breeding inverts for fishfood?

If I wanted to raise inverts as a treat for a green sunfish/rockbass tank I think I would choose a small species of crayfish. I think this would be a good treat food for both species. I'm sure the rockbass will eat them but I am not sure if the sunfish will. I don't really have a recourse on inverts and are there dwarf crayfish/similar crayfish in Southeastern Wisconsin? I was kind of thinking of something other then minnows which could be raised as food for the aquarium and might require some hunting/interaction to catch. I plan on having some larger crayfish in my tank too. Will they reproduce often enough to have some feeder ones in there or should I have a seperate system set up for them? If I stock my tank with dwarf sized ones should I put a good many in and make sure they have plenty of burrows ect that the fish can't get at once they get big enough to eat them? Just so they have a long enough life to reproduce.

I would go for ghost shrimp much easier to breed and breed alot more.
smaller but also avalable at almost any petstore.

I think that any sunfish would go crazy for tiny crayfish. Breeding them in quantity might present a problem. Trapping/netting sufficient quantities in spring/summer/fall would be possible. What you really need is a source for fairy shrimp. I think you could probably even breed fairies in a small tank. Earthworms and nightcrawlers are always a treat, and they can be bred/raised as well.

I think that any sunfish would go crazy for tiny crayfish. Breeding them in quantity might present a problem. Trapping/netting sufficient quantities in spring/summer/fall would be possible. What you really need is a source for fairy shrimp. I think you could probably even breed fairies in a small tank. Earthworms and nightcrawlers are always a treat, and they can be bred/raised as well.

We have a worm raising foam box thing from fleetfarm. I just hate digging through the soggy recycled apper that it came with as bedding. The stuff is a ain to get off of yourself and leaves a hyoooooge mess. Plus, What's the fun in watchign a fish suck off a worm off the bottom? they don't give much of a struggle. DO crayfish need an aerator? Where/how do I catch fiary shrimp?


I might get ghost shrimp But I kinda wanted this tank to be all stuff I can go out in the woods and find a river/pond and catch the stuff out of.

Turn your worm box upside down, then when you flip it over to get worms, they will all be on the top.

Fairy shrimp are found in seasonal fishless pools. Just drag a small mesh net through a puddle that is large enough for waterfowl to land in. You just gotta wait a few weeks after the rain that fills it up.



You might also find Tadpole shrimp which usually get larger and fish find just as tasty.

Ghost/grass shrimp are in fact not that easy to breed. They have a larval stage, and are difficult to feed. Also, they are easy prey for the adults. Check into Red Cherry shrimp. Very easy to breed, and have no larval stage. Available on aquabid.

I didn't think fish would find a triop tasty?

I didn't think fish would find a triop tasty?

I didnt think so either, until I added some to my tank. Sunfish snapped them right up. Theres a reason they are only found in fishless pools.

I didnt think so either, until I added some to my tank. Sunfish snapped them right up. Theres a reason they are only found in fishless pools.

So if I resetup my triops tank from when I was little I could release them into my aquarium. And my fish would eat them? I might have to try that. Will the commercial species work?


p.s. Do those commercial ghost/glass shrimp feeders require a tank to be dried out and refilled for the eggs to hatch or will they hatch if I kept them in say a 2 to 10 gallon tank forever and feed them?

So if I resetup my triops tank from when I was little I could release them into my aquarium. And my fish would eat them? I might have to try that. Will the commercial species work?
p.s. Do those commercial ghost/glass shrimp feeders require a tank to be dried out and refilled for the eggs to hatch or will they hatch if I kept them in say a 2 to 10 gallon tank forever and feed them?

As long as your fish are big enough to fit them in their mouths. The commercial species are no different from the native species other than limited genetics.

I believe ghost/glass shrimp are closer to crayfish and need to stay wet. Im pretty sure they hatch right off the tail of the mother just like crays.

Is there anyway I could hatch shrimp and keep the babies alive? Would an aquarium divider be the right size that the babies can swim back and forth but the adults can't?

As long as your fish are big enough to fit them in their mouths. The commercial species are no different from the native species other than limited genetics.

I believe ghost/glass shrimp are closer to crayfish and need to stay wet. Im pretty sure they hatch right off the tail of the mother just like crays.

Don't triops require a dry period for their eggs to hatch?

We have a worm raising foam box thing from fleetfarm. I just hate digging through the soggy recycled apper that it came with as bedding. The stuff is a ain to get off of yourself and leaves a hyoooooge mess. Plus, What's the fun in watchign a fish suck off a worm off the bottom? they don't give much of a struggle. DO crayfish need an aerator? Where/how do I catch fiary shrimp?
I might get ghost shrimp But I kinda wanted this tank to be all stuff I can go out in the woods and find a river/pond and catch the stuff out of.

If I remember correctly, ghost shrimp need access to saltwater during their larval stage.

there is a lot of shrimp information here: http://www.petshrimp.com/

If I remember correctly, ghost shrimp need access to saltwater during their larval stage.

there is a lot of shrimp information here: http://www.petshrimp.com/

nope I have mine in all freshwater and I get a few sub-adult every few weeks that have hatched and grown in the tank

Don't triops require a dry period for their eggs to hatch?

From my experience, Triops eggs do need a dry period in order to hatch. Thing about branchiopods, not all of them hatch when added to water, in case in the wild it was a short rain, and it dried up fast. That way the next time it rains, more would hatch from the same generation. As far as I know, they only need to dry out completely, they dont need a lengthy dry time. So you could potentially dry them out in just a few days, or maybe even a few hours with some equipment. I havent tested this theory, perhaps in the future.

If I remember correctly, ghost shrimp need access to saltwater during their larval stage.

there is a lot of shrimp information here: http://www.petshrimp.com/

I think your thinking of amono shrimp.

Scuds are very easy to breed. You can find them fairly easy in swamps. I have maintained a population for 7 years.