Blackworm Cultures...

[Ami]

Hi Guys

Just read Jokers pinned topic on culturing live foods - excellent topic Joker!

Sounds like blackworms are a good place to start but I have a couple of questions:

1) Where do I get my starter culture?
2) How on earth do you do water changes - with a sieve?!
3) I know that they're worms and not larvae like bloodworm, but has anyone had a dodgy reaction to them? My hands itch like mad if I get any bloodworm on them, even the water if I spill it on myself! )
4) Do they eat the brown paper...?
5) Can I feed them to my other fish?
6) How big do they get and are they safe to put in a tank with my pygmy cory's for example as they're only 1cm long at the mo? I've heard that bloodworms have been known to attack small fish, although I've never seen this happen, but hence the reason I tend to feed frozen.

Sure I'll think of more later, but work is calling for now!

Thanking you all in advance,
Ami

 

[Ami]

Bumpity, Bump, Bump!

Someone must know answers to at least one of my questions....?

Joker....??

Anyone...???

 

[wuvmybetta]

Ami, I'll move this to TCC as you'll get more response there. I use them to feed the wild bettas and now that you point it out...they DO sort of make my hands itch. I'm a complete hand washing fanatic so that goes away soon enough though. To clean them I just run them under tap water, I don't even dechlorinate it and they live. I also keep them outside. That's the extent of my blackworm knowledge.

OoH,Ooh I do know you don't have to feed them as they live off body fat.

 

[BigC]

I too would dearly love to get my hands on a starter culture of the California Blackworm .. Lumbriculus variegatus(not Tubifex worms) here in the U.K. but alas I cannot find a supplier. They are all USA based and it costs a small fortune to ship to my nearest airport and you have to buy them in vast quantities.
So if anyone knows of a supplier here in the UK then please let me know.
Regards
BigC
http/aquaticfoods.com/blackwormcare.html

 

[Ami]

Thanks for moving the thread wuvmybetta - and for answering 2 of my questions! Maybe should stick with the rubber gloves for handing them.

BigC, if you have any luck finding a supplier (I'm going to have a look tomorrow) could you post it here please so I can get some too?

Thanks,
Ami

 

[BigC]

BigC, if you have any luck finding a supplier (I'm going to have a look tomorrow) could you post it here please so I can get some too?

Of course I'll let you know Ami, but don't hold your breath, they only seem to have tubifex over here.
Blackworms you can culture whereas Tubifex need special requirements and live in the most inhospitable of places.
Let me know if you uncover anything, but make sure they are proper California Blackworm .. Lumbriculus variegatus.
Regards
BigC

 

[Ptarmigan]

.

 

[Ami]

Thanks PtarmiganUK - I've had a look at the site and am pretty sure that they're selling items for research purposes, like in secondary school biology classes. Although I'm not sure what anyone would want with giant slugs?? Yeuch!


Interesting items include dog fleas, frozen rats, horse blood, tapeworms etc God, I need to stop looking before I feel ill, although this seems to hold some weird fascination for me....


Oh they also sell various types of flies, daphinia, bloodworms etc so you can culture them. Could be helpful, if I can just stay away from weird areas.....Bumblebees??? Goodness, you can start your own colony from here!


Ami

 

[Ptarmigan]

.

 

[BigC]

Fantastic site PtarmiganUK,
They have everything I would be looking for, Living Protozoa, Rotifers etc. etc. etc.
I have sent them an email to confirm that they do sell to hobbists.
Many thanks
BigC

 

[Ami]

Fantastic site PtarmiganUK,
They have everything I would be looking for, Living Protozoa, Rotifers etc. etc. etc.
I have sent them an email to confirm that they do sell to hobbists.
Many thanks
BigC

Cool. Fingers crossed!

Ami

 

[Ami]

Edit later
(*) I might have to reconsider what I said above they look quite interesting after all, here is a set of 5 pages that should answer some of your questions http/www.carolina.com/tips/worm/worm.asp

Thanks PtarmiganUK - that is a cool site! I plan on culturing some daphinia in my water butt starting in Spring (once I get one!), but thought that blackworms seemed like an easy to culture all round food supply. Plus you can keep them going for years without any involvment from porridge or mouldy bread!

Ami

 

[BigC]

Hi Ami et all,
I have just recieved a nice detailed email back from the aformentioned blades-bio and good news they do sell to joe public, this is fantastic. I am going to order stuff straight away.
Extreme thanks must go to PtarmiganUK for alerting us to this site.
Regards
BigC

 

[Ptarmigan]

.

 

[Ptarmigan]

.