Getting food and tank supplies from the backyard

[dani]

ive noticed that there is a lot of mention of using worms and moss and rocks, etc, from our local areas. is there any special treatment you have to use before introducing them to the tank?

the reason i ask is this was a huge no-no with fish due to bacteria, etc that could infect the fish. ive never put anything into my tanks before that hasnt been sterilized somehow. but it seems that this care isnt mentioned in regards to newts?

also, how important is it to have smooth rocks? or can they be rough?

 

[josh]

i have always used stuff ive collected from outside and ive never had problems. i have used logs, rocks, leaves, moss, etc. for fish, amphibians, reptiles, tarantulas, scorps. i have never had problems. this doesnt mean it will never happen however. i guess you just have to take your chances. you could sterilize the stuff, but then alot of times you lose quality in the item. good luck man

 

[carl]

i use rocks from outside and feed garden worms to my axo and he seems perfect

 

[edward]

With respect to the fish, the concern is usually with respect to Aeromonas and Pseudomonas. These can be pathnogenic with fish as well as herps. However, the point to remember with these bacteria is that you cannot keep them out of the aquarium, the conditions we setup in aquaria are perfect for the growth of these bacteria.
So, not using these items from your backyard due to bacteria is due to some dogma that gets passed around. However there is some truth to the idea that you may introduce pesticides and herbicides into the tank with disasterous results or that if you collect plants from some areas you can introduce predators that can eat the animals.
The only one that may be of concern is the introduction of chytrid to enclosures as this emerging fungal disease can cause high mortality in many amphibians.

Ed