Bugs, biology

[imsqueak]

Does anyone know if the "scuds" found in the clinch would survive in SW? they look like copods to me. I've read that there are thousands of species in the family with variable degees of environment. I wouldnt suspect the bugs in the clinch are one of the versitile species but I've not tried. Who knows? Has anyone ever tried to put them in SW?

Have fly rod, screen net and waders, but it's stinking cold! If you've tried this, it will likely save me from a freezing day catching nothing on the clinch. Pls let me know.

[Sir Knight]

Hi,
The scuds you are talking about are fresh water they will not live in saltwater and should not be used as food for your fish. But I think you should go fishing and invite me to go along when it gets warmer (Have flyrod will travel)

[imsqueak]

Hi Joe,
Consider yourself invited, when it gets warmer!
I thought about addressing the msg to you in the first place, since you flyfish also and you'd probably know...

[A. Critter Killer]

The "scuds" in the clinch river I am sure are simular to the ones that I study from blackburn fork and spring creek to do water sample surveys with TWRA. There are about 125+ spp. in Tennessee alone. They will only live in saltwater for about the same amout of time as a ghost shrimp. I have looked at these little amphipods under a disecting scope, as I have with any tiny critter I can find in my reef tanks. They are extremely simular to the same amphipods found in my tank. These are NOT copodods, but simular enoungh for a manduran to eat. I do not know of any ill effects if one were saturate them with salt and then feed to the animals. The only problem woud be to examie the watershed and make sure that there are no pollutants that may be in the water!!! The easiest way to harvest these critters is to use a 450 micron D-frame kicknet, and turn over rocks in a ripple, cousing them to flow into the net. Hope this is helpful. ----Sean

[Sir Knight]

The other thing to take into consideration is the nutritional value of the scud. Scuds are freshwater animals for lack of a better term. They do not contain the fatty acids, etc., that the saltwater fish would require. Without getting into the chemical and nutritional makeup, it would be equivalent to feeding goldfish to saltwater lion fish. Would the lion fish eat the goldfish? Yes. Would the lion fish be getting the appropriate nutrition? No. Will the lion fish survive for any length of time eating goldfish? No. But would the lion fish be fat? Yes.

To make a long story short. Is it food? Yes. Is it the appropriate food? No.

My last comment is: feed freshwater fish freshwater foods and feed saltwater fish saltwater foods. There are many threads here on Reef Central that will concur. Just do a search on foods.

[A. Critter Killer]

Don't get me wrong, I agree there are much better things to feed...I am simply saying they are simular...not the same. Nothing can substitute for natural food. I do not like feeding ghost shrimp, roseys, or goldfish to saltwater, but sometimes you have to....but on a lighter not if you are feeding something like a manduran goby, i have found Cyclo-peeze works pretty well. it is a decapod that is harvested out of the arctic...p.s. sun polyps love it !

[Sir Knight]

Hi Sean,
I know. I just didn't want him to think that scuds were a good food for salt water fish. I agree that Cyclo-peeze is a good food for some fish and is also a good food for corals. There is a new food coming out by Liquid Life that I had the opportunity to test. It is a Zoo-Plankton that I think has a life of 2 months when refrigerated. You may want to contact them. I think your customers will thank you when they use it. I used it on soft corals, SPS corals and zoo's and all I can say about the product is WOW!

[A. Critter Killer]

Cool, what is the dosage? Does it have to be refrigerated before use?

[Sir Knight]

what is the dosage?
1 squirt per 10 gallons of water twice a week is what I was using in very highly stocked tanks.

Does it have to be refrigerated before use?
Yes, and they ship it with cold packs.

If you email me at joewall@charter.net. I can give you their phone number, email address and website tomorrow.

[imsqueak]

Joe,

Why cant we buy a bulk order~ even if we split between a dozen or so people? That's one of the things a club has to offer isnt it? We are X strong and all have the same needs to some degree.

Don

[Sir Knight]

Don,
Sent you a PM send me an email