Cultivating live foods for aquariums

[Clack]

I've been thinking my betta might be getting a bit bored, so I figured I'd get some neocaridina shrimp to liven things up. But, boy, was that a bad idea. As soon as they went in, he turned into a predator, chasing them relentlessly. Luckily, they were too quick for him, but it really brought out his aggressive side. Even now, he's still on high alert, stalking around the tank. I've got a community tank for the shrimp, so they're safe now. Given my betta's aggressive nature, I've decided to get him some live food instead - he should love the thrill of the hunt. I've ordered some daphnia, but I'm wondering if anyone knows if it's possible to keep them alive long-term as a food source. Space is limited in my flat, so I don't have room for a separate tank for them.

[graye]

You essentially got him live prey already - the shrimp. I've found daphnia to be a nightmare to culture indoors, personally I've only had success growing them outside.

[WildFins]

If you're looking for alternatives to daphnia, I'd recommend grindal worms or wingless fruit flies. Since they're not aquatic, you won't need a separate tank to culture them. Grindal worms can be kept in a simple plastic food storage bin - they're incredibly easy to care for. For fruit flies, a 32-ounce deli cup is sufficient. I've heard they're a great food source for bettas, and @infold might be able to share more insight on this. As insectivores, bettas seem to thrive on this type of food. The fact that wingless fruit flies float is particularly well-suited to bettas, given their upturned mouths. Plus, they won't immediately drown, allowing your betta to eat at its leisure. Another option is baby brine shrimp, which can be hatched in a relatively compact hatchery.

[WildFins]

I've been thinking my betta might be getting a bit bored, so I figured I'd get some neocaridina shrimp to liven things up. But, boy, was that a bad idea. As soon as they went in, he turned into a predator, chasing them relentlessly. Luckily, they were too quick for him, but it really brought out his aggressive side. Even now, he's still on high alert, stalking around the tank. I've got a community tank for the shrimp, so they're safe now. Given my betta's aggressive nature, I've decided to get him some live food instead - he should love the thrill of the hunt. I've ordered some daphnia, but I'm wondering if anyone knows if it's possible to keep them alive long-term as a food source. Space is limited in my flat, so I don't have room for a separate tank for them.

Baby brine shrimp are indeed Artemia, and you do have the option of growing them out to adults if you want. However, to be honest, there's not much point in doing so. What makes them so nutritious is the yolk sac they're born with, which they feed on for the first couple of days of their life. After that, their nutritional value starts to drop off significantly. So, the sooner you can feed them to your fish after they hatch, the better they'll be for them.

[Clack]

If you're looking for alternatives to daphnia, I'd recommend grindal worms or wingless fruit flies. Since they're not aquatic, you won't need a separate tank to culture them. Grindal worms can be kept in a simple plastic food storage bin - they're incredibly easy to care for. For fruit flies, a 32-ounce deli cup is sufficient. I've heard they're a great food source for bettas, and @infold might be able to share more insight on this. As insectivores, bettas seem to thrive on this type of food. The fact that wingless fruit flies float is particularly well-suited to bettas, given their upturned mouths. Plus, they won't immediately drown, allowing your betta to eat at its leisure. Another option is baby brine shrimp, which can be hatched in a relatively compact hatchery.

That's a great idea, thanks for the advice - I think something like that would be perfect for my setup, and it'd also be a bonus for my community tank as they'd get some live food too.