Culturing live food outside in CA

**jonny5** · 07-14-2011, 02:45 PM

I'm wondering if there is a low mantenance live food I can cultivate outside in southern California weather. By low maintenance I mean, no heater airstone or filter, just a tub of water and weekly water changes. Btw air temp range is 45 to 85 with an average of 50 to 70. However on occasion it does get as low as high 30's but never freezing

**toddnbecka** · 07-14-2011, 05:08 PM

Mosquito larvae are easy enough, just put out a tub of water and they'll turn up. Daphnia would probably work as well, you wouldn't need to do weekly water changes though.

**dbosman** · 07-14-2011, 08:11 PM

What do you want to feed the cultivated food to?

Mosquito larva are great for a lot of fish, but since many tropical diseases can be carried by mosquitoes in an area like California, I'd be leery of cultivating wild larva.

Red cherry shrimp would thrive, most of the time, in a tub. Mosquito fish would do well if the tub is large enough to allow harvesting of the excess fry. Ditto for endlers live bearers.

If there is a sizable ditch or stream nearby, a hike could produce all the live foods you'd want.