Garden Worms

[tbcha1]

Ive got a crap load of garden worms in my worm farm which i usually feed my other cichlids. I was wondering is it safe to feed them to discus?

[mistakes r crucial]

Garden worms may be a bit big but I've fed mine compost worms a few timesand they love 'em. You get the added benefit of having a great laugh watching your adult discus trying to swallow a live food that really doesn't want to be eaten, it amused me anyway! The info I've been given is that they are full of fat so you don't want to feed them too often.
MAC

[mcloughlin2]

Garden worms may be a bit big but I've fed mine compost worms a few timesand they love 'em. You get the added benefit of having a great laugh watching your adult discus trying to swallow a live food that really doesn't want to be eaten, it amused me anyway! The info I've been given is that they are full of fat so you don't want to feed them too often.
MAC

Also, theyre full of dirt so ive heard they should be place in a shoe box with damp tissue in there till they get it out of their system...

[bushie]

or in damp newspaper for 24 to 48 hours before being chopped up.

[Waldo]

Just a side note. Worms can migrate many many many many many miles. So if your not sure if your neibors aren't using pesticides I would be very careful. If your states side and want worms get 2 dozen from the bait shop or if you want nutitious worms try here. http://www.mcgavinwormfarm.com/

[Joe]

The compost worms or red wigglers are popular over here for discus. I have never tried the typical garden worms...however, before feeding the wiggler worms the method of choice is to place them in a cup of water (or small aquarium) with an air stone for an hour or more. This will drive the dirt off and out of them. You could probably do the same with garden worms.

[lennart wiklund]

The compost worms or red wigglers are popular over here for discus. I have never tried the typical garden worms...however, before feeding the wiggler worms the method of choice is to place them in a cup of water (or small aquarium) with an air stone for an hour or more. This will drive the dirt off and out of them. You could probably do the same with garden worms.

thats a good tip,you can also after that cut them to small pices so they dont runaway in the tank. :lol:
Here in sweden we feed them like that.
I have try the red sort but the fish dont like them.

lennart

[Ben]

I used to feed earthworms but it took some encouragement from the discus to eat them.

Young juvies seem to relish them more so than fussy adults.

That was my personal observation.

[dcarmau]

Be careful with worms, Some of them emit a cloud of nasties when dunked. Drop one in water and watch to see if it gives off a "cloud" of clear stuff (you can see it as "waves" in the water, like when you add decholinator). It's just about the only defense mechanism the worm has...

my suggestion is to dunk the worm first in some water, let it give off its gunk, and then feed it to your fish.

I have to say that it's not all worms that do this, but one of the 2 strains I bred as part of our High School Enterprise Garden certainly did.

[Phlipper]

I think with any natural live foods caution must be observed...........many live foods carry bacteria on or in their guts, after all we're talking about a creature that eats dirt, especially dirt with roting vegetation or dung :shock: Thorough washing would be very advised, and even then ???..........personally I wouldn't risk feeding this type of food to Discus.