Blackworms for Haps and Peacocks?

[bassgenie]

Does anyone think this is a bad idea? I have live blackworms on hand for my plecos and I was wondering if anyone thought it might be a bad weekly treat for my Haps and Peacocks. I never use them directly from the pet store. I usually flush out the blackworms and feed them myself for 10-14 days before I consider using them for food. Its a little overkill, but an ounce of prevention...I believe they are very clean at that point. I used to feed my S. Americans worms twice a week.

Ive been considering just breeding them in my fridge, that way I can completely control the food stream and the cleanliness of the worms. Im just wondering if its a safe treat for the Haps and Peacock tanks.

[verbal]

Does anyone think this is a bad idea? I have live blackworms on hand for my plecos and I was wondering if anyone thought it might be a bad weekly treat for my Haps and Peacocks. I never use them directly from the pet store. I usually flush out the blackworms and feed them myself for 10-14 days before I consider using them for food. Its a little overkill, but an ounce of prevention...I believe they are very clean at that point. I used to feed my S. Americans worms twice a week.

Ive been considering just breeding them in my fridge, that way I can completely control the food stream and the cleanliness of the worms. Im just wondering if its a safe treat for the Haps and Peacock tanks.

What do you feed them?

[bassgenie]

mostly crushed up veggie sticks from Kens or HBH veggie wafer crumbs from the bottom of the bag. I try to give them mostly veggie and spurilina based sources. I feed them very little. Just enough to sustain them and keep their digestive systems "purging". I double rinse them once a day, and there's never any food left.

[joe_jaskot]

I've been feeding live blackworms to most of my fish for years with no problems. Once or twice a week feedings put the fish in breeding condition. I feed my blackworms crushed flake food. If you want them to breed you have to keep them in an aquarium with air, not in the refrigerator, too cold.

[bassgenie]

I've been feeding live blackworms to most of my fish for years with no problems. Once or twice a week feedings put the fish in breeding condition. I feed my blackworms crushed flake food. If you want them to breed you have to keep them in an aquarium with air, not in the refrigerator, too cold.

Thanks, I have a 5 gallon I can use. I just read up on it and it seems like a really cheap way to subsidize their diet with a really high quality protein. And it seems everything I need I already have. Its saying a good clean worm culture can last for years.

I may not use a tank, this looks promising: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7S5TSbc23bs

[DiscusnAfricans]

Just make sure you feed sparingly, land-based proteins can cause bloat in Africans much easier than brine shrimp, or an aquatic-based proteins would. I would say krill or mysis would be just as effective an alternative.

[bassgenie]

I think blackworms are an "Aquatic" variety of worm. At least thats what I always thought.

[bassgenie]

http://www.allaboutworms.com/california-blackworm-farms-how-to

[Narwhal72]

That link is for culturing worms in a laboratory or experimental setting and is not a good process for culturing for food.

If the population doubled every 34 weeks you would never be able to feed them to your fish. The rate of reproduction is too slow.

Blackworms that are cultured commercially are a byproduct of trout and salmon hatcheries. Trout and salmon need cool, highly oxygenated water which is also ideal for blackworms. The trout chow leftovers and feces from the fish are also ideal food sources.

While I am sure it is possible to culture blackworms at home I am not sure it is possible to culture enough of them to sustain a regular feeding regimen.

Andy

[bassgenie]

That link is for culturing worms in a laboratory or experimental setting and is not a good process for culturing for food.

If the population doubled every 34 weeks you would never be able to feed them to your fish. The rate of reproduction is too slow.

Blackworms that are cultured commercially are a byproduct of trout and salmon hatcheries. Trout and salmon need cool, highly oxygenated water which is also ideal for blackworms. The trout chow leftovers and feces from the fish are also ideal food sources.

While I am sure it is possible to culture blackworms at home I am not sure it is possible to culture enough of them to sustain a regular feeding regimen.

Andy

I'm just looking to subsidize their diets. The model in the you tube video is not for the food trade it wouldn't make enough. But it really does seem like a lot of work to save 4 bucks a month

[dogofwar]

I have had good success feeding live worms to predatory haps (Nimbochromis, etc.) and Victorian Haps but I don't feed them or feed them very sparingly to peacocks and other Haps.

I culture red wiggler worms, which are like a smaller version of earthworms. I haven't paid for live or frozen food since I started using them. And it ended my wife's bit..er..complaining about frozen food / worms in the fridge.

They're super easy to culture (in my garage in a rubbermaid with some ventilation...toss in fruit and veggie scraps...periodically mix it around) and I haven't found a fish that won't eat them.

Matt

[bassgenie]

Yeah my Ex used to get pretty upset about the frozen mice for my snakes. Especially when I would chase her with them... yeah still mentally 14...once she saw a rat in there, that chapter pretty much ended soon after

[verbal]

I'm just looking to subsidize their diets. The model in the you tube video is not for the food trade it wouldn't make enough. But it really does seem like a lot of work to save 4 bucks a month

An interesting thing about the youtube video is the guy basically has a dafnia culture in the base of blackworm keeper. His idea was not really to culture as much as keep them without require refrigeration.