Live food makes a difference!

Today I decided I was going to try the "hot tub killie" project, so I went out side and grabbed a tub filled with rainwater and was about to dump it when I noticed the thousands of mosquito larvae and bloodworms. I thought to myself, why waste all this food? So I netted out a bunch of the larvae (several hundred) and fed them to my pirate perch, H. formosa, and bluefin killies. All three are much more intensely colored now that they've had their fill! The male bluefin killie now has an iridescent blue dorsal with a yellow spot, and red caudal, anal, and pelvic fins. And it looks like he's trying to court my female as well. I guess I'm going to have to start feeding live mosquito larvae and bloodworms more often!

Yes, my aquarium fish love mosquito season! I kept fish in most water holding items out in the yard, but I reserve a few for this purpose. Oregon isn't so bad, but in Florida, I imagine you have to keep tight watch on it, mosquitos can go from larva to winged adult overnight in your warmer temperatures. If the bats don't keep up with it, you might tick off some neighbors if you don't keep a net over it!

Enjoy!

Yes, my aquarium fish love mosquito season! I kept fish in most water holding items out in the yard, but I reserve a few for this purpose. Oregon isn't so bad, but in Florida, I imagine you have to keep tight watch on it, mosquitos can go from larva to winged adult overnight in your warmer temperatures. If the bats don't keep up with it, you might tick off some neighbors if you don't keep a net over it!

Enjoy!

Yeah...with all the problems nowadays do not increase the mozzie population by doing this!

I suggest that if you are unable to harvest the mozzies thoroughly...you either dump them where they will dry out and die or(my preferred method since it makes the water even more enticing for new mosquitoes) is to pour hot water from after you've boiled soup or similar in. This will kill all the mozzies currently in the water, add some more smelly foodstuffs, and get you more mozzie eggs.

Yeah...with all the problems nowadays do not increase the mozzie population by doing this!

I suggest that if you are unable to harvest the mozzies thoroughly...you either dump them where they will dry out and die or(my preferred method since it makes the water even more enticing for new mosquitoes) is to pour hot water from after you've boiled soup or similar in. This will kill all the mozzies currently in the water, add some more smelly foodstuffs, and get you more mozzie eggs.

Yeah I normally dump the water then fill it with creek water (there's a creek less than 50 feet from the "mosquito tub") and add some leaves and other stuff.

Something else I've noticed is the live mosquitos and bloodworms shorten the gestation period of livebearers (or seem to) than if they were fed dry or frozen foods.

I would like to feed some live food to my fish instead of just frozen or processed food. It is still a little cool where I live for the mosquitos to be out, yet. When they are out do I just put a tub in the back yard and the mosquitos will use it or is there something else I need to do?

Nope, just let it sit there and in a few days the mosquitoes will be there.