What do you feed minnows?

Question

Have just bought some minnows and I dont know what to feed them, the guy in the fish store said that they are tropical but can be kept in coldwater tank. Do I feed them tropical fish food or cold water fish food? Luckily I have both but have killed 3 fish in as many weeks and I dont think my daughter can cope with any more dead pets!!!

Answer 1

ok minows can be kept in both cold water and tropical tanks they also like a lot of cover in the tank ie some plants to hid in the best food to feed them on in any flake cold or tropical flake they will eat live pants as well and live food such as brine shrimp bloodworm and daphia any more help [e-mail]

Answer 2

If these are white clouds or danios (see pics: http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/scateg.cfm?pCatId=881 ) they can eat tropical flake food.

If these are rosy reds (a feeder fish that's a color variety of fathead minnows): (http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_Pimephales_promelas.php ) you can still feed either flakes, but they should also get a little vegetable matter in their diet. You can supplement the flakes with some fresh greens (romaine, spinach, collard, kale, etc.), or just use a flake with a little more spirulina.

If these were recently purchased fish, the deaths are more likely due to ammonia or nitrite in the water than what you're feeding. You're tank is starting to cycle, meaning that the ammonia (toxic) produced by your fish wastes doesn't have enough bacteria in the tank to allow it to be converted to nitrite (also toxic), then to nitrate. You may have notice the water becoming cloudy, which is also a sign this is happening. Until the bacteria are established, you'll need to do partial water changes when the ammonia or nitrite get too high. You'll know when this happens, because you'll likely see the fish at the top of the tank gulping air, or they'll be at the bottom of the tank and pretty inactive. Just don't clean the tank too thoroughly - you'll be removing too much of the bacteria. Give the gravel a light cleaning to remove any feces, and take out about 25% (some people recommend more or less, but this is what I suggest) of the water, to be replaced by freshwater about the same temperature with something to remove the chlorine/chloramine in the water. - see more about these in the links below:

Answer 3

White cloud mountain minnows should be okay with either. I originally kept mine in a coldwater tank with goldfish, where they happily took goldfish food (grind it up into smaller flakes as you feed them). The same fish (six years on) are now in a tropical fish aquarium where they are just as happy taking tropical flake!
They are best kept in groups of 8 - 10, in a well-filtered tank and can be kept with other peaceful species. Ideal Temp 18 - 22 centigrade.

Answer 4

Minnows live in the shallow parts of lakes in the wild. They can survive in colder water, and they are scavengers. Mostly algae. I would get some goldfish food. Also, you can feed them lettuce (leaf, not ice berg) and algae wafers.

I've never been able to keep minnows alive. Good luck!

Answer 5

White Clouds Mountain Minnows?

They can definitely live in coldwater.

They will eat any flakes you put in the tank.

Answer 6

i think youve been done.
We used to catch minnows in the village pond and then put them in the road to watch them get splattered. O how I miss my childhood.