To scud or not to scud? That is the question

[KittenFishMom]

I went scudding tonight for a few minutes and caught a lot of scuds. It had rained off and on all day. The the creek had a lot of fast water in it. I set up my net a bit down stream, and stirred the gravel up stream with a stick. I used scuds in my tanks last years as part of the clean-up crew and for snacks for any fish that could eat them.

Should I use scuds in my tanks again this year with my current stocking of fish?

This year I am stocking a 55 gallon tank with 10 peppered corys (2 adult, 8 young), 8 adult neon tetras, 6 young black kuhli loaches and 6 young flagfish and a bunch of snails and plants.

I am also thinking or setting up 1 or 2  male betta tank, or I might rehoming them and just grow plants in the tanks to keep my options open. I know I will be away from the cottage more than I originally planned because my son is moving out of our house into an apartment downtown. I want to be understocked and have tanks that are easy to care for at the cottage, because we will be home more. I bought an automatic feeder, but it refuses to feed more than one tank. 8-) (My biggest worry is power failures. I have ACO air pumps that will keep the air stones and sponge filters going, but I might not be here to put on heat packs and cover the tanks with blankets in the middle of a blizzard.)

I'm wondering if these scuds will be too big and fast breeding for the fish to keep them in check/balance. I've seen videos where scuds ate much more than their share of plants, and I am trying to get the plants to grow and fill in the open spots.  I also know scuds are good at cleaning the tank and entertaining the fish.  The corys were laying a few eggs last night. It would be fun to see some cory fry. I don't know if this size/type of scud would eat the eggs or fry. I know this type will eat anything. Last year I saw them sneak out and steal frozen blood worms when I was feeding the fish.

I set up a scud colony about a month ago, like Torrey's, in a drink dispenser. It is working pretty well, but there are planaria and leeches in it, so the scuds don't seem to be multiplying. If I am going to keep a scud colony, I will need to clean it out well and start it over again with scuds I have sorted and rinsed several times.  

What do you think will work best for my tanks? scuds or no scuds.

Thanks in advance!!!!

Here is a photo of a small sample of the scuds in a soup bowl: (the US dime is for scale)

 

[The endler guy]

On 12/7/2022 at 5:39 PM, KittenFishMom said:

I went scudding tonight for a few minutes and caught a lot of scuds. It had rained off and on all day. The the creek had a lot of fast water in it. I set up my net a bit down stream, and stirred the gravel up stream with a stick. I used scuds in my tanks last years as part of the clean-up crew and for snacks for any fish that could eat them.

Should I use scuds in my tanks again this year with my current stocking of fish?

This year I am stocking a 55 gallon tank with 10 peppered corys (2 adult, 8 young), 8 adult neon tetras, 6 young black kuhli loaches and 6 young flagfish and a bunch of snails and plants.

I am also thinking or setting up 1 or 2  male betta tank, or I might rehoming them and just grow plants in the tanks to keep my options open. I know I will be away from the cottage more than I originally planned because my son is moving out of our house into an apartment downtown. I want to be understocked and have tanks that are easy to care for at the cottage, because we will be home more. I bought an automatic feeder, but it refuses to feed more than one tank. 8-) (My biggest worry is power failures. I have ACO air pumps that will keep the air stones and sponge filters going, but I might not be here to put on heat packs and cover the tanks with blankets in the middle of a blizzard.)

I'm wondering if these scuds will be too big and fast breeding for the fish to keep them in check/balance. I've seen videos where scuds ate much more than their share of plants, and I am trying to get the plants to grow and fill in the open spots.  I also know scuds are good at cleaning the tank and entertaining the fish.  The corys were laying a few eggs last night. It would be fun to see some cory fry. I don't know if this size/type of scud would eat the eggs or fry. I know this type will eat anything. Last year I saw them sneak out and steal frozen blood worms when I was feeding the fish.

I set up a scud colony about a month ago, like Torrey's, in a drink dispenser. It is working pretty well, but there are planaria and leeches in it, so the scuds don't seem to be multiplying. If I am going to keep a scud colony, I will need to clean it out well and start it over again with scuds I have sorted and rinsed several times.  

What do you think will work best for my tanks? scuds or no scuds.

Thanks in advance!!!!

Here is a photo of a small sample of the scuds in a soup bowl: (the US dime is for scale)

 

I have bladder(?) snails in my creek no scuds

[KittenFishMom]

@Aiden CarterI'm in the finger lakes area of Central NY. We have all sorts of stuff in the creek, scuds, worms, insect larva, frogs toads water snakes, crayfish bladder snails ramshorn snails. I do a lot of "civil engineering" on the creek to keep the bed of the stream low and clear to protect the little one lane bridge from getting snagged be branches and flooded. I see all kinds of things wiggling in the water and on shore.  I see a lot more than I can name. I also find lots of fossils too. it is a fun cool place on a hot sunny day. The longer you look, the more you see.

I'm the sort of person that can spots 4 leaf clovers at a brisk walk. Best time to find them is in the spring.

[The endler guy]

On 12/7/2022 at 5:55 PM, KittenFishMom said:

@Aiden CarterI'm in the finger lakes area of Central NY. We have all sorts of stuff in the creek, scuds, worms, insect larva, frogs toads water snakes, crayfish bladder snails ramshorn snails. I do a lot of "civil engineering" on the creek to keep the bed of the stream low and clear to protect the little one lane bridge from getting snagged be branches and flooded. I see all kinds of things wiggling in the water and on shore.  I see a lot more than I can name. I also find lots of fossils too. it is a fun cool place on a hot sunny day. The longer you look, the more you see.

I'm the sort of person that can spots 4 leaf clovers at a brisk walk. Best time to find them is in the spring.

I love looking at my local streams and creaks I would sit completely still in a ball in the middle of fall, starring at baby salamanders and water bugs, unbeknownst to my parents who thought something was wrong 

[KittenFishMom]

I have 3 baby salamanders in my scud colony. They are about an inch long. I can clearly see their eyes, and sort of see their toes and gills.

I was sitting on the ground picking up wood chips and bark chip one spring day to make way for a flower bed at our new house where a wood pile had been. The neighbor asked his wife if she thought there was something wrong with me because I had not move in a while.

[The endler guy]

On 12/7/2022 at 6:29 PM, KittenFishMom said:

I have 3 baby salamanders in my scud colony. They are about an inch long. I can clearly see their eyes, and sort of see their toes and gills.

I was sitting on the ground picking up wood chips and bark chip one spring day to make way for a flower bed at our new house where a wood pile had been. The neighbor asked his wife if she thought there was something wrong with me because I had not move in a while.

Lol

here is an image of a northern two lined salamander I found in a local creek!

[Guppysnail]

If you are just getting plants going I would wait until they are thriving. 
The scuds you collected are a larger variety than the ones I bought. This might make me hesitant if I was trying to breed the Cory since the Cory fry occupy the same nooks and crannies in substrate for food as the scuds.