Mosquito Larvae

[sap]

ok the outside tank has blown up with mosquito larvae and are outnumbering the daphnia 20 to 1, i believe they are Aedes mosquitoes which actually lay eggs above the waters edge as i have seen lots of of small black eggs 1/4 ich above the water line after adding some old tank water yesterday i went out this morning to find the 30g tank loaded with larvae, I strain them and dump them into a 1 gallon bucket with water from the tank i am going to feed my fry in.. the fry attack them with such ferocity i only see one or two actually eaten cuz the rest are snatched up so quickly.....

I am thinking of placing a sticky paper on the lid of the tank to catch anyones that hatch to avoid being bitten by the adults looking for their first meal, no if i could just find a way to order the eggs or find a method of collecting them to do a more controlled indoor culture


the larvae will develop faster in warmer waters so it seems like it would be a nice steady food source...

[AndrewH]

Very interesting idea.

Seems simple, yet effective.

[Kathy]

And Cheap!

Here's some interesting info. (http://www.nanfa.org/archive/nanfa/nanfa-laug05/0013.html)

We've seen them in our outdoor ponds and barrels but I never thought about using them for food.

[Kathy]

Aren't bloodworms mosquito larvae?

[bra8ndy8]

Yes they are!

[Kathy]

Well then I have 30 lbs. of thawed out and most likely spoiled mosquito larvae arriving at my house a day late. WTG FedEx!

I'm glad Drs. Foster & Smith has good customer support are sending me replacements today.

Anyway, back to growing your own...

[sap]

Aren't bloodworms mosquito larvae?

no they develop into a some sort of biting fly....not a blood sucking pest like the mosquito...


from another site....

"
Bloodworms are larvae of the midge family Chironomidae (Order Diptera, Class Insecta). Midges are mosquito-like insects. There may be more than 2000 species but only a small number have been formerly identified. Not all chironomid larvae are red in colour. While the most common ones are red, they can also be green, brown, or black. Also some are transparent and are commonly known as Glassworms. However, only those that contain haemoglobin are red and hence the name Bloodworm.
Chironomidae larvae and pupae are highly nutritious and nourishing and constitute one of the staple food items of many fishes in their natural environment. They are a commonly used live or frozen food source for aquarium fish culture. Almost all fishes will greedily devour them when they are offered. Research has found that most fishes when provided with bloodworms as a supplementary food item have better growth and spawning rates. Their nutritional value is considered very good. Chemical analysis shows that bloodworms contain 9.3% dry matter and of this there is 62.5% crude protein, 10.4% crude fat and 11.6% ash with 15.4% nitrogen free extract. They are also a good source of iron for the fish since they contain haemoglobin.
Chironomidae go through a complete metamorphosis in their life cycle, egg, larva, pupa, and winged adult midge. Each stage has different characteristics. After mating in flight the female releases the eggs while skimming the water surface. Egg numbers can range from 50 to 700. The eggs sink to the bottom where, under tropical conditions, they hatch in 24-48 hours into the next stage - the larva or aquatic stage. The newly hatched larva are not more than 1 mm long but they can measure up to 10-25 mm when they reach the last stage of the larva period. The larva stage can last from less than 2 weeks up to 7 weeks depending on temperature."



http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:DBuYLOkBaAwUOM:http://www.extension.umn.edu/yardandgarden/YGLNews/images2/Chironomid%2520midge.JPG

[sap]

kathy you have been raising discus for a while now...what live foods have you cultured?

[fatfutures]

May I answer?

BBS!

LOL

OK, Kathy now YOU may answer!

(ducking)

[AndrewH]

Yes they are!

I thought they were as well.

Guess I learned something new today.

[Kathy]

kathy you have been raising discus for a while now...what live foods have you cultured?

BBS and Red Wigglers.

The Red Wigglers were small compared to Earthworms, and my fish loved them. I liked them because I could just drop them in the tank and not have to chop them up, however, they were a pain to harvest. I'm not sure what happened to the culture but they all died off. I noticed the numbers decreasing, so I changed out their dirt. That didn't seem to help at all and they soon all but disappeared. I was covering their food with the bedding and I read somewhere afterwards that can cause problems. I wouldn't mind getting another culture going, I just haven't taken the time to do it.

The BBS were obviously for fry and I'm not doing that anymore.

[EAST_TX_RN]

That sounds like an interesting project! Best part it is free! My luck, I would bring in the larvae and then get eaten alive by the adult mosquitos!

[budwick weiser]

That sounds like an interesting project! Best part it is free! My luck, I would bring in the larvae and then get eaten alive by the adult mosquitos!
x2

[sap]

That sounds like an interesting project! Best part it is free! My luck, I would bring in the larvae and then get eaten alive by the adult mosquitos!
if you have a lot of fish they will be gone in 20 seconds, i Havent been bit yet or seen a mosquito while collecting the larvae....

[biggin]

Are you worried about parasites?

[supersmirky]

Misty...did you say 30 lbs???? WOw....that's alot of bloodworms!!

[Kathy]

I think that you are referring to my post. I go through a 16 oz. pack every 3 to 4 days so they go pretty quick. The box showed weighing 30 lbs. but it was actually 20 flat packs (lb). That lasts me about 3 months give or take.

[sap]

Are you worried about parasites?

not really but we will see. I am trying them out on my small fry tanks right now, not going to be feeding my larger breeders with them...

[bra8ndy8]

And where do u order then from Kathy?

[greeneyed]

Well then I have 30 lbs. of thawed out and most likely spoiled mosquito larvae arriving at my house a day late. WTG FedEx!

I'm glad Drs. Foster & Smith has good customer support are sending me replacements today.

Anyway, back to growing your own...:brandy:

[bra8ndy8]

Thanks Smarty!! LOL

[supersmirky]

Well at least I am not the only one accused of not reading thouroughly. lol. Thanks Kathy!:hehe:

[sap]

4 spiders have built webs in each corner of the tank and are taking care of any larvae that hatch and try to get away, with my new guests and a lid on the 30g it should keep them from getting away....

[kSpieler]

4 spiders have built webs in each corner of the tank and are taking care of any larvae that hatch and try to get away, with my new guests and a lid on the 30g it should keep them from getting away....

Oh heeeeeeeellllllllll no!

[ElijahTurtle]

roflmaoroflmao

[mongo]

For several years I was really into mbuna. To keep them happy, I filled a large plastic tote with the water from my WCs. I would then place rounded river rocks in the tote outside and let nature take its course. The rocks would get covered in a beautiful growth of lush green algae. I would switch out the rocks on a rotating basis. That way the mbuna always had green rocks to graze on. One of the by-products on my little farm was a healty crop of mosquito larvae. Sooo, being the "out of the box" thinker I am, I drained the tote...installed a large port drain tube with a spigot handle. That way I could drain off the water into a bucket through a sieve. I would feed the larva to my carnivourous fish while the mbuna had all kinds of food stuffs on the rocks. I would just keep the tote topped off with tank water. If you didnt want the mosquito larvae, you could just put an old screen ove the tote to keep the adults from having access to the water.

[mrsadler]

me too I thought they were as well.

Guess I learned something new today.

[Mr.Malawi]

hmm i need to do this will be a lot cheaper...

[bizzle]

I've always kept a small bucket outside and netted off the skeeter larvae on a regular basis to keep them from maturing. My fish virtually kill my self for some live food.:hehe:

[Mr.Malawi]

I've always kept a small bucket outside and netted off the skeeter larvae on a regular basis to keep them from maturing. My fish virtually kill my self for some live food.:hehe:


you have that tank setup yet bob?

[bizzle]

I filled it last night and loaded gravel into it as well. Heater and filter turned on this morning. I just need to make a top to hold that light. I have a flock of sacrificial fish (my shock troops of zebras lol) to get things cycling and I'll be good to go. Just need to get some hiding places for my guys and some real plants and it'll be good to go.:D

[Mr.Malawi]

I filled it last night and loaded gravel into it as well. Heater and filter turned on this morning. I just need to make a top to hold that light. I have a flock of sacrificial fish (my shock troops of zebras lol) to get things cycling and I'll be good to go. Just need to get some hiding places for my guys and some real plants and it'll be good to go.:D

nice.. glad its working for you.. and did you find good use for that extra 20 you threw at me? lol..

[bizzle]

for sure...I stuck it into my gas tank :hehe:
thanx again for being an honest abe:happydance:

[Mr.Malawi]

for sure...I stuck it into my gas tank :hehe:
thanx again for being an honest abe:happydance:

hehe no prob man i dont take free money... but yeah take care of the tank and good luck with it when its one make sure you pm me a pic!

[alta678]

No!! Send ALL of us a pic! :hehe:

[bizzle]

I think that the pic will be in Dallas Morning Times, me laying down with all my tanks on top of me :brandy:
Working on a 55 and Mr.Malawi's 37. I have 2 10s and a 40(?) still waiting for a spot. right now I have a 29 and a 30 up and running. Do I need therapy or what?:exactly:


Will try and work on some pics next year.

[Mr.Malawi]

I think that the pic will be in Dallas Morning Times, me laying down with all my tanks on top of me :brandy:
Working on a 55 and Mr.Malawi's 37. I have 2 10s and a 40(?) still waiting for a spot. right now I have a 29 and a 30 up and running. Do I need therapy or what?:exactly:


Will try and work on some pics next year.


lol next year sounds really far but its just right around the corner! wow what a fast year... and i will be waiting on those pics!:D

[bizzle]

sharp as a tack are you! :p: you saw through my time ploy :muahaha: