anybody feed blackworms?
- Thread starter TrishW
- Start date
- Tagged users None
pickupman66
5000 Club Member
PaulB I believe is one on this forum who feeds them alot. I looked into it but never took the step as there is really one 1 source who is selling them online. from what I could tell, to get any decent cost out of them, I would need to build something to house them until I fed. Fortunately, my butterfly now eats frozen mysis.
OP
OP
TrishW
Well-Known Member
Brassaxe over on TRT.com is housing them in a tote and he seems to be having luck. He is sure they are growing but is not sure yet as to whether or not they are reproducing. He is a little of a gadget geek so he comes up with some good ideas, some of which are based on PaulB's designs. Paulb said that his blackworms reproduce but not fast enough so he also feeds white worms.
Tomoko Schum
Valuable Member
The Aquarium Shop usually has a good supply of clean blackworms. Grindal worms are a lot easier to culture than white worms. I have kept a culture of blackworms, too. They are easy to maintain, but they don't reproduce fast like Grindal worms. The only down side of a Grindal worm culture is that they can get infested with fungus gnats periodically.
Blackworms are great for conditioning fish for breeding, but they may be a bit too fattening for regular feeding.
Blackworms are great for conditioning fish for breeding, but they may be a bit too fattening for regular feeding.
pickupman66
5000 Club Member
Really.. that's good to know they have black worms. I'll have to look up grindal
Tomoko Schum
Valuable Member
I have Grindals, but I have to clean them up because of fungus gnat infestation. I may be able to share some in a few weeks. If you are in a hurry, you should be able to get them off eBay or killifish breeders. I found coco fibers works better than peat or potting soil for bedding. Cat food works best as the feed since it contains seafood and keeps mites at bay.
But, why do you want to culture worms? Frozen seafood works just as well and they are far more convenient than growing a worm culture. Unless you are breeding fussy fish, it's not really worth the effort IMHO...
But, why do you want to culture worms? Frozen seafood works just as well and they are far more convenient than growing a worm culture. Unless you are breeding fussy fish, it's not really worth the effort IMHO...
OP
OP
TrishW
Well-Known Member
Ok, you talked me out of it. You lost me at gnat infestation, lol. Richard will be happy since that's just less money to spend 
I will just keep feeding the frozen since it is definitely easier and way less gross IMO.
I will just keep feeding the frozen since it is definitely easier and way less gross IMO.
Paul B
10K Club member
Excellence Award
Reef Tank 365
Reef Of The Month
Article Contributor
Rock Pool Reef Keepers
I use them every day and have been for many years. That is the reason that virtually all of my fish (except a copperband butterfly) are spawning and I never had to post on a disease thread. I have been using blackworms for almost fifty years and if it were not for live blackworms, I would leave this hobby as I feel that is the single most important thing to keep fish healthy. I don't have time for diseases and quarantining. Some of my spawning fish are 20 years old. I have spawning mandarins, 3 pairs of gobies, a pair of fireclowns and 2 pairs of cardinals spawning. This would not happen without worms.
Mike in CT
Valuable Member
I started feeding black worms last month after reading Paul's posts on them. My little yellow tail damsel who won't go beyond a few inches from his rock for any other food will risk like and fin for these worms! Lol My sons freshwater tank is like sharks feeding frenzy when I throw some in there.
Tomoko Schum
Valuable Member
You can get black worms very easily, as I mentioned earlier. They are not hard to keep them around. Some people keep them in a container with very little water in a fridge. I have also kept them in dechlorinated fresh water and brown paper towel. I found it easiest to keep them in an open top shallow container with air bubbling from airline tubing and a small air pump, with dead leaves (boiled to kill nasties) for food and hiding place.
Greenstreet.1
5000 Club Member
I also been doing some research on the black worms as I have been thinking about using then in my reef I found this company that sell live and shipping is not bad will like to know what you experts think
Mike in CT
Valuable Member
I pay about 2 bucks a portion at a couple different lfs's around me. Seem to last about 4 or 5 days in fridge...longer if I change the water out.
I make sure to ask how active the worms are before I buy them, sometimes if they have been hanging around the store for a while they are kinda
on their last leg and wont last as long.
I make sure to ask how active the worms are before I buy them, sometimes if they have been hanging around the store for a while they are kinda
on their last leg and wont last as long.
Tomoko Schum
Valuable Member
I would keep feeding various food to fish. Varied diet should be better for everybody.
I've cultured and fed a variety of aquatic and non-aquatic organisms to breed various fish. While I have not encountered a problem myself, experts/scientists reported an issue of freshwater daphnia potentially harming marine fish fry with indigestible proteins because of enzyme that they don't possess. A well-known seahorse breeder also reported about the fatty liver disease that showed up among those fed with freshwater mysis. I try to keep marine mysis shrimp along with other pods in my refusium. If I have a good access to saltwater Moina, I'd add them, too.
I've cultured and fed a variety of aquatic and non-aquatic organisms to breed various fish. While I have not encountered a problem myself, experts/scientists reported an issue of freshwater daphnia potentially harming marine fish fry with indigestible proteins because of enzyme that they don't possess. A well-known seahorse breeder also reported about the fatty liver disease that showed up among those fed with freshwater mysis. I try to keep marine mysis shrimp along with other pods in my refusium. If I have a good access to saltwater Moina, I'd add them, too.
Last edited:
Paul B
10K Club member
Excellence Award
Reef Tank 365
Reef Of The Month
Article Contributor
Rock Pool Reef Keepers
I kind of disagree with this. Fish don't need a variety of foods, they need what they are built to eat. Most carnivores eat fish and nothing but fish. Mandarins were made to eat pods or any tiny, live animal. Copperband and long nose butterflies will live nicely by just eating worms. I feed live worms to all my fish and as I said all my fish are spawning. This was taken today. This is a clown gobi fry that is still attached to a piece of coral. They spawn almost every week. Only live foods will allow that to happen.
Last edited:
Greenstreet.1
5000 Club Member
Hey Paul do you know of anywhere on the Island that sells live black worms I'm in Baldwin.
Paul B
10K Club member
Excellence Award
Reef Tank 365
Reef Of The Month
Article Contributor
Rock Pool Reef Keepers
They sell them in Pet Barn on Franklin Ave in Franklin Square about a half mile south of Hempstead Tpke. He is a friend of mine and I am there a few times a week. That is the only place I know that is close to you.
Greenstreet.1
5000 Club Member
Ok thank you may try and pass to day or weekend
