# Feeding with Guppys small fry



## Mëluzynn (Nov 16, 2012)

Hi  

I've read on the net that mantis can be fed with small fry. I have at home a Guppys fishtank to have small fry to feed my Betta splendens. I was wondering if I can use Guppys babies with my mantis ?

I mean alive babies fishes.

I usually feed my Betta with just born fishes (of aged of a few days) but maybe for the mantis I can use fishes of a week or two old ?

Did someone tried that ?


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## hierodula (Nov 16, 2012)

theres a vid on youtube with someone that did that. I dont see why not.


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## gripen (Nov 16, 2012)

It is not a good idea to do this. In the wild they would never eat fish.


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## Mëluzynn (Nov 16, 2012)

hierodula said:


> theres a vid on youtube with someone that did that. I dont see why not.


I just saw some with goldfishes. Mine are clearely smaller...XD



gripen said:


> It is not a good idea to do this. In the wild they would never eat fish.


Never ? Mantis living near small ponds never fish ?

I don't mean I NEED to feed Aluine with fishes, it was just an idea to vary her alimentation.


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## patrickfraser (Nov 16, 2012)

It's been done. If you have the extra feeders anyway.....?


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## Gill (Nov 17, 2012)

If the fish is alive you would be causing it unnecessary suffering.


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## Rick (Nov 17, 2012)

Normally this topic turns ugly on this site so be warned.


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## Malakyoma (Nov 17, 2012)

Ultimately it comes down to choice. I'm pretty sure everyone agrees that its possible to feed mantids small feeder fish, I've seen it done on youtube before. Some people think its wrong, and some think its just another feeder. Whether you do it or not is up to you.


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## gripen (Nov 17, 2012)

Also I forgot to mention when you use feeders like that it is very waste full. I have never seen a mantis eat the entire fish.


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## Mëluzynn (Nov 17, 2012)

The suffering of a dying critter or grasshopper is the same, isn't it ?

And the size of a Guppy is not the size of a Goldfish, the adults are about 2 centimetres long.


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## Mëluzynn (Nov 17, 2012)

Ok, I was on the iPad before, hard to post picture...lol

I talk about that kind of fishes, the picture almost shows real size :







And I didn't create this topic to turn into a polemic, it was just a "noob" question about a possibility to vary my mantis alimentation. Sorry if it hurts some of you, it wasn't my intention


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## Gill (Nov 17, 2012)

Mëluzynn said:


> The suffering of a dying critter or grasshopper is the same, isn't it ?
> 
> And the size of a Guppy is not the size of a Goldfish, the adults are about 2 centimetres long.


No the suffering is different, inverterbrates have a much simpler nervous system than verterbrates.


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## D_Hemptress (Nov 17, 2012)

id say go ahead and try it, let me know how it goes. i have been conimplating doing the same thing as i have several fry myself


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## JSaff86 (Nov 17, 2012)

i feed mine fish all the time and shes healthy. I know i wouldnt find a pizza in the wild but it doesnt stop me from eating it.


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## Mëluzynn (Nov 17, 2012)

JSaff86 said:


> i feed mine fish all the time and shes healthy. I know i wouldnt find a pizza in the wild but it doesnt stop me from eating it.


Dead or living fishes ? How do you give it to her ?


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## lancaster1313 (Nov 17, 2012)

If you put the fry in a deli cup of water, she might fish them for herself. I am sure that if you give her small guppy fry she will finish them if she likes them.

I know the size of them as I used to breed them for my _Astronotus ocellatus, _(Oscars). They look cool if you breed some fancy ones with the normal ones.

I would like to breed them again so my daughter can witness the live birth.


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## Mëluzynn (Nov 17, 2012)

likebugs said:


> If you put the fry in a deli cup of water, she might fish them for herself. I am sure that if you give her small guppy fry she will finish them if she likes them.
> 
> I know the size of them as I used to breed them for my _Astronotus ocellatus, _(Oscars). They look cool if you breed some fancy ones with the normal ones.
> 
> I would like to breed them again so my daughter can witness the live birth.


In fact I only breed endlers, I really don't like the other fancy ones. I had some in my poubellarium (trasharium ? A big trashcan filled with green water I have on my balcony, like a smal pond) but they died after a big weather change.

I'll try to put one big baby in a small deli cup and I'll see what happens  

Thank you for your advise ^^


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## fleurdejoo (Nov 17, 2012)

I've never seen my mantid's try to eat anything dead. It has to be wiggly!

If I had extra tiny fish layin' around I'd probably use 'em!


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## Mëluzynn (Dec 10, 2012)

Well, the Lady had fish n chips tonight  







I used a quite grown female Guppy endlers. New born are too tiny but a young healthy fish, she runs on it  




And she really enjoyed the idea


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## lancaster1313 (Dec 10, 2012)

Nice photos!

Did Aluine catch it herself or did you have to hand it to her?


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## patrickfraser (Dec 10, 2012)

GET IT, ALUINE!


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## sally (Dec 11, 2012)

Wow great pic!!


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## D_Hemptress (Dec 11, 2012)

likebugs said:


> Nice photos!
> 
> Did Aluine catch it herself or did you have to hand it to her?


ya im wondering the same thing, did she fish it out herself or did you hand it to her?



Mëluzynn said:


> Well, the Lady had fish n chips tonight
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## Mëluzynn (Dec 11, 2012)

likebugs said:


> Nice photos!
> 
> Did Aluine catch it herself or did you have to hand it to her?





D_Hemptress said:


> ya im wondering the same thing, did she fish it out herself or did you hand it to her?


I gave it to her


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## fleurdejoo (Dec 11, 2012)

Awesome! She looks happy.


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## Mëluzynn (Dec 11, 2012)

Yesterday she ate two small crickets, a guppy and she gets honey for the dessert... She was happy...XD


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## happy1892 (Dec 31, 2012)

Mëluzynn said:


> Ok, I was on the iPad before, hard to post picture...lol
> 
> I talk about that kind of fishes, the picture almost shows real size :
> 
> ...


Poecilia wingi not guppy. But they are just about a guppy I have read. And yours look pure but maybe they have a little guppy in them. Anyway I think I cannot tell very well if they do not have any guppy in them because I have not actually seen them in person LOL! Well... I have seen them before but they were in a museum and I just glanced at them (I guess they were feeder fish for the eel like newt).


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