PDA

View Full Version : RAISING VINEGAR EELS



JCO
04-26-2010, 06:28 AM
Check this out for basically free live food for your fry... :shock: :mrgreen:



Vinegar eels are a great source of food for small fry and can also be used as food for really small adult fish. Since Vinegar eels are so easy to cultivate at home, you can always have a culture going in case your fish decides to spawn. Feeding fry live food instead of powdered flake food or similar increases the survival rate for most species and will also aid rapid growth and development. Live food is less likely to foul the water, since live creatures will stay alive until consumed instead of starting to decompose. During periods that you have no fry to feed, your adult food will most likely gulp down any excess vinegar eels, especially if you keep fairly small fish species.

* Get a glass container to raise the vinegar eels in, e.g. an empty food container. The container should have a tight fitting lid to avoid insects from entering the culture.
* You need to obtain a vinegar eel starter culture from a fish store or your local fish club.
* Vinegar eels are called vinegar eels since they can be raised in vinegar. Mix one part apple cider vinegar with one part aged tap water. (If the tap water in your area is really hard, use 40% aged tap water and 60% apple cider vinegar.) Avoid using vinegar that has been distilled. If you want to, you can also add a small piece of apple to provide extra nourishment.
* Add the vinegar eel culture and place the container at room temperature, out of direct sunlight. After 2-3 weeks there will be enough vinegar eels in the container to start harvesting them.
* Pour 2/3 of the vinegar-water with the eels through a coffee filter into an empty jar. The adult vinegar eels will be trapped by the coffee filter and can be poured into another jar filled with aged water, before being fed to your fry. The water that was poured through the coffee filter still contains juvenile vinegar eels that should be returned to the old culture. (Don’t forget to add more water and vinegar to the old culture if necessary.) You can also use them to start up new culture in other jars.

badflash
04-26-2010, 07:11 PM
Great for many tropical fish, but too small for tilapia.

JCO
04-27-2010, 03:15 PM
Are they too small for the fry? I got this info from Betta Breeders as they feed the to their fry and adults? Just checkin', thought it might be something that could be used for the little ones :mrgreen:

davidstcldfl
04-27-2010, 03:30 PM
The water that was poured through the coffee filter still contains juvenile vinegar eels that should be returned to the old culture.

Wow.... :o ....those are some little eels !

badflash
04-27-2010, 07:17 PM
Are they too small for the fry? I got this info from Betta Breeders as they feed the to their fry and adults? Just checkin', thought it might be something that could be used for the little ones :mrgreen:

Lots of trouble for nothing. Ground up flake works fine. I start with yeast and in a few days go to powdered flakes.

davidstcldfl
04-28-2010, 02:35 AM
I start with yeast
Badflash, is that the type that is sold to make bread ?

badflash
04-28-2010, 10:57 AM
Too expensive to use that type. I used the killed yeast flakes they sell in health food stores. It looks like white fish food flakes. I powder them between my fingers to feed the fry the 1st few days, then I use GP larval diet until they are about 1/2" and are ready for 1 mm pellets.

You can bet a big can of yeast flakes for a few bucks.

foodchain
12-27-2013, 02:48 PM
I have fed vinegar eels, micro worms, walter worms, and bananna worms all with success. I didn't have success with white worms, but my father has.
But it's work rotating cultures.
Work at it or go buy it.....all depends on what you have more of....... time, or money. Good luck.