Saltwater minnows?

[lovesgliders]

This might be a stupid question but the last thing I'd ever want to do is harm my duckies, so I thought I'd ask here to be safe.

My ducks love fish (they've had feeder guppies from the pet store) but they eat $10 worth in about thirty seconds! Living on an island, I have easy access to small saltwater minnows, and would love to give the ducks some, but I don't know if they are safe to feed them.

My husband was thinking we could put the minnows in fresh water for a few minutes to let them "flush" out some of the salt in their bodies?

 

[Speceider]

Putting the minnows in freshwater would probably quickly kill them. Ducks can osmoregulate on salt water. It takes about 2 weeks before suckling's salt glands can develop. Adults take a week or so to acclimate. If you are offering the minnows with fresh water, there would be no problem.

Clint

 

[Denninmi]

I highly doubt it would be a problem for the ducks as long as they have access to all of the fresh water they need.

It would be just like a human eating a lot of salty snacks -- you just drink more and flush it out.

 

[Wifezilla]

I have a pond that I use to raise rosy minnows. I feed those to my ducks. Got a feed tub or anything you aren't currently using? They reproduce like crazy!

 

[lovesgliders]

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No, they actually live quite a while in there, believe it or not. They slow down some but they stay alive.

 

[lovesgliders]

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This is interesting! I've never seen them in the pet store before; where did you get your starter stock? What temps do they like? What do you feed them (or do they just eat the mosquitoes that would doubtless throw a party in a standing tub of water)?

 

[Wifezilla]

I get them as feeder fish at the pet store. I don't feed them anything. They eat mosquito larvae and algae. The pond provides all that. As for temps they aren't picky. If you use a tub or stock tank, you might need an aerator.