Food plays a vital role in the smooth functioning of our bodies. Likewise, even our goldfish require food to stay healthy. Mosquito larvae hold all the necessary nutrients needed by our goldfish. But can our goldfish eat mosquito larvae? Is it safe for them to eat mosquito larvae?
Goldfish can eat mosquito larvae as it holds all the nutrients required for proper growth. It also helps improve the fish’s color, breeding, and to maintain good health. However, even goldfish find mosquito larvae very delicious. Experts suggest feeding 12-15 mosquito larvae every three days a week.
Let us dive into the article to learn more about mosquito larvae. In addition, we would also discuss raising mosquito larvae for your goldfish and your goldfish’s usual diet.
Contents
What do goldfish typically eat?
| Goldfish Diet | Serving Quantity | No. of times | Link to buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leafy Greens ( Kale, Spinach, lettuce) | A small piece of leaf | 3-4 times a week | Feed fresh |
| Boiled Carrots | 1 small slice | 3-4 times a week | Feed fresh |
| Zucchini ( Blanched) | 1 small slice | 3-4 times a week | Feed fresh |
| Bloodworms | One small pinch | 2 times a week | Freeze-dried bloodworms |
| Bananas ( Chopped) | 1 small slice | 2 times a week | Feed fresh |
| Mosquito Larvae | 12-15 | 2-3 times a week | Feed live |
| Tubifex Worms | One pinch | 1 time a week | HIKARI FREEZE DRIED TUBIFEX WORMS |
| Brine Shrimp | One pinch | 1-2 times a week | HIKARI BRINE SHRIMP CUBES |
| Pellets | A pinch | 2 times a day | HIKARI SINKING FISH FOOD |
Also read: What Do Goldfish Eat?
What are mosquito larvae?
Mosquito larvae are known as baby mosquitoes. They spent their life span underwater.
Let us discuss the four different stages of mosquito life:
Eggs
Laying eggs is the first step of the mosquito life cycle. The female mosquitoes lay eggs on the top of the water.
Mosquito Larvae
The second stage is the larvae. Eggs laid by the female mosquitoes hatch in 1-2 days, and the larvae stage begins.
The mosquito larvae are small worm-like animals with no legs. Mosquito larvae have a lot of hair, and most of them are around their mouth.
Mosquito larvae mostly breathe through an air tube connected to the tail end called a siphon. Mosquito larvae put their siphon out of the water to breathe. We want you to know that pupa and larvae cannot survive without water.
Furthermore, the larvae stage’s hard outer layer of the mosquitoes, known as the exoskeleton, is removed. This process is known as molting.
Mosquito Pupa
The third stage of the mosquito cycle can be known as a tumbler or pupa. In this stage, it has no eyes and does not eat.
The development of mosquitoes is devoted to change and growth. Your goldfish can also eat mosquito pupa.
Adult Mosquito
Finally, the last stage of the mosquito cycle is the adult mosquito. Adult mosquito relaxes on top of the water for a couple of hours to dry their wings and prepare for a fly.
The adult female mosquitoes then start looking for an animal to feed, and after that, they look for water sources to lay eggs. And this way, the cycle repeats.
The above was all about the four different stages of the mosquito life cycle. But are mosquito larvae suitable for your goldfish? Let us discuss this below:
Is mosquito larvae suitable for your goldfish?
Mosquito larvae hold all the necessary nutrients required for the growth and development of your goldfish. So yes, mosquito larvae are suitable for your goldfish, and even they are very fond of it and find it delicious.
How to raise mosquito larvae for your goldfish?
Raising mosquito larvae for your goldfish is effortless, and it’s even cost-saving. Other fish foods you purchase from the market are expensive compared to mosquito larvae.
In addition, raising mosquito larvae provides live food for your goldfish and is also very delicious and nutritious. Let us learn how to grow mosquito larvae below:
There are four steps to raise mosquito larvae:
Select a Location
The first step to raising mosquito larvae is selecting a location outside your house. Keeping your container away from direct sunlight would be advisable, or the water may turn too hot for the larvae to survive on hot days.
We would recommend keeping the container under a dense tree growth to keep it away from direct sunlight.
The container for raising mosquito larvae should be clean and contain no chemicals, paint, or tar. The container should be according to the goldfish you are feeding.
If you have many goldfish to feed, we advise you to use a 50-gallon tank.
Add water to your container.
The next step is to add water to your container. We would advise not to fill water containing chlorine as it prevents algae growth, a food source for mosquito larvae.
You need to find water that is free of chlorine. In such a case, we would recommend you use rainwater.
You can also purchase dechlorinator kits from pet stores to dechlorinate the tap water. Dechlorinator kits help to neutralize the chlorine content from the tap water.
Contaminate your water
Mosquito larvae cannot survive in clean water. Instead, it prefers water that has algae developing in it. Have you seen that green-brown water that seems like pea soup?
That is what they need to survive. Also, you must ensure to keep the container away from sunlight as the water may turn too hot for the larvae to stay on summer days.
You can also encourage algae growth by leaving the water outside in the warmer months. In such a case, the algae will start developing naturally in 1-2 weeks.
Time to wait for the mosquitoes to lay eggs: The final step is to wait for the mosquitoes to lay eggs. You have to relax and wait for the mosquitoes to lay eggs in the water container.
We want to inform you that mosquitoes only lay eggs in the summer and spring months.
You will discover mosquitoes eggs in the container within 1-2 weeks
The eggs will take around 48 hours to hatch. After the eggs get hatched and wriggle released, known as larvae, you can feed the larvae to your goldfish.
We would like to inform you that if you do not discover any eggs in the container, shift the water container to another suitable environment. It is possible that the existing is too cold or warm for the mosquitoes.
So, finally, you can feed the larvae to your goldfish. But how will you provide the larvae to your goldfish? Let us learn this below:
How to offer mosquito larvae to your goldfish?
You can feed mosquito larvae to your goldfish in the following ways:
First, use a net to catch the larvae: We advise using a net or pipette dropper to hold the larvae as it is very tiny. You must immediately place the larvae in your goldfish tank so that they don’t pass away before your goldfish eat them.
Furthermore, we recommend you not transfer the water from the container to your goldfish tank, as it contains algae and debris that can cause harm to your goldfish.
Place the unhatched egg in your goldfish tank. Goldfish prefer not to attack the unhatched eggs; they would rather wait for them to get hatched.
Shifting the unhatched eggs to your goldfish tank will reduce the chances of developing airborne mosquitoes from the mosquito pupa. No need to worry, even if your goldfish eats the unhatched eggs.
In addition, we would advise you to harvest your mosquito larvae weekly, as it takes 4-14 days for a full airborne mosquito to grow from an egg boat. It will further result in a bunch of full-grown mosquitoes in your backyard.
Conclusion:
- You can feed mosquito larvae to your goldfish as it contains all the nutrients our goldfish require to stay healthy.
- Mosquito larvae are baby mosquitoes who spend their life underwater.
- It is advisable not to fill the mosquito tank with chlorine water as it prevents algae growth.
- It would help to harvest your larvae weekly as it can lead to fully grown mosquitoes in your backyard.
Reference: NCBI, ResearchGate