This may be a daft question but I'm new to this pond lark. I've heard of feeding goldfish with brine shrimp, a small crustacean. So I read up on them. They are about the size of a sand hopper (also a small crustacean). Where I live there are no aquatic dealers and I would have to buy brine shrimp by mail order. Sand hoppers are plentiful and easy to catch by sinking a bucket into a local shingle beach with a lamp in it at night. I just wondered if there was any reason I shouldn't try a few as feed for my fish? Thanks in advance for any help and advice.

"billfish" wrote in message
...

This may be a daft question but I'm new to this pond lark. I've heard of
feeding goldfish with brine shrimp, a small crustacean. So I read up on
them. They are about the size of a sand hopper (also a small
crustacean). Where I live there are no aquatic dealers and I would have
to buy brine shrimp by mail order. Sand hoppers are plentiful and easy
to catch by sinking a bucket into a local shingle beach with a lamp in
it at night. I just wondered if there was any reason I shouldn't try a
few as feed for my fish? Thanks in advance for any help and advice.
===================
Goldfish can live very well without brineshrimp. Why not try the
sand-hoppers and see if they'll eat them?
--
McKoi.... the frugal ponder...
EVERYONE: "Please check people's headers for forgeries
before flushing." NAMES ARE BEING FORGED.
My Pond Page http://tinyurl.com/cuq5b
~~~ }((((o ~~~ }{{{{o ~~~ }(((((o

Thanks, I think I will try a few as a change from the "food sticks" now and then.

Bill.

Thanks, I think I will try a few as a change from the "food sticks" now and then. I'll post again and let folks know whether the fish like them.

Bill.

I managed to catch a few very small (about 5mm) sandhoppers this afternoon (the decent-sized ones don't come out till after dark). I threw them in the pond to see if the fish would eat them. Some swam and escaped, the rest were devoured very quickly by my 4 newly introduced golden orfe. The orfe are very active feeders, so the goldfish didn't get a chance to try them. I think I'll go tonight and get some of the bigger ones in a metal pot (with a lid so they can't jump out) and try drying/cooking them so they don't escape and will hopefully float so I can "target feed" them to the goldfish as well. I'll post again following that experiment.

Bill.