Mosquito larvae for food

[IslandCrow]

So, anyone out there use mosquito larvae as a food source for their fish? I've inadvertently cultured a batch in a bucket of water I was using to cure some DIY rock. Before I empty it out, how are they nutritionally speaking?

[sir_dudeguy]

I would not use it. A good rule of thumb...dont use anything that you just found at your house..there's no telling where the mosquito might have been, or what chemical it could have been in...now i'm not sure if the adult mosquito could pass it on to the eggs or not, but i still wouldnt use it.

Plus, when is a reef fish ever going to eat mosquito's out in the wild??? I say stick to the stuff they actually find.

[davidryder]

I never have but when I worked at Petland they did... if you are even somewhat allergic to mosquitoes stay clear of that stuff... I always broke out in a very itchy rash when getting those on my fingers. Plus do mosquitoes nest in saltwater?

[Savas]

Mosquito larvae are considered a marginal saltwater insect meaning they prefer fresh water but will survive in brackfish to low-saltwater. They are nutritionally sound, especially with their egg sacks attached. I do not think they are any "dirtier" than wild caight foods and may even be cleaner than some. I have seen larvae in shallow pools in the Caribbean ocean and tidal pools.

Now would I use them in my tank as food - no, real fish food is fairly cheap. Do I think it will hurt your tank - no, but the cost of being wrong could be pretty high.

[LobsterOfJustice]

I have frozen cubes which I feed (along with a variety of other foods). On the pack it says for all freshwater fish. So I guess its not ideal, but its only one of maybe 20 different foods I feed so I doubt anything bed would happen. However, I would not feed larvae that I found in the wild to my tank. Too much of a risk, you dont know where they've been.

[RichConley]

theyre great food.


People need to stop being so "OMG, ITS NOT FISH FOOD" about things. Do you guys really know whats in commercial fish food?

Dont know where theyve been? They've been in his bucket of rock.

[hankthetank]

Mosquito larvae are great food.Use them all the time with all kinds of fish.Have been for 30+yrs.The only potential problem is nosy neighbors reporting you for a health hazard.Make certain you harvest EVERY DAY to avoid increasing your local mosquito population.By doing this you will not only feed your fish a free nutritious food,you will also help control the mosquito population in your area.

[LobsterOfJustice]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10363542#post10363542 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RichConley
Dont know where theyve been? They've been in his bucket of rock.

I meant more along the lines of... I dont know whose blood the mother mosquito sucked, and what diseases they had. I dont know which neighbors spray pesticides on their lawns. I dont know what pathogens the insects are carrying. For example, there is actually a very common form of malaria in the US, but we are immune to it. However some zoo animals are not and must recieve regular shots. I'm not saying your fish will get malaria, but my point is, bugs, and mosquitoes in particular, carry some nasty stuff. The frozen kind are raised in controlled conditions and have been fed a certian diet.


And yes, I do know whats in the commercial food I feed my fish. It says right on the package... 100% brine shrimp, or 100% mysis, or 100% krill, etc.

[davidryder]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10364385#post10364385 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by LobsterOfJustice
I meant more along the lines of... I dont know whose blood the mother mosquito sucked, and what diseases they had. I dont know which neighbors spray pesticides on their lawns. I dont know what pathogens the insects are carrying. For example, there is actually a very common form of malaria in the US, but we are immune to it. However some zoo animals are not and must recieve regular shots. I'm not saying your fish will get malaria, but my point is, bugs, and mosquitoes in particular, carry some nasty stuff. The frozen kind are raised in controlled conditions and have been fed a certian diet.


And yes, I do know whats in the commercial food I feed my fish. It says right on the package... 100% brine shrimp, or 100% mysis, or 100% krill, etc.

Where do the packagers of mosquito larvae get their larvae?

[RichConley]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10364385#post10364385 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by LobsterOfJustice
I meant more along the lines of... I dont know whose blood the mother mosquito sucked, and what diseases they had. I dont know which neighbors spray pesticides on their lawns. I dont know what pathogens the insects are carrying. For example, there is actually a very common form of malaria in the US, but we are immune to it. However some zoo animals are not and must recieve regular shots. I'm not saying your fish will get malaria, but my point is, bugs, and mosquitoes in particular, carry some nasty stuff. The frozen kind are raised in controlled conditions and have been fed a certian diet.


And yes, I do know whats in the commercial food I feed my fish. It says right on the package... 100% brine shrimp, or 100% mysis, or 100% krill, etc.

Lobster, do you really think someone is farming mosquito larvae? Mammal diseases aren't an issue with fish. Your fish would be MUCH more likely to get diseases/pick up pathogens from silversides, or mysis.

[IslandCrow]

I'll probably do some research. I know Joyce Wilkerson writes in her Clownfish book that she sometimes feeds mosquito larvae and suggests it as a food source. For that matter, she suggests the exact same "method" as I inadvertently used. It seems like they'd be fairly high in protein. Of course, this particular "harvest" of mosquito larvae was quite accidental, but it highlighted to me how easy they would be to culture here in Florida. And I would absolutely harvest them regularly. I really hate mosquitoes! Plus, it's certainly a health hazard if left unchecked. This particular batch was dumped out on the driveway today, but I kept a few in a sealed glass jar, so I may give it a try tomorrow. More a matter of speculation, though, since I currently have enough fish food in the freezer to keep my fish fat and happy for the rest of the year at least.