anyone feed their fish mammalian meat?

[eklikewhoa]

went to petsmart with my brother and just browsing around and found frozen mice!

At first I thought it was cool cause that would make life easier on reptile keepers but it struck me... large fish would go nuts over some of the pinkies!

Read a few articles where mammalian meat isn't the greatest for fish but at the same time read there was a possible link to an influx of mice and larger trout in the ponds they were nearby. Also know there are some fish that leap out of the water to catch food and I would think mice or the like would be part of that.


Anyone feed or have fed their fish this stuff?

[cu0ngsayz]

been to a lfs that did that.. they all went crazy!!!! they were live.

[Ballinxalex]

I have fed my arros live mice before but after my mom saw she was like no more mice lol too bad they died

[moganman]

I've caught redfish with field mice in their stomachs. I know a SA/CA keeper that feeds anything he wants to his fish. Ham, bacon, shrimp, lunchmeat. lol

[cu0ngsayz]

to me it seems like monster fish eat anything and everything!!!!

[eklikewhoa]

Anything that is hungry will eat whatever it's fed pretty much.

I've had tropheus tear up a hotdog with bun

Wondering if anyone feeds the oddball stuff on a regular or have had long term experience with feeding this kind of stuff.


Having BallinAlex say he had aros eating mice and then saying they are dead doesn't help.

[Ballinxalex]

My arros died bc I had a bad experience with a damn ttimer outlet and it turned off the air and my fish died that wAy but my arros and jar loves shrimp and sometimes mice and crickets all did fine and I stopped feeding all that and just stuck with shrimp for cheapness

[eklikewhoa]

why did you have your pumps on a timer?

[Ballinxalex]

I was trying it out and I thought the timer was off it was when I was just starting in the hobby so I learn from my mistakes never get a timer again

[moganman]

The guy I know doesn't feed his fish processed fish food. His rule of thumb is, whatever is for dinner that day, he puts some raw meat to the side and tosses it into the tank with no problems. Geophagus, Peacock Bass, bunch of other odd ball stuff he has.

[eklikewhoa]

I like timers... just never would have thought to have one on a pump

[cu0ngsayz]

hahahah LOL let me go put my filters on a timer LOL thats funny alex

[eklikewhoa]

First time I've heard of it as well.

I've heard of using a powerhead on a timer to move detritus into the water column but never a main pump... or main anything.

[cu0ngsayz]

why DIY goes wrong LOL

but back on to subject... go to truong brother store(not sure if i should put the store name) if he still have those monsters in his pond he'll show you. just ask him

[Oldsgirl]

When I had my bigger Pacus, Oscars, and RTC, or RTC/TSN in the past, I'd feed them lots of different things- it was like having an extra dog to feed with the amount they'd eat! I'd cut up beef hearts- it's pretty gross, and has a very unusual smell/texture (at first I'd have to take breaks every minute or so when I was cutting it up because I thought I was going to puke, lol), but I'd get it all over with at once, and have "beef heart day" and do a bunch into snack sized ziplocks, then freeze them. Obviosuly fed shrimp, and you can also get frozen paella (Sp?) mix, which was all sorts of seafood. If I was cooking a chicken, I'd throw the organs in the tank and they loved those. Chicken livers are gross and mushy- make a mess of the tank, but they liked chicken gizzards, which are very tendon-ey and tough (and cheap! Again, would buy a bunch and make small bags to freeze). My pacus really liked hot dogs, apples, and carrots, and if I was out of fish pellets, I'd throw some of my dog's food in there and they liked that too. I'd feed lots of goldfish, and when I used to have Oscars, they liked criskets- but it's a pain if one gets out. There's no way I could feed live mice- either you have a fish that will eat it by taking bites, which is torturing the mouse, or if they're swallowed whole I don't think I'd want an animal with teeth and claws inside a fish I cared to keep alive.

Granted, I don't have any of the big fish anymore, but lost them due to tank problems, never had one that seemed to suffer from what they were being fed. The biggest ones (pacus and RTC/TSN) got to about 26" or so.