Live foods for your fish are particularly beneficial when conditioning them for breeding. They are high in nutritional value and essential vitamins which have not been destroyed by processing or by leaching in the water as in the dry foods available commercially. Live foods are also better matched to the natural feeding instincts of fish being just like they would eat in their natural environments and they will respond much more eagerly to this food.
There are many worms that fish really enjoy. They can be purchased at the pet store but also be easily cultured at home. Earthworms are an easy no-cost solution and need to be rinsed carefully to remove all soil before using. They can be fed whole or cut up, depending on the size of the fish and the worms. Minced in a kitchen blender they will make excellent food for fry (note: definitely recommend an old one specifically for the purpose). Ensure that the worms have not been gathered from ground that has been treated recently with pesticides or similar chemicals.
Earthworms are easy to culture and supply an ongoing economical food source. You just need a plastic container filled will compost rich in organic matter. Keep it moist and add worms. They can be fed vegetable kitchen scraps, fruit, cereals, grass clippings, leaves etc. Egg capsules appear on the surface as small white dots and will hatch as baby worms in a matter of 3 or 4 weeks.
Whiteworms are small and white and range from about half and inch to an inch and a half in size. They can be cultured with a culture purchased from the pet store. Use a plastic container just 8 x 12 inches and 2 inches deep, containing peatmoss or slightly acidic compost. It should be moist but never too wet and covered with plastic or cardboard and kept dark. Put some pin holes in the cover to provide air or the worms will suffocate. They can be fed on bread pre- moistened with water and cereals such as porridge oats, also pre-moistened. Replace any food if it starts to go moldy and experiment with the amount and quantity of food given. Do not remove any worms until the culture is thriving and there are plenty of worms around the food when the lid is lifted. If the culture has the right consistency then the worms will be clean when they are removed and can be fed straight to the fish, if not the culture may be too wet and the worms will need to be rinsed.
Grindal worms are smaller than white worms, growing to only about a quarter to a half inch in size. They can be cultured in much the same way as with white worms, possibly with a shallower container. Grindal worms are not very prolific breeders and care is needed not to run down the culture by taking out too many at once. They are easy to remove as they congregate on the underside of the lid. Feed with moistened cereals, baby foods and bread.
Feeding live foods is not only very beneficial for conditioning fish for breeding but also the most economical method.
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