# Smelt



## Atlanta Braves Baby! (Mar 12, 2003)

When you feed smelt do you leave the backbone in or take it out? Ive done both ways but didnt know what way was "better".

Could the backbone of the smelt potentially be harmful for my Ps? Or is it actually beneficial?


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## Raptor (Jan 3, 2003)

If anything they are getting calcium from the back bone. It shoulden't be a prob.


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## Judazzz (Jan 13, 2003)

I feed smelt whole - fins, bones, guts, brains and other organs are quite nutritious: in the wild, piranha's don't dissect their meal first either...









I think it was John "Knifeman" who said that _whole_ fish was one of the best and most nutritious things to feed piranha's.


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## Genin (Feb 4, 2003)

I am with the Judazzz-meister on this. I feed mine the whole smelt and they love it. I figure that the whole body of the fish carries different nutrients and vitamins so I want them to enjoy all of it.

Joe


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## etb (Nov 6, 2003)

Where can I buy smelt at the Market Id like to give it a try?


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## Judazzz (Jan 13, 2003)

etb said:


> Where can I buy smelt at the Market Id like to give it a try?


 I buy it at my lfs.
I think some supermarkets and possibly even bait shops sell smelt as well.


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## etb (Nov 6, 2003)

Thank you JUDAZZZ im going to give it a try.


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## Slay (May 2, 2003)

hey judazz, do the whole smelt you use sink in the water?

i bought a bag a whole smelt once and the floated. my rhom will have nothing to do with floaters. so i went back to the gutted/headless ones.


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## Atlanta Braves Baby! (Mar 12, 2003)

I feed whole smelt. You can buy it at some grocerie stores. One in my area (Ranch 99) sells it both fresh and frozen.

You can make the smelt sink by cutting the belly open to release the air inside.


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## fish_sauce (Apr 3, 2004)

> I feed whole smelt. You can buy it at some grocerie stores. One in my area (Ranch 99) sells it both fresh and frozen.


Ranch 99 lol. Thats an asian grocery store and I didn't think they had any outside of California


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## Atlanta Braves Baby! (Mar 12, 2003)

lol i think thats the name of it?!?!? Oh well, you can find them just look around.


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## deeboi (Mar 7, 2003)

Ranch Market .99$ you gotta love them.









ABB - how are your P's with the whole smelt? I used to cut it up for my P's and take out the backbone but it just became too much of a hassle so I stopped doing that so now I'm thinking of buying them those fresh whole smelt from the market.


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## hughie (Sep 7, 2003)

I buy a packet of about 10 smelt, frozen from my local fishing tackle shop. 
I put them in whole and they sink like a brick straight away.


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## Atlanta Braves Baby! (Mar 12, 2003)

My bad. Dbl post


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## Atlanta Braves Baby! (Mar 12, 2003)

deeboi said:


> ABB - how are your P's with the whole smelt? I used to cut it up for my P's and take out the backbone but it just became too much of a hassle so I stopped doing that so now I'm thinking of buying them those fresh whole smelt from the market.


 They demolish the entire fish in no time. Fins, head, tail, bone and all.


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## Judazzz (Jan 13, 2003)

Slay said:


> hey judazz, do the whole smelt you use sink in the water?


 When my reds were small, I bought them small whole smelt (about 2" in size), and they floated - weird detail is that it did sink when I cut it up in smaller pieces (my reds often refused floating smelt as well).

Later, I bought them larger, thicker ones (about 4") - those were heavy enough to sink (in most cases).

I think carving it will make whole smelt sink easier...


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## Caseman (Jan 7, 2004)

I use the gutted and deheaded smelt and just toss it in


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## ineedchanna (May 27, 2003)

etb said:


> Where can I buy smelt at the Market Id like to give it a try?


 You'll always find smelts at a asian market.


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## widepud (Apr 28, 2004)

i getthe headed,gutless one cause theyre cheep as hell,and just throw them in whole to mine.


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## micus (Jan 7, 2004)

i dont know if i have smelt at any of my local markets,

can u feed hering instead , or is this not as good for them??

lol the caribes i got wont touch pellets and im looking for a dirt cheap meat solution, cause right now im stealing my moms halibut to feed to them , and if i go at the pace their eating now its gonna cost me ( my mom lol) 30 bucks a week in halibut, so i gotta find something cheaper,


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## mechanic_joe (Dec 4, 2003)

> i dont know if i have smelt at any of my local markets,
> 
> can u feed hering instead , or is this not as good for them??


 I think herring would be fine too (make sure it is raw and frozen, with no flavouring or marinate), but smelt is way cheaper !!! I get it at the 'superstore' , as I've never seen it in safeway or IGA... Just head to any fish market or open grocery market and they should have it.

The only pain is that I can't find smelt under 6 inches, so I have to chop mine up into pieces (which is probably better for the tank water anyways) but I make sure NOT to thaw the fish until its cut into pieces, otherwise it flakes away into nothing. All my Ps, especially my rhoms and elong, just love the stuff and always hit it before it sinks to the bottom.


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## no_mercy (Jan 29, 2004)

My boiz love smelt


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## rocker (Aug 12, 2005)

eh, i just throw the smelt in with backbone and all and they eat it all...well sometimes not the head leaving me to fish it out
View attachment 94865

but i just throw it in my baby p's tank. He loves the head


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## tnpeter (Dec 17, 2005)

i just any smelt i see first, now i have no head, and no guts but i leave the back bone , sometimes they eat it , others dont, feeding them the whole thing is fine , thats wat they eat in the wild, ...and when u feed them feeders, to take off the head too and the guts???/...lol


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