I have seen videos of larvae being fed to guppies, but I didn’t know much about it. Do guppies eat mosquito larvae?
Is this the best way to feed guppies? What stages in a mosquito’s life cycle provide food for guppies in the wild and in tanks?
Should you bring in larvae from outside to feed your guppies? In this article, we will see if guppies eat mosquito larvae.
Do Guppies Eat Mosquito Larvae?
Yes. Not only do guppies eat mosquito larvae, they help control mosquito populations in natural and artificial bodies of water. These fish are mosquito larvae eating machines!
Be careful because they don’t know when to stop feasting and will pig out uncontrollably. Do not offer mosquito larvae from standing water in outdoor locations to prevent the spread of possible diseases or parasites.
You may harm your guppies and mess up the water chemistry as a result.
Home grown feeder insects or purchasing larvae from reputable shops and breeders maintain the health of your fish while keeping your tank water as pristine as possible.
Can I Feed Guppies Larvae?
Yes. Guppies will eat larvae of mosquitoes and other insects in the wild. You can replicate that by offering these treats as often as 3-4 times a week.
They are high in protein and watch out for your guppies trying to consume as much as their body weight in size and capacity.
Larvae and mosquito eggs in outdoor ponds or standing water can turn into a disastrous spread of pests swarming your garden or elsewhere.
Guppies naturally keep the population of insects like mosquitoes controlled to limit their possible infestation.
How Much Larvae to Feed A Guppy
Keep in mind that larvae are fatty and rich in protein. This could lead to excess nutrition leaving your guppies:
- too full
- sluggish
- impacted in their gut
- bloated
- constipated
Limit the amount of mosquito larvae they eat to a pinch per serving. Guppy fry will consume more larvae than adults and can process it faster as they require more protein to grow.
Here are some recommended amounts of feedings:
- Adult Guppy: 2-3 times a week
- Guppy fry: 3-5 times a week
Is Mosquito Larvae Healthy for Guppy Fry?
A controlled dose of mosquito larvae without going overboard on the amount you feed guppies will provide much needed nutrition for these freshwater, livebearer fish.
Guppy fry will benefit even more from mosquito larvae, but this should not be their staple diet. Here are our favorite meals for our guppies:
- brine shrimp
- bloodworms
- mosquito larvae
- daphnia
I feed my guppy flake food daily and spread out meals 3-4 times a day for guppy fry and 2-3 times a day for adults.
A pinch of flakes with other protein rich foods added 3-4 times per week provide much needed balance and variety to keep your guppies interested and nourished during feedings throughout their life cycle within your tank’s ecosystem.
What Is Mosquito Larvae?
Is mosquito larvae better for guppies than mosquitos eggs or mosquito pupa? Are they all the same? Baby mosquitos are referred to as larvae. Baby guppies are known as fry.
Fry love eating larvae more than adults do and can consume them 3-5 times a week.
4 stages of Mosquito Life
- Eggs
- Larvae
- Pupa
- Adult mosquito
1. Eggs
Eggs of mosquitoes float on the surface of the water. You can feed eggs of insects like mosquitoes to your guppies and fry as you wish without overconsumption.
Do not bring in eggs from outdoors in locations that are not controlled for sanctuary breeding conditions. You risk bringing in diseases or parasites. Eggs hatch within 48 hours.
2. Larvae
Now that the eggs have opened up, you have mosquito larvae who spend their time living underwater. They are sometimes called “wiggles” and are readily available for purchase in many fish shops because of their nutritional content.
Mosquito larvae feed on algae, but not enough to control its overgrowth in your tank. Most fish enjoy feasting on mosquito larvae with guppies being one of the most popular larvae lovers.
3. Pupa
The pupa stage in a mosquito’s life cycle can also see them being referred to as tumblers. The larvae shed their outer skin and you will find pupa tumbling through the water column looking like small hooks.
Guppies go after pupa and it’s enjoyable to see them gulp up the easy to catch pupa who are victims of freshwater fish feasts.
4. Adult Mosquito
Adult mosquitoes have now left the tank or standing water and will begin to disrupt our picnics, outdoor gatherings or other moments in our life as one of nature’s most annoying pests.
Guppies are helpful to humans in the wild as they are regularly able to control mosquito populations to prevent them from becoming nuisance flying adults.
How To Raise Mosquito Larvae For Guppies
If you wish to save money and limit your trips to a local fish shop to purchase mosquito larvae, you can raise them on your own.
Here are some tips:
- Use a clean bucket or container.
- Fill it up with water.
- Rainwater or dechlorinated tap water are both better than sanitized water for faster breeding.
- Keep the bucket in a shaded location.
- If there is debris falling into the water, don’t pick them out.
- Mosquitos will eventually lay eggs in the bucket in the summer and spring.
- After 1-2 weeks, you should notice these eggs.
- The eggs are dark brown and will hatch into larvae in 48 hours.
- If the weather is too cold or too warm, growth will slow down.
- Move the bucket to different areas until you find the best spot.
- Harvest larvae before they ever become adult mosquitos.
- You can scoop out the wriggling larvae out of the bucket, freeze some and offer the rest to your guppies.
Thaw out guppy larvae in a cup of tank water first if they are frozen. Then transfer them to your guppy tank with a tube feeder or drop them in a few at a time.
Conclusion
Your guppies will appreciate your effort to provide variety to their diet instead of boring flake food all the time Mosquito larvae are naturally adored and devoured by guppies.
We hope the tips provided here will give you the confidence and ability to feed your guppy mosquito larvae in the future.
Thank you for stopping by at HelpUsFish.com. We have plenty of articles on a wide variety of aquatic and marine life that may also pique your interest. See you again soon!
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