Really, I’m almost done with fish for a while. For an animal so small, there’s a whole lot to say on the subject!
If you want to feed your fish live foods, you have several options. You can buy live food from your local pet store (this can be very expensive). You can raise your own live food. You can also go out and find live food to feed your fish! Collecting fish food can be fun.
What you’ll need to collect your own fish food:
- A fine-mesh net with a long handle.
- Wading boots if you don’t want your feet to get wet.
- Clothes you don’t mind getting wet.
- A bucket with a lid to bring your catch home.
- A pond to hunt in.
Look for a pond that is on public land, rather than on private land — you don’t want to have to scale fences and deal with angry property owners! The pond should have plant life, but not be heavily overgrown. Pick a pond that is near animal pastures, if possible (rather than crop fields). Cattle droppings can encourage abundant bug populations in the pond.
What kinds of food can you catch?
- Small ponds and standing water are good places to find mosquito larvae. The larvae breathe air, so you should be able to spot them just beneath the surface. Mosquito larvae are a great food for fish (and can be used in making your own fish food).
- Fairy shrimp look much like adult brine shrimp. These can be hard to catch in bulk, but you can catch them and encourage them to breed by allowing the water in their tank to dry up.
- Fresh water shrimp live in larger lakes and like flowing water. Shuffle your feet as you wade and you’ll flush the shrimp out from underneath stones. Hold your net in front of you as you walk to gather the shrimp. These shrimp are good food for larger fish.
- Larger ponds may have daphnia — spherical, pinkish critters with large black eyes and feathery antennae. Look for a daphnia bloom after a good rain. Daphnia are easy to catch in large quantities.
Don’t expect your entire catch to survive the trip home! Give your fish a good meal of live food and freeze the rest for future use.