2 replies to this topic

[Andrew Novice]

I'd like to raise some Bullhead in a large aquarium tank or larger stock tank.  I'm looking for suggestions as to what other than commercial flake or pellet food I might feed them due to bio-accumulation of toxins occurring from ingredients that include things like shrimp and fish meal. I'd like to feed them as organic a food as possible in case I eat them.  Our farm is organic.  What, for example, about using grass clippings, clover, cornmeal, alfalfa pellets, dried grass, hay, compost, frozen mayflies, worms, etc.  Thanks for looking at this.

[gerald]

I doubt bullheads will eat any of the plant products you listed, but certainly you can use those to grow earthworms and soldierfly grubs.  The usual compost worm Eisenia fetida is not very tasty to most fish; Lumbricus rubellus and others are more readily eaten.  Frozen mayflies and whatever other insects you can gather in quantity (grasshoppers, flies, june beetles ??) should also work.  Fuzzy caterpillars are often rejected, but most smooth-skinned ones are good (inchworms, hornworms, armyworms, corn worms).  Check out online plans for horsefly traps: put one over your stock tank and let the flies feed themselves to the fish.

[centrarchid]

Seasonally, you can setup your tank as a bio-attractant for flying insects.  I am doing similar with a pond and poultry.  During day Japanese Beetles are lured in using pheromones.  At night lights are used to bring in night flying insects.  Bulb / spectrum can be optimized more than I have going now.  Where flying insects are concerned, as I understand it you will be afoul of criteria for being organic just like trying to keep honey bees organically.  Black Soldier Fly larvae do have potential.  Worms culture not likely to provide a complete diet so will require supplementation.  We are looking into Japanese Beetles as a feedstuff where they are ground, pelleted and frozen.  Acceptance by several fish species is very good although nutrient profile not yet known.  Shortly we will know amino acid and fatty acid profile as well as protein and lipid levels.  Also will have handle on elemental profile.