Best food IMO (of course) - Page 2

Znut Reefer · 04/28/2007, 11:20 AM

Hi Paul,

Thanks! One more question. How often do you feed them? I have some that I have had for a couple of months. I keep them in the refrigerator outside .

I have not fed them. And they are doing well. But I will start feeding them. I have been rinsing them every other day with aged deep well water. And I don't seem to lose many of them.

I have a few in a small 2 gal aquarium that I have fed Spirulina pellets and they are skinny. I keep an air stone with a air pump on them to keep their oxygen level up with no loses. I change their water every other week. Using the aged water also. So I 'll give the micro food a try on them.

I have a Copperband butterfly that will not eat anything besides these blackworms. I have had the Copperband for over 4 mos. The blackworms keep him nice and fat and healthy.

So I think Paul does have something here about fish being healthy and stay alive eating these worms. My Copperband would have died if I had not gotten these worms for him. I have tried several times to get him off the blackworms using Brineshrimp (frozen) no live ones avail. Bloodworms, PE Mysis
shrimp, Sally's Mysis. And he will not eat anything but these worms.

And the worms do seem to have a small amount of oil on their water surface I see it everytime before I rinse them.

piercho · 04/28/2007, 11:32 AM

OK, great link to the CA company Paul; that gave me a picture, a scientific name, and a source to get them from. I kept getting "blacworms" confused with cultured nematodes as described in the FAF Plankton Culture Manual.

Quote:

You can keep them in the refrigerator but my wife exercizes a lot and now that I had knee surgery she can kick my a_ _.

OK, so that one got me laughing. Funny how men mellow out and women get fiestier once we pass midlife. When my wife and I moved into this house a year and a half ago, it came with an old fridge in the basement - what has become the "beer" fridge. Mine doesn't mind jars of stinky goo in the beer fridge.

Once you are retired, are you going to write that how-to reef-keeping book you talked about? Like, how to grow blackworms and get picky fish started feeding?

Paul B · 04/28/2007, 01:57 PM

Blindmelonbob, I want you to question me. I am not the God of worms and I would like to know where you read that. I really don't know exactly what worms are composed of but I have read nothing but good things about them plus I have been using them for many years. Probably longer than most people here have been alive. They really put fish into breeding condition in a week or two.
Howard I have never ordered them on line and I know nothing of that company. I just wanted to show a picture. You will have a problem if you get too many of them at once. Maybe you can split an orger with a few people. I also would not feed them if they are in a refrigerator.
I keep them as I said and I use metheline blue to keep them from screwing up the water too much. It doesen't kill all of the bacteria, just makes them reproduce slower.
I am still writing that book and when I retire I will really try to print it before everything is out of date like it is becomming now. If I tell all my methods now I will have nothing to write

Znut, I feed the worms every day in the morning. I feed the worms to the fish almost every day with other foods.

Blindmelonbob · 04/28/2007, 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Paul B
Blindmelonbob, I want you to question me. I am not the God of worms and I would like to know where you read that.

Okay, went back and found it...but it pertains to earth worms. Results may vary for blackworms.

http://plantanswers.tamu.edu/publica...worm/worm.html

"This would indicate that on whole, live earthworms are less than 14% protein. Therefore its use as food or a feed supplement would probably be limited."

stealle · 04/28/2007, 08:03 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Blindmelonbob
Okay, went back and found it...but it pertains to earth worms. Results may vary for blackworms.

http://plantanswers.tamu.edu/publica...worm/worm.html

"This would indicate that on whole, live earthworms are less than 14% protein. Therefore its use as food or a feed supplement would probably be limited."

There is no mention in this article about worms being fed to fish "as food or a feed supplement". Who knows what they are talking about? There is also no mention about blackworms specifically.

I don't think he is saying it is the best "protein" source. He is saying it is the best "food" source. Meaning that not only does it have protein, it has fats, vitamins and who knows what else a live food source can offer the inhabitants of your tank. And, specifically, who knows what live blackworms can offer your fish. Apparently Paul B knows! (and a few others) His experience with them is proof enough.

I'll definitely jot this tip down somewhere!!!

Paul B · 04/30/2007, 04:44 AM

There are many sites on worms Blhttp://www.waynesthisandthat.com/blackworms.htmack
But I really can't find much nutritional information on them.
The big problem with them is that if you get too many they will not live long. As I said, most people put them in the refrigerator and if you have a bunch of them thats where you will have to store them unless you have a spare tank in a cool place.
I just but them every week at an LFS but they are all over the place in NY.
I put in one or two drops of metheline blue (available at pet shops) This turns the worms a nice blue

But it also keeps them longer by limiting the bacteria. You still need to change the water every day or two. More often if there are too many worms and they start to die. Even if you find half the worms daed just rinse them in fresh water to wash away the dead ones and the rest may live. It is amazing the conditions these things can live in.
I squirt them to my shrimp and crabs and also feed anemones with them. Those long tenticle anemones especially like them and it keeps their tentacles long. If you feed long tentacle anemones large food, their tentacles will shorten and become fatter to accomidate the larger food, but thats for another thread.
If you keep the worms in a square container they climb on each other and crawl up the corners. Keep the water level only about 2" and at least 2" from the top of the container.
Paul

Paul B · 04/30/2007, 04:49 AM

I see that link doesen't work.
http://www.aquariumfish.net/information/black_worms.htm
[Again, I never ordered live worms on line, or anything else for that matter so I don't know anything about these sites.
There may be some sponsors on RC that sells them but I don't really know

techigirl78 · 04/30/2007, 07:11 AM

So, are these worms like fishy viagra?

Paul B · 04/30/2007, 08:24 AM

Quote:

So, are these worms like fishy viagra?

Since I have no experience with Viagra I really don't know.
Could be I guess

Angel*Fish · 04/30/2007, 09:21 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Paul B
Since I have no experience with Viagra I really don't know.
Could be I guess

Good answer!

KyleO · 04/30/2007, 09:35 AM

I just placed my first order for Blackworms.......Paul, thanks for sharing!

Paul B · 04/30/2007, 09:42 AM

KyleO, follow whatever directions you get with them. If they are not kept properly you will end up with a smelly mess, if that happens, forget my name

I buy a little at a time and have no problem. I think with a lot you will have to refrigerate them.
Now your fish are going to be the healthiest on RC, except for mine of course

Good luck.

04/28/2007, 11:20 AM	#26
Znut Reefer Premium Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Claxton, Ga Posts: 3,396	Hi Paul, Thanks! One more question. How often do you feed them? I have some that I have had for a couple of months. I keep them in the refrigerator outside . I have not fed them. And they are doing well. But I will start feeding them. I have been rinsing them every other day with aged deep well water. And I don't seem to lose many of them. I have a few in a small 2 gal aquarium that I have fed Spirulina pellets and they are skinny. I keep an air stone with a air pump on them to keep their oxygen level up with no loses. I change their water every other week. Using the aged water also. So I 'll give the micro food a try on them. I have a Copperband butterfly that will not eat anything besides these blackworms. I have had the Copperband for over 4 mos. The blackworms keep him nice and fat and healthy. So I think Paul does have something here about fish being healthy and stay alive eating these worms. My Copperband would have died if I had not gotten these worms for him. I have tried several times to get him off the blackworms using Brineshrimp (frozen) no live ones avail. Bloodworms, PE Mysis shrimp, Sally's Mysis. And he will not eat anything but these worms. And the worms do seem to have a small amount of oil on their water surface I see it everytime before I rinse them. Last edited by Znut Reefer; 04/28/2007 at 11:32 AM.

04/30/2007, 09:35 AM	#36
KyleO Premium Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Brentwood, CA (SF Bay Area) Posts: 737	I just placed my first order for Blackworms.......Paul, thanks for sharing! __________________ Enjoy every moment......you don't have nearly as many left as you think!!! Current Tank Info: 135g Frag tank w/ attached 30ga Cube and 50ga refugium

04/28/2007, 01:57 PM	#28
Paul B Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 15,549	Blindmelonbob, I want you to question me. I am not the God of worms and I would like to know where you read that. I really don't know exactly what worms are composed of but I have read nothing but good things about them plus I have been using them for many years. Probably longer than most people here have been alive. They really put fish into breeding condition in a week or two. Howard I have never ordered them on line and I know nothing of that company. I just wanted to show a picture. You will have a problem if you get too many of them at once. Maybe you can split an orger with a few people. I also would not feed them if they are in a refrigerator. I keep them as I said and I use metheline blue to keep them from screwing up the water too much. It doesen't kill all of the bacteria, just makes them reproduce slower. I am still writing that book and when I retire I will really try to print it before everything is out of date like it is becomming now. If I tell all my methods now I will have nothing to write Znut, I feed the worms every day in the morning. I feed the worms to the fish almost every day with other foods.

04/30/2007, 04:44 AM	#31
Paul B Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 15,549	There are many sites on worms Blhttp://www.waynesthisandthat.com/blackworms.htmack But I really can't find much nutritional information on them. The big problem with them is that if you get too many they will not live long. As I said, most people put them in the refrigerator and if you have a bunch of them thats where you will have to store them unless you have a spare tank in a cool place. I just but them every week at an LFS but they are all over the place in NY. I put in one or two drops of metheline blue (available at pet shops) This turns the worms a nice blue But it also keeps them longer by limiting the bacteria. You still need to change the water every day or two. More often if there are too many worms and they start to die. Even if you find half the worms daed just rinse them in fresh water to wash away the dead ones and the rest may live. It is amazing the conditions these things can live in. I squirt them to my shrimp and crabs and also feed anemones with them. Those long tenticle anemones especially like them and it keeps their tentacles long. If you feed long tentacle anemones large food, their tentacles will shorten and become fatter to accomidate the larger food, but thats for another thread. If you keep the worms in a square container they climb on each other and crawl up the corners. Keep the water level only about 2" and at least 2" from the top of the container. Paul

04/30/2007, 04:49 AM	#32
Paul B Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 15,549	I see that link doesen't work. http://www.aquariumfish.net/information/black_worms.htm [Again, I never ordered live worms on line, or anything else for that matter so I don't know anything about these sites. There may be some sponsors on RC that sells them but I don't really know

04/30/2007, 07:11 AM	#33
techigirl78 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Milwaukee, WI Posts: 1,739	So, are these worms like fishy viagra?

04/30/2007, 09:42 AM	#37
Paul B Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 15,549	KyleO, follow whatever directions you get with them. If they are not kept properly you will end up with a smelly mess, if that happens, forget my name I buy a little at a time and have no problem. I think with a lot you will have to refrigerate them. Now your fish are going to be the healthiest on RC, except for mine of course Good luck.