Do feeder fish need filters

Question

i wanted to get feeder fish for my chinese water dragon but i didnt know whether i needed a filter for them so i didnt want to buy them and just have them die or

Answer 1

feeder fish should be quarantine so your water dragon will not be infected.  filter needed if you stock the feeder.

Answer 2

guppies

or goldfish

what sort of feeders

Answer 3

Usually you will still need some kind of filter, especially if you plan on having feeder fish in there for any extended time. About the only exception MIGHT be if you put them and only keep them for a couple of days before using them and even with something like that you would still need to aerate and change out water frequently (can use an ammonia test before adding fish each time) to make sure it is at zero.

You can get a cheap power filter that will work fine for under $25.00 as it is always best to use healthy fish as feeders.  I would even consider buying frozen fish from a pet store and thawing and using it often so that you are less likely to be feeding it a sick fish as long as the water dragon will take it.

Answer 4

YES! They are a type of goldfish, and are very nessy. I understand you will not be caring for them into adult hood, so a huge tank is not nessicary. I say get a 20 long and don't have more that 10 in there at a time. Also, a very powerfull filter made for a 50 gallon tank will due. If you need to keep more than 10 at a time, get a BIG tank. That is the only way to keep them healthy so they won't spread disease to your water dragon.

Answer 5

A filter is mainly used to filter waste out of water and keep the water clean.  Whether or not you need one for the feeder fish depends on how long you plan on housing them.  I, myself, culture and breed my live food, so they have a permanent housing plan that includes a filter.  If you'll only have your feeder fish for a few days as you parcel them out to your chinese water dragon, then it's possible that you'll have only minimum losses over those few days without a filter.  But it really depends on the fish species.  For feeder guppies, I'd say don't bother to filter them.  It's cheaper to buy more to replace the dead ones than it is to set up a permanent tank to house them.  The same goes for minnows.  Just stick them in a ten gallon bucket during transport and then dump them in your main tank so the dragon can snack on them.  If you have them for more than a day outside of your main aquarium, I'd say it would be worth your time to filter.