Culturing Blackworms In A Tank -- An Option?

[Wildbetta]

I have really wanted to start adding live blackworms to my feeding regime for some time now but have been putting it off since I do not really have anywhere to keep them.  There is NO WAY my husband would possibly consent to letting me keep them in the fridge and nowhere cool enough elsewhere in the house to keep them. 
 
Recently my LFS has started carrying them which has given me the option to try them with the fish without buying a pound of worms that I wouldn't be able to use fast enough.  I finally gave in and bought some first of the week since I was in there for something to treat my betta macrostoma who was acting all emo lately and decided they might help increase his appetite.  Although at $6 an oz I almost didn't get them.   I got them home and fed the tanks.  I must say that was probably the best $6 I have spent in food.  LOL   Everyone went insane for them...except for the ones I wanted to. 

 
 
Since the macrostoma didn't really eat all the worms I put in the tank at the time, I left them overnight just incase they decided to eat them later on while I wasn't staring them down from outside the tank.  The next morning, I didn't see them on the substrate any longer so I figured they had been eaten.  Then the more I looked, I noticed one sticking up from the sand and then seen some more under a piece of wood.
 
Here is my question:     Does anyone know if they can live in the tank long term and possibly reproduce in there?  My tanks are kept in the low to mid 70Fs year round.  If so, what do they eat?
 
 

 

 

 

 

[RobRocksFishTank]

I know that they used to live in my gravel substrate, but I've been wondering if they will live in sand.

 

[Wildbetta]

Well so far and with all the info I have gained from my FB fish groups -- they can live in the sand and reproduce although slowly.  Which is really cool.  Currently they have all receded below the surface of the sand but I know they are still alive as I occasionally still see one or two in certain locations.

 

[Baccus]

I have put live blackworms in all my tanks at some point, and in almost all of the tanks the fish have nearly eaten entire colonies....BUT I can still find the odd worm surviving in the tanks with sand or gravel tucked away under the well established plants and under strucuture like timber and large rocks. I do also have a thriving colony of blackworms in my cherry shrimp tank, this tank gets to some extreme temperatures during summer and gets no cooling from chillers, fans or aircondtioning and yet the blackworms are busy growing in number.
It is always fun to see no worms in the tank and then drop some food in the tank and see a forest of heads emerge through the gravel in the shrimp tank.
 
So yes I would try dedicating a tank to breed your own live supply of blackworms, only I would see about adding an air driven sponge filter (like the good old original ones you used to get and put in the back corner of the tank), this will give some airmovement/ current in the tank without hopefully sucking the worms into the filter. I would also look at putting a screen over the top of the tank, unless you plan to have a duel purpose live food tank and also grow mosquito wrigglers.
 
P.S. Who photoboomed the picture? The fry or the worm

 

[Baccus]

Just thought I would share my forest of blackworms

 

[NickAu]

Do these worms make good fish/shrimp/snail food? If yes where can I get some?

 

[Baccus]

Fish absolutely ADORE them, thats what in all my other tanks where I also put blackworms the fish have nearly hunted them to extinction, but a few worms do manage to avoid the hungry mouths.
I am not sure if the shrimp actually eat them, but both populations in the shrimp tank (the worms and the shrimp) seem happy and ever expanding.
I got my blackworms as live food from Livefish, but best to only order them in the cooler months because they could die in transit and arrive as a stinking mess during hot weather.

 

[NickAu]

I have dealt with Livefish.com.au on a few occasions they are great IMO.
 
Thank you Baccus.