Live Black Worm Feeding

[FISH-FRY]

I fed some black worms two days ago to the inhabitants in my aquarium and not sure if I want to keep doing it. I grabbed a toothpick and picked up a couple at a time and dumped them in the tank. The first ones got caught in the current and quickly dropped to the substrate where they started digging in. I dropped the next lot closer to the Tetras but they just looked at them and ignored them. Once they landed, the Corydoras swam by them ignoring them as well. One of my shrimp walked on by and saw a couple, stopped, and sidestepped them and continued on it's business. The Algae Eater was nowhere to be found.

I next grabbed them one at a time where a Tetra grabbed it and half of it ended up on the substrate. I fed another solo worm and then the fight began. I was putting them in one at a time until they were devoured. The female looking Tetras (the larger with rounded guts - I'm assuming) were hogging most of them up and never saw any other creatures eat them. I've never seen the Pandas eating flakes or Brine Shrimp as they're always sucking about the tank but never eating until I dropped in a Nutrafin Max tablet where they hung around it until they were satisfied. Even the SAE came by for the leftovers.

I take it the live worms aren't for everyone? Should I be concerned with the ones that got away? I've read where they can dig in, breed and then it's hard to get rid of them. The good thing is that they could be eating remains of what's stuck in the substrate, help fertilize the plants and of course a meal to the passerby if they stick themselves out.

Is there anyone with bad experiences with these worms that they would like to share?

 

[Jenste]

i wouldn't worry too much - they will get snatched up by the passing cory and tetra....and now that your tetras know what they are they will probably be gobbled in no time

 

[FISH-FRY]

i wouldn't worry too much - they will get snatched up by the passing cory and tetra....and now that your tetras know what they are they will probably be gobbled in no time

I haven't fed them in 2 days so tomorrow I'll treat them to some more worms and they should really gobble them up now.

 

[Inchworm]

Hi FISH-FRY

Your C. pandas should love them. Blackworms are one of the very best foods to condition them for general health and breeding. A few of them in the substrate won't hurt and if you stir it a little they will float out to where the fish can get them.

Did you clean them before adding them to your tank and rinse them again every day?

 

[Mikaila31]

There are majorly differing opinions when it comes to black worms (AKA tubifex). Personally these are the one food I won't feed to my fish, especially live. Depending on were the worms come from, if you buy them or raise them. They have been know to make fish sick because they can carry bacteria. Black worms from a know good source or ones you raise are great for fish, however the risk can still be there.

 

[Tolak]

Blackworms are Lumbriculus variegates, tubifex worms are Tubifex tubifex. They are two unrelated species, blackworms are more closely related to earthworms than they are to tubifex worms. Tubifex will live in the most polluted of waters, this water would kill blackworms.

I sell pounds of blackworms locally to breeders, many breeders swear by them. Keep them refrigerated, in a container with the worms no more than 1/4" deep, and covered by no more than 1/4" of water. Rinse daily, a shoe box size container will hold almost a pound. I've kept them for over 6 weeks using this method. They would have lasted longer if I didn't keep feeding them to my fish.

If they get into your substrate there is no harm done. If fish happen across them they are bound to get eaten. If you are lucky enough for them to multiply the offspring will get eaten, feeding a few at a time multiplying is doubtful.

If there were any specific problems with tanks with substrate or any specific species I would have gotten word of it long ago.

 

[Inchworm]

Hi FISH-FRY

You might also find a worm feeder useful. It will keep them near the top for a longer period of time and your tetras will get used to eating from it.

http/www.aquariumguys.com/lees-worm-feeder.html

I sell pounds of blackworms locally to breeders, many breeders swear by them.

I buy a pound of them every month myself. Here's a picture of them for FISH_FRY. If they look like this they are blackworms. If they are short and kinky looking, they might be tubifex.

 

[FISH-FRY]

I did some reading and some people get Black Worms mixed up with Tubifex and therefore the bad rep. I have the former. I've kept them in the fridge where I take some tap water, rinse them, pour out the water and get rid of anything that doesn't move or that may have turned white. So far no deaths. I then add some water and put them back in the fridge. I also sniff them to make sure nothing smells rotten. I was told that they could last about 3 weeks as long as you change the water.

I've read bad things about some live foods and one of the reasons I stuck with frozen Brine Shrimp. I don't think I want to go down the road of breeding them since I did that way back when I had Sea Monkeys that I ordered from the back of a comic.

Wow that's a LOT of worms! I guess you need them for all those tanks you have Inchworm. I'm already thinking about multiple tanks and haven't even finished this one. I saw one of those feeds and feeding by toothpick at the moment until I decide if I want to continue feeding them worms.

This is something I noticed after feeding worms. I'm not saying it's because of them but noticed aftwards.

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/323968-neon-tetra-fat/