Rosy red minnows [feeder fish] problems..want to breed them?

LyzzaRyzz

I have bought some feeder fish from petsmart, 30 of them.
I've noticed that parts of Thier tail and back end are paler than the rest. Some have reddish spots on various parts of their body.
Some also have a kind of milky mucus coming from their mouths gills and fins.

I bought them for my crayfish, Though I haven't fed him any.
I was wondering, are these illnesses contractable for my crayfish? I've read they can't get ick, what about other illnesses?

Any idea of what diseases are affecting them? Any way to treat them?

I know a lot of them are going to die, I only have 17 left. Yeah their cheap, but I was hoping to breed these guys to have my own supply.

I'm going to buy more feeders from my LPS, the last ones I got some died, but didn't show the signs the ones from petsmart have.
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jaysee

The crayfish will most likely be fine eating them.

It sounds like there are all kinds of problems with the feeders, which is pretty typical, which is why people grow their own. I suppose you could start with maracyn and maracyn II, to treat for both gram positive and gram negative bacterial infections. The meds are no t cheap though - I honestly wouldn't bother, since the crayfish will just as happily eat dead fish.

The fish are fathead minnows, so if you wanted to breed them that's what you should research.

If you wanted to breed your own, livebearers are the way to go IMO.

LyzzaRyzz

Fatheads/rosys aren't live bearers though..Is there a cheap live bearer?

Im gladdened to hear that i can feed him diseased fish! Itll make everything much easier. lol

Another worry of mine is that there are three healthy rosys in his tank. They were supposed to be food, but he couldn't catch them! their just too quick for him! So, if he can get good enough to catch em, he can eat em, but for now, their my three musketeers. So my concern is, will the sick fish give them illnesses? Even if they are eaten quickly? Is it possible that the cray poop will harbour the bacteria/parasite?

LyzzaRyzz

Also, can Aquatic frogs get any of these diseases? Id like to keep the rosys in the frog tank, as they are the only ones in there.

jaysee

No they aren't livebearers, but the fathead minnows make a nest and defend it, so that's something unique for minnows. The reason I suggested livebearers is because they are easy to breed and raise.

The only reason to feed live food is for the entertainment value of watching it hunt. Otherwise, dead or dying fish - it makes no difference. In fact, they probably prefer dead as it requires a minimal expenditure of energy.

If you want to take on a breeding project, then that's one thing, but if you are breeding to supply live food then you should just stick to buying feeders IMO.

I think frogs are safe from most fish illnesses, but I imagine they are susceptible to general illnesses, like fungal infections and such.

LyzzaRyzz

I am breeding for a project for myself, and the benefit is that the babies wont take up my room!

But i do like them in my tank, and their alot cheaper than other fish! I would like to breed one generation, keep those, and they use their babies as food, since i know they will be disease free.

I have researched breeding habits of the rosy s, and i know theyll need clay pots, and that the males will defend and keep all other fish away. And that they will use the growth on thier heads to keep fungus away.
I might dec ide to raise the eggs myself, since from what ive read, it only takes an air stone? and clean water.