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Joined: Nov 17, 2004 Posts: 53 Location: ft. lauderdale
Posted: Sun Dec 12, 2004 6:12 pm Post subject: Using Gold fish as feeders
I was just looking through the gallery and I saw a picture of some one using Gold fish as feeders. Gold fish are worse then us eating a Big Mac with a side of french fries and doughnuts. Not only are they high in fat and a very low source of protein they can be LODDED with worms. Crickets dusted with calcium (Miner All I is best choice), rodents and as much fruit as they will eat is the best diet you can provide.
Joined: Nov 17, 2004 Posts: 53 Location: ft. lauderdale
Posted: Sun Dec 12, 2004 6:26 pm Post subject: Oh-yea!
If you are worried about the possibility of worms in rodents it is widely believed if you keep them frozen for at least 30 day you will kill all possible parasites.
Joined: Nov 06, 2004 Posts: 972269 Location: Central Maine
Posted: Sun Dec 12, 2004 7:43 pm Post subject:
I have in the past used goldfish on occassion, merely as a snack. I know I like a bigmac once in awhile.
Recently I did some preliminary research into goldfish and their specific bacteria and worms and the results of freezing on them.
Goldfish, like any other living animal is full of bacteria, bacteria that is specific to the goldfish. Almost all of these are harmless with no evidence of serious pathalogical bacteria. The bacteria could however take different effects in different types of animals.
Goldfish, like many fish, could be infected with a few different types of worms. Some could be harmful to other animals, not always in a life threatening way, but would most likely still require a vet visit and treatment.
The known worm types would likely be killed if deep frozen to -32 degrees. It's unclear as to the types of bacteria a goldfish carry and if they would be pathogenic when carried over to a tegu. Or if freezing would kill them.
If you were to raise your own goldfish and have them checked for worms and pathogenic bacteria prior to breeding them for feeders, then you were to freeze the feeders, thawing to feed, etc.. You would narrow your risk to nearly nothing.. but with all of the expence to do this, the work involved and the lack of nutritional value, you need to question if it is even worth it.
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