Holding Blackworms

[MalcolmC]

I promised to pass on my thoughts on how to hold blackworms alive and in good condition after you have bought them from your lfs, but first of all I think it would be beneficial if you understood how they are grown, what they are fed and in what condition they live.

As stated previously, all blackworms sold throughout Australia are grown on a purpose made worm farm at Beechworth in Victoria. The water quality is very drinkable and has a PH of 6.5. Temperature ranges from 5c in the middle of winter to 25c in the hottest time of the year but usually sits around 12-14c.

Worms are grown in metal troughs that have a layer or course sand on the bottom and then filled with water. The water is sprayed along the length of the trough and there is a complete water change every 15 minutes. The water exchange is very important as it ensures that the oxygen level is kept at the maximum level and the quality of the water is always good. Worms will survive and grow in conditions that are not as good as they are here, but will not multiply sufficiently to cultivate them commercially.

Worms on this farm are fed 3 times a week with pellets very similar to trout pellets. They are made at Corowa by Ridleys Feed Mill and delivered bulk to the farm. The food has a high fishmeal content and is about 39% protein.

The most important point in keeping worms in good condition is the water. It should have a ph of around 6.5, should not have any of those chemicals that water boards like to put in, and have a very high oxygen level. The colder the water is, the higher the oxygen level will be. You can hold a ‘serve’ that you have got from your LFS in the fridge but you should change the water every day.

If you want to hold a larger quantity, than set up a foam box or a large plastic container [at least 60 litres] and fill it with aged water, the same quality that you use for your fish. Set this up in the coolest place that you have, and place the largest air stone that you can get and vigorously aerate the water. If the water is cool, below 18c, you should be able to hold about 500 Gms in this system. Do water changes until the water stays clear, and you will be able to hold them for weeks at a time. It also helps if you feed them with a small amount of sinking fish food. Crush it up to make it as small as possible.

There are many ways that different people successfully hold blackworms, but the two ways I have outlined are the most common.

When you buy blackworms, make sure that they are in good condition. There should be no red fluid in the bag, and no dead grey worms either.
Never,never,never feed your fish with worms that are not in good condition.

I hope this is of some use to you all, but if you have any other questions please feel free to ask.

By the way, if anyone is around this area at any time you are always welcome to drop in and have a look around.

Mal

[Robdog]

Great info Mal. Food for thought as it were.

[syxx]

thanks for the info.
When i buy only a few serves to feed my fish i keep them in a take away container with only enough water to keep the worms wet. I keep the container under the fish tank and wash them each day (i wash mine with the aquarium water but it is a heavily planted tank so it appreciates the extra nutrients, i dont suggest doing it with a small tank.) as long as i clean them well they last for several weeks, even in 30 degree heat.
I would also like to take this chance to demystify 2 common myths.
1. worms will introduce disease. Yes they can bring in bacteria and protozoa but only the equivalent of the water coming from your tap when you do water changes, not to mention what is already in your tank. I use to feed my fish (African and American cichlids, including discus) live gambusi which had white spot (ich) and because my fish were always healthy they never got any diseases.
2. worms will infest your tank and you won't be able to get rid of them. I wish i could have this problem, I put 500cc (half a kilo) of live black worms in a 240ltr aquarium with 2 wild green discus and they managed to pick them all out of the sand within 1 - 2 months, The only tanks i have been able to keep them living in are my planted tanks, because there is enough places for them to hide. They also are great for breaking down feces and turning over the sand.
So for the extra health your fish will have from eating live foods i highly recommend black worms.
P.S. Mal i will take you up on the offer to come see you in some time soon.

Ryan Junghenn
www.aquariumfishexperts.com.au

[Bob Daniel]

This is a very interesting thread! MalcombC, how deep is the sand in the cultivation tanks? How are the worms harvested from the sand?

[Nev]

Hey Bob,
This was posted 5 years ago. Don't like your chances for a reply from the original poster.

[Bob Daniel]

I guess you are right, Nev. Perhaps someone else may know.

[Hooked]

Hi Bob,

I keep them similar to how the original poster suggested. I use a foam box that the lfs use to transport fish in. Readily available from larger shops. Inside that I have a small glass tank about a 12 inches long by 8 inches, front to back. I keep it bare bottomed and the worms just clump up in mass, easy to scoop out. I use treated water from my ageing barrels and have it about 2 inches deep. There's enough room down the outside of the glass tank to squeeze in 2 x 1.5lt frozen water bottles that are changed daily with newly frozen bottles. The foam box acts as an excellent insulator. The water is changed daily at first but stays clearer longer as the days go on. Important to keep it cold and clean. I have an air stone in there off a small air pump. The worms survive indefinitely. I used to buy enough generally for a week. Find out when your lfs gets them in. It will generally be the same day each week and that way you are getting them at their freshest, very important. Grab a black worm feeding cone. This keeps them together and the fish pick them off as they wriggle out the holes.
The only caution I would give is that Discus fed live food will sometimes go off other foods and only eat the live Black worm etc. It can be a pain trying to wean them off and get them eating dry foods again.

Good luck,

Cheers

[MalcolmC]

Hi all, has it been 5 years since I posted that! boy, how times fly when you're having fun!!!
Actually I must get around to doing a proper post on the worms again, but if you want to hold the worms for an extended period I recommend that you put about 3 to 4 cms of fine gravel in the bottom of the container and then cover the gravel with the "good" water. Have the water level about 3 cms over the gravel and then put the worms in . You should find that the worms work their way all through the gravel, and will only come out of it if the water needs changing or the oxygen level in the water drops too low. If you do this and keep the container in the fridge, they will last for weeks with no deaths. To get the worms out of the gravel, just tip the lot into a dish, add more water and stir around. You can grow your worms this way also, but you have to set up a bigger system and feed them with a high protein fish pellet. I know this may appear to be a lot of work to get the worms out of the gravel, but believe me, the gravel [or some form of media that they can work their way through] is the key to keeping them healthy.
I'm sorry it has been so long since I have posted , and since I originally started the freeze dried worms here, I will make more effort to keep in contact .
Cheers,
Mal

[Merrilyn]

Mal, we always look forward to hearing from you. :P

[Nev]

Hey Bob,
This was posted 5 years ago. Don't like your chances for a reply from the original poster.

How wrong was l!
Thanks for that Malcolm.