Charlie wrote in message
...

Hello to all my fellow GF fans,

I think I've created a monster. I have this GF, "Nelson". (a gorgeous
fellow, all the family is just crazy about him.) I think he's some kind
of comet. Body structure is not long and slender like the run of the
mill comet, but rather tall, with a single big bushy tail, color orange
and white, with a few dark spots and stripes.. He's about 5 inches
long, not including the tail.
He's housed alone in a well appointed 30g long tank. When I brought him
he was only a inch and a half long, that was little over a year ago.
Nelson has always been a bit on the greedy side. You can feed that damn
fool fish, and 5 minutes later if he sees someone walk by the tank he
acts like he was never fed.
Well, here's the story.
The idea came to me to add some live food to his diet. Occasionally
while sitting out on my balcony I would swat a few common house flies,
and toss them over in the tank. (This is what fish eat in the natural
world, right!) Nelson went for them like a bass attacking a lure. I
became curious as to what other live foods he would eat, so off I went
to the local pet shop.
"Pet Smart" features all kinds of live foods for the different pet
owners. To my surprise Nelson gobbles up all the live crickets and meal
worms offered to him. The store also sells feeder fish called "Rosies".
At about 12 cents each, how can I go wrong. I purchased 5. Each was
about a bit less the 3/4 inch long. Into the tank they went. At first
Nelson didn't quite know what to make of them. Two days those Rosies
swam happily, but on the third morning, all gone. I believe he
discovered their tastiness at night when they were dormant and easy to
catch. A real carnivora he's become. He also relishes small earthworms
and slugs. Where will it end? All the family now sleep with their
bedroom doors locked, who's to say what's on this fish's mind.

Bon Appetite

charlie


Live foods are beneficial to all fish, but for goldfish, a bit more care is
needed. They aren't that well equipped physically to handle a heavy protein
diet. Better to use a few high quality goldfish pellets and/or flakes with
occasional treats of live foods. There are also excellent frozen sterile
foods that can be added to the diet.
As for the live foods you are feeding now:
Flies-may harbour disease or be contaminated with pesticides.
Crickets-indigestible parts of the wings and legs could cause an abdominal
impaction.
Mealworms-same as crickets if they are over 24 hours from their last shed.
I have heard mealworms are able to chew at the insides of a fish, but no
personal experience.
Rosies-probably carriers of disease. The small size you are getting does
make them more appetizing. I would avoid feeder fish as it also might
'train' the fish to attack future tankmates.
Small earthworms-perhaps the best food, as long as they are collected from
areas that haven't been sprayed for weed or insect control.
Slugs-again. subject to pesticides and herbicides.

Jim