Live BlackWorms: Best Fish and LPS Food Ever?

[SDguy]

Funny you should ask... I just got a 1lb order today, and here it is. I keep them in a 12" x 9" dish, and rinse them every day.

 

[hobbzz]

Funny you should ask... I just got a 1lb order today, and here it is. I keep them in a 12" x 9" dish, and rinse them every day.

Thanks Peter. I've read that they should be kept at less than 1/2" thick due to breathing. Do you find that's necessary?

Also how many fish are you feeding them to and how often/much, if you don't mind me asking.

 

[SDguy]

how often you feed doesn't matter.... if you continue to wash them they will be fine. I have a 240g full of butterflies and angles.

 

[hobbzz]

Thanks. I'm going to be culturing them, but a few people in on our order are just keeping them in the fridge and I'd like to give them an idea of how much they should order based on their tanks.

 

[las]

Peter- u feed these everyday? Do u find they help to put weight on your fish?

 

[hobbzz]

Just received an order from eastern aquatics yesterday. Rinsed them in ro, then again in brita filtered tap water. Put them in the fridge and I've got about 50% die off. Any ideas?

 

[sreefs]

I would guess they got warm in shipping. Keep rinsing maybe twice daily at least, to keep the dead ones out.

 

[SDguy]

Peter- u feed these everyday? Do u find they help to put weight on your fish?

No not all the time. Every day when I have them but I don't always have them. Purely my opinion but my fish just look and act "healthier" when I do feed them. Dont ask me to quantify that statement

 

[SDguy]

I would guess they got warm in shipping. Keep rinsing maybe twice daily at least, to keep the dead ones out.

Or they sent them dirty to begin with. I agree rinse as often as possible. Sometimes the whole batch is not saveable though...

 

[bogg]

Good for anthias peter?

 

[SDguy]

Eh I wouldn't bother for anthias TBH.

 

[hobbzz]

Thanks guys. Forgot to mention my fridge is about 35-36. Not sure if that's too cold. I'll keep rinsing as much as possible.

 

[SDguy]

As long as they don't freeze you are fine.

 

[hobbzz]

The die off seems to be stopped for the most part. I still get a few little white slimy globs when I'm rinsing, which I'm assuming is dead worms that were curled up together. I'm going to move them to room temp and start culturing soon since they seem stable now. Thanks guys

 

[sreefs]

If you keep at room temp. keep them cool as possible and keep the water moving with a few air stones. They do better with a high oxygen content in the water!

 

[seahorse_saps]

Thanks Guys for posting such information and motivating us for live food (esp Paul and SDGuy).. Im finally going to order 1 lb of California black worms for this thanks giving and give it a try for my reef tank. I just have a question (experts may think dumb). Can i feed these worms to my corals ? i know i cant do for SPS or softies.. but i can give it a try for BTA, hammer head, Favia etc.... Pls let me know if that works..

Also im planning to get into white worms, Daphnia and phytoplankton..

Im just wondering if there is any saltwater feeder worms available to culture.. So by that way i don need to worry if they die in the water.. Excess ones can live hiding in the rock work and fishes can munch them whenever needed. im just curious..

 

[Paul B]

Some corals will eat worms, I shoot them into my hammer corals and bubble corals will also eat them

 

[seahorse_saps]

Oh great.. That helps.. Thanks..

 

[avandss]

you guys are very lucky, absolutely no one sells black worms in canada!

ONLY source is aquatic foods and it costs 75$ plus duty for 1lb

i will order it and need to setup a very efficient farm to be able to constantly grow them

how big of a tank/farm would i need if i want to feed my aquarium daily? ( equivalent to 2 cubes )

 

[Deinonych]

I tried giving my fish some blackworms awhile back. Only my male clownfish ate them with any interest. My foxface nibbled on one, and the rest just ignored them.