Bloodworms for CBB

[Earl Karl]

So my CBB eats thankfully, as long it has selcon. However, he has been leaning heavily towards Omega One bloodworms to the point he barely eats anything else. He used to eat Rod's sparingly, but now he prefers bloodworms. How nutritional are bloodworms with selcon? Is it good enough that I wouldn't have to worry about nutrition? Or is it crucial for me to wean him towards something else?

 

[Reefing Madness]

 

[Tautog]

Worms are an incredible form of protein. You could live on them and survive

 

[Instigate]

Mine loves Reef Frenzy, selcon soaked mysis, and spirulina enriched brine shrimp. CBBs are known to love clam on a half shell. Could try those if you haven't already. I've always heard that bloodworms are highly nutritious but that was in the context of live bloodworms, don't know about the frozen ones but I would assume they would be almost as good as live. I do always hear people say that variety is key however.

You could also try to replicate a more natural eating situation:


You can make one of these with needlepoint. Put the food in between the two layers and it gives him something to pick at.

 

[Earl Karl]

I have the two little fish feeding pouch. Doesn't touch it. I put selcon soaked bloodworms with the rods, only ate the bloodworms tho. I don't really mind however. CBB don't really eat plankton or crustacean in the wild, mainly worms and anemones. I'm not going to try feed my CBB rods, but if he does eat it, I guess that's a bonus.

 

[tiggs]

I had a similar situation with a CBB back in the day. He loved bloodworms, but wouldn't touch anything else. I was finally able to get him to eat other foods by slowly mixing in larger portions of other foods and slowly reducing the amount of BWs. I believe I may have used garlic as an appetite stimulator back then as well.

 

[Earl Karl]

Update: Just got him to eat Rod's pacific plankton today. Didn't have to use any of the grazer feeders. Just good ol' selcon, garlicguard, and Seachem vitality.

 

[Earl Karl]

So today I tried giving him live mussels, he had no interest at all. I thought they liked clams and mussels?

 

[jpcrash1]

How I got mine to eat frozen was giving him live brine and mixing frozen in with it. Try live food then mix in frozen.

 

[jpcrash1]

It takes awhile. It took a couple weeks for mine to get comfortable and eat.

 

[cracker]

They do like clams & oyster. I "think it's the way it's presented. These fish are designed to stick those long nose into crevice's etc in rock. Try packing some thing other than blood worm crammed into a crack or crevice etc. May not take to it right away. Try a little at 1st. They may ignore but keep trying the same & others. I suppose blood worm is ok for now but for the long term , I believe these fish need a wide variety of foods from the sea to supply all the different fatty/amino whatevers that a single food source can't provide.

 

[Earl Karl]

My CBB eats everything from the water column now, especially bloodworms. What I was saying was that he showed no interest in clams and mussels (in the shell), which I was very surprised. I meant to buy it as a treat, but I wasted money .

At least he eats tho.

 

[Stephen Olner]

I stumbled upon this by mistake, i was looking for black worms but couldn't get any locally so thought i'd try blood worms, worked a treat, my CBB actively goes after them when added to his tank

 

[Krippledrinks]

So my CBB eats thankfully, as long it has selcon. However, he has been leaning heavily towards Omega One bloodworms to the point he barely eats anything else. He used to eat Rod's sparingly, but now he prefers bloodworms. How nutritional are bloodworms with selcon? Is it good enough that I wouldn't have to worry about nutrition? Or is it crucial for me to wean him towards something else?

A balanced diet is preferable...consistent diet of bloodworms is like us just eating sauce and pasta.....feed their original diet....they may take a while...may have to clean the tank more....but when they know there is nothing else to eat.......they will feed.....if not....than it is too stressed and will die.....maybe tankmates are the issue....but new place....new rules...change up the tank

 

[Earl Karl]

Bloodworms are meant for enticing the fish to eat, not meant to be their main diet. I didn't know any better back then, but now he's still kicking and grew double the size, eating mysis, brine, flakes, worms and LRS.

 

[Krippledrinks]

Excellent!