia are naturally found in freshwater tanks, ponds, pools or lakes. If you have access to clean bodies of water, you can collect Daphnia yourself using a fine net. This method is inexpensive, but keep in mind that you can introduce other organisms or pathogens into your aquarium with them.
• Planting: grow Daphnia in containers of dechlorinated water. They thrive in algae-rich water (green water).
  Keeping and maintenance: It is important to maintain stable conditions when breeding. Feed them algae, yeast or commercial plankton food. Maintain green water by exposing the culture to sunlight or artificial light.

Rotatoria, Rotifera

• Nutritional value: They also contain a small amount of fat (around 10-15%), which is essential for the health of fish and other aquatic organisms.
• Description: tiny microscopic animals that mainly inhabit freshwater environments, but are also found in saltwater and moist soils. Their size is usually between 0.1 and 0.5 millimetres
• Suitability for spawning: if the water they are placed in is similar to that in which they were hatched, they can survive for a long time and thus be available for a longer period of time.
  Where to obtain:
  • Purchase: As a broodstock, they are most commonly available:
    • Armadillo, namely Brachionus plicatilis. This one, however, needs salt water with 5 - 40 g of salt per litre of water. Interestingly, it can be kept together with Artemia. 
    • or the freshwater Brachionus calyciflorus.
  • Catch from nature: when transferring whirligig broodstock from the wild, the material must be filtered through screens daily to remove larger plankton and debris. Dormant eggs of larger plankton can revive and cause problems, so caution is needed when re-inoculating from mud. In the presence of predators, such as Cyclops or Asplanchna, eddies create hard shells that are difficult for the fry to digest.
• Keeping and maintenance: keeping whirlpools is relatively simple. They need clean water, suitable nutrients and a stable environment. For example, spirulina, yeast, dried algae can be used as food for whirligigs. Fine food should be mixed with water first.¨

Cyclopoida

• Nutritional value: protein: 40-60 %, fat: 10-20 %, carbohydrate: small amounts, usually up to 10 % of dry weight. In addition, chickpeas contain essential fatty acids (such as omega-3 and omega-6), vitamins (such as vitamin A and E), minerals (such as calcium and phosphorus) and other important micronutrients. This composition makes them a high-quality food for fish that supports growth, health and reproduction.
• Description: small crustaceans of the order Copepoda that play a vital role in freshwater and marine ecosystems. These tiny animals, usually measuring just a few millimetres in length, are found in huge numbers in aquatic ecosystems around the world
  Where to get them:
  • Purchase: From breeders or specialized shops.
  • Natural collection: Cyclopoids are often found in freshwater pools, ponds or lakes. If you have access to clean bodies of water, you can collect cyclopoids using fine netting. However, keep in mind that other aquatic animals may be introduced with them, so it would be advisable to filter them carefully before using them.
• Rearing and maintenance: These crustaceans can be propagated in small tanks with reasonably clean water and a supply of phytoplankton or commercial plankton food. It is important to maintain a stable environment, as bumphead minnows are sensitive to water quality and temperature changes.

White Worms, also known as Grindal (Enchytraeus buchholzi)

• Nutritional value: they are a highly nutritious food, containing about 70% protein and about 10-15% fat.
• Description: Enchytraeus buchholzi is a small, light white worm about 1-2 centimeters in length, naturally found in soil and moist environments.
• Where to Get: Purchase from breeders or specialized shops.
• Breeding and Maintenance: These worms prefer slightly acidic to neutral environments and reproduce easily in captivity if basic conditions are met—moisture, optimal temperature, and sufficient food. Breeding can be started in small containers with a layer of substrate, such as coconut fiber or soil, kept moist. Worms can be fed plant scraps, oatmeal, or various types of bread. The substrate should be kept moist but not too wet to avoid the overgrowth of mold or bacteria. When conditions are stable, the worms reproduce very quickly, ensuring a constant supply of food for aquarium fish.

3. Feeding Live Food in Your Aquarium

• Frequency and Quantity: Adjust the frequency and quantity according to the size and type of your fish. Start with small amounts to avoid overfeeding.
• Precautions: Ensure that live food is free from contaminants and pathogens. Quarantine new cultures to prevent the spread of diseases.

4. Scaling Up Cultures

• Multiple Containers: Use several containers to ensure a steady supply and reduce the risk of culture failure.
• Optimization: Experiment with different feeding regimes, temperatures, and levels of aeration to maximize yield and maintain quality.

5. Troubleshooting

• Culture Spoilage or Collapse: This often occurs due to overfeeding, lack of aeration, or contamination. Monitor cultures closely and establish backup cultures as a preventive measure.
• Low Yields: These may result from insufficient food, incorrect temperature, or poor water quality. Adjust parameters and split overcrowded cultures.
• Risk of Disease Transmission from Wild-Caught Live Food: Choose collection sites where there are no fish and ideally no waterfowl to minimize the risk of disease transmission.

6. Advanced Techniques

• Selective Breeding: Select and breed live food strains for desirable traits such as size or nutritional content.
• Automated Systems: Introduce automated feeding and harvesting systems for large-scale cultures, which are particularly useful in breeding facilities.

By cultivating your own live food, you not only ensure the best nutrition for your aquarium inhabitants but also engage in a rewarding aspect of the aquaristics hobby that brings you closer to the natural dynamics of aquatic ecosystems.

For continue reading please go to part 2