Wild scuds = good?

[Betta132]

I just brought a couple of water plants back from the river, and they're sitting in a bucket so I can get the bugs off. Among those bugs are about six scuds, and I was wondering if they're good things to have in an aquarium. Said scuds are sitting in a cup of tank water, scudding around. I was thinking of possibly culturing them, then putting a bunch in the tank now and then. Any imput on this idea? I'm pretty sure scuds are harmless scavengers, and I remember having a few in a tadpole tank once. They never harmed the tads, that I could tell.

[EWTC]

Freshwater amphipods (scuds) are detritus feeders and should be pretty safe. They will happily feed on anything dead in the tank. They typically need plenty of oxygen which means colder water. Not sure how they will do in a home aquarium. If you try and are successful, please let us know!

EC
www.macrocritters.wordpress.com

[mordalphus]

They eat moss and could carry disease and parasites. Definitely not good

[MiniFishRoom]

I have hundreds in each of my tanks and I've never had a problem.
They help clean the bottom of my tanks by eating left over food and dead plants on top of that they are a great natural food source for the fishes.
They're also a sign that you have good water quality.

[GeToChKn]

Ya only way I'd want to add wild stuff is if I'm doing a wild tank with shrimp,fish, snails, caught in the same area, as they are probably more adapt to the specific bacteria, etc in that water.

[Betta132]

Alright, no scuds in the tank then. Shame, they're fun to watch.

[Soothing Shrimp]

You could always culture a colony in a separate container. people sell them for fish food.

30+ scuds sell for over $10 often.

[Betta132]

I would, but Mom says no more tanks of any size. I'll just put that on my list of stuff to do when I move out... Right up there with 'get iguana'

[Soothing Shrimp]

psssst- tupperware.

[Betta132]

Unfortunately, that's considered a 'tank' if it's up for a week or more... I've tried!

[mengyone]

Originally Posted by Betta132

Unfortunately, that's considered a 'tank' if it's up for a week or more... I've tried!

lol!!

[acitydweller]

If you keep 3, they will become a hundred in a few weeks, and a thousands in a few months. I've kept them in earnest as curiosity in breeding all things small got the best of me but in the weeks that followed, I noticed I was giving away 10 packs, then 30 packs, then 50 packs of them away to local hobbyists with no dent on their population. When I cut back the feedings, they turned on my mosses and decimated dozens of golfballs of my prized rare species. I now keep daphnia and pretty mosses

[Wy Renegade]

Originally Posted by acitydweller

If you keep 3, they will become a hundred in a few weeks, and a thousands in a few months. I've kept them in earnest as curiosity in breeding all things small got the best of me but in the weeks that followed, I noticed I was giving away 10 packs, then 30 packs, then 50 packs of them away to local hobbyists with no dent on their population. When I cut back the feedings, they turned on my mosses and decimated dozens of golfballs of my prized rare species. I now keep daphnia and pretty mosses

So what were you feeding them?

[dougolasjr]

I wonder if crayfish would eat scuds. Might be a nice treat.

[abc]

my nerite snails get eaten alive by the scuds or other bugs in my tank. Scuds are good scavengers and eat any leftover food and they don't harm my fish or shrimp at all, but they tortured my poor nerite snails until 2 of them RIP.

I personally don't like them in my tank. I wish I could get rid of them but they multiply very fast.