# fish food and mite eggs



## hylahill (Jan 29, 2008)

I have decided to start feeding my springtails and isos fish food, as I thought it might be a good 'gut loader' for the little buggers and make them more nutritious for the frogs. I currently only use yeast and veggie scraps.

I have heard that this is asking for trouble as the flakes can be loaded with mite eggs. Anybody have any experience microwaving/baking fish food flakes? 

You'd be hard pressed to find/see a mite anywhere in my cultures/tanks etc. and I don't want to have to start dealing with them.


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## frankrom (Jan 14, 2012)

I'd like to hear the answer to this one as well...



hylahill said:


> I have decided to start feeding my springtails and isos fish food, as I thought it might be a good 'gut loader' for the little buggers and make them more nutritious for the frogs. I currently only use yeast and veggie scraps.
> 
> I have heard that this is asking for trouble as the flakes can be loaded with mite eggs. Anybody have any experience microwaving/baking fish food flakes?
> 
> You'd be hard pressed to find/see a mite anywhere in my cultures/tanks etc. and I don't want to have to start dealing with them.


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## hypostatic (Apr 25, 2011)

I have been feeding fish flakes to my dwarf white and giant orange isopods without any problems. I do not microwave them or anything. I think I've read somewhere that the isos are suspected to eat mite eggs.

I've also been feeding fish flakes to my springtails recently (I've run out of yeast). I microwave the flakes for 30 secs before feeding, to kill any potential mites.

Fish food is not recommended for springtails because many on the forum have found that they attract mites into the culture, or exacerbate mite problems if they exist.


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## hylahill (Jan 29, 2008)

Thanks for your input. 
I have heard about problems like that as well, although at the time it was thought that it was most likely eggs in the fish food. I figured if I zapped them, it would be a non issue. 
Being a highly attractant food for the mites is another issue entirely and one battle that isn't worth the effort.
Now that I think about it, if the culprit is eggs in the food, I wonder why I never see live mites moving around inside my fish food containers.
I think I'll stick to scraps but I have a friend who has lots of mites in his cultures, I'll see if his go bananas over flakes.


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## hydrophyte (Jun 5, 2009)

Hey boss your inbox is full.


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## rigel10 (Jun 1, 2012)

In my experience, I have never had any problems with fish food. I had problems only with other types of food (vegetables). (I have the same colony of springtails for over two years). This is my experience.


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## crested (May 15, 2011)

Great, just started reading about the concern re: fish food today...

The day I notice both my cultures are seeing decent mite cultures establish themselves.

This after I started feeding fish flakes & dog food pellets a couple months ago.
Good news is the springs took off! 
Bad news... now tonnes of mites

Cant say for certain they're related... but... cultures had been fine for a year until I made the switch


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## Enlightened Rogue (Mar 21, 2006)

I stopped usuing fish flakes for one reason....THE SMELL.

John


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