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Feeding: Live Foods: Blackworms: Culture


Matthew

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G'day

I am searching for info on culturing these lovely little Blackworms.

Does anyone have a successful culture out there?

How do you manage the culture? (Care, temp and food requirements?)

In the FAQ "Megansbettas" posted up an interesting reply to a previous post. Does anyone have any further info? Or can you figure out the method she is describing?{Yes a challenge has been issued LOL :B }

By the way is "Megansbettas" still around?

Thanks in advance for any assistance you may be able to provide. ;)

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I have a bunch sitting in the fridge, but thats as far as i go.

Family members are cranky enough!

megan moves overseas i think :( i havent seen her around any of the boards for about 2 months now.

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I was told to put them in the fridge in an open tupperware container. This certainly keeps them alive except i havent found that they multiply. Im sure someone out there can help you though :)

wazza

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G'day Edward

Thanks for the reply. :D

However Charles seems to believe that blackworms are a different species to tubifex.

http://www.carolina.com/tips/worm/worm.htm

Nevertheless your info is good as I hadn't found it. Who knows I am trying all sorts of things when it comes to live foods, maybe this method will work, although it doesn't go into harvesting :) .

I am really interested to talk to people that have a colony that are breeding. Megansbettas did, so I feel sure someone else out there must as well.

Still searching...

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Hi Matt,

I've tried a Blackworm culture, they dont' actually *breed* as far as i know. But rather they break off, and grow from that into another blackworm. From my attempts, i found that they need clean water (dechlorinaised), that is aerated My culture wasn't really worth its work, they didn't grow fast enough for my feeding purposes.

Most people who have attempted them have said the same thing.

Also about keeping them in the fridge, its good for keeping them alive as it slows down their metobism, but as far as reproducing them goes its not what to do.

HTH.

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G'day taybelZ

Thanks for the reply. I appreciate it. Your comments are honest and I do value your experience.

However Megansbettas did have them breeding (Please see the FAQ), so I am sure someone else out there must as well.

Anybody else have these little guys? Good or Bad experiences happily excepted. :rolleyes:

Thanks :)

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I can help u out, I breed them very successfully by the thousands.

1. I use a small tank to keep them in.

2. I have used river sand the size of peas, but now just have nothing on bottom of tank. Much less hassle in harvesting.

3. I use a corner filter with stones in bottom then filter wool/cotton on top of this. This method will keep ur tank clean and clear of the foul smell of black worms.

4. Empty 1/2 water every 3-4 days, top up with new.

5. I also keep temp at 28 degrees. (u will find that the "black" worms will eventually turn a "pinkish" colour which seems to be more attractive to fish.

6. I feed them with any bits of dead fish (which they love) and a little amount of flake food. Keep the feeding to bare min. as the water will foul up fairly quickly if u over feed.

7. They do "breed" (multiply) by breaking off and also by the conventual manner.

8. Harvest by using a small worm feeder (type u stick to glass of tank) by scooping the required amount.

9. You may want to wash before feeding to fish (i dont as i keep worm tank clean).

Thats about it, very easy to keep/breed, very convenient live food supply!!

hope this helps u m8t :(:

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Thanks Eucalypta

You have made my day. :D

I will obtain some of these little critters asap and start a colony.

Any other words of wisdom??

Thanks again!!! :D :D :D

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something else Mathew u will want to know. Sorry, I forgot to it in mention previous post.

when adding worms to heated tank, do so as u do for fish. Keep them in the bag, submersed in water for 10-15 mins, as they will die if u put them straight into warmer water (retailers usually keep them in cold water).

regards

peter

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G'day Peter

Thanks very much I really appreciate you posting this up :D . I was begining to lose hope that these guys could be bred.

Can I ask you what suburb you live in or do you live near Ben or Andy or are you coming down for the christmas party.

Maybe I could get some of your worms, after all you are succesfully breeding them, if you are happy to about doing this.

Then again if they are just your standard blackworms worms you buy in the LFS then I won't get you to go to so much trouble.

Thanks!!! :)

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I'm new here Mathew, i dont know anybody and I dont know anything about a xmas party. The black worms I breed are ur standard "blacks" from LFS, so it would be cheaper for u to buy them local. But u are welcome to visit me anytime.

I live at Gosford, nsw....u can obtain my home/telephone address by emailing me personally at...treetops1@iprimus.com.au

regards

peter

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I can help u out, I breed them very successfully by the thousands.

1. I use a small tank to keep them in.

Hi Eucalypta, I was under the impression that in order for the worms to reproduce you need to provide them with a tank/water of as large capacity as possible. I know that is how its done commerically.

The dont' exactly breed..but rather reproduce by asexual means- breaking along their segmented bodies into 2 or more parts and regenerating into other individuals. Althought they are capable of sexual reproduction but this is not usually the mode of reproduction when in a culture.

Anyway having said that, i would love to hear how you go(Matt).. cause i have tried endless amounts of times trying a culture but find the yields too low for the effort. And always end buying them for a $$$ (stupid) amount.

I buy 1 kg for about $50, or is it 500grams ???

My fish get treated too well...LOL

So if you do have luck let me in on what your doing.

Dave

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Matt -

I'd love to see your progress/success or possible failture :o in this in an article. There seems to be a lot of mystery about how to "breed" this food source and the hobby could do with a good article.

Thanks for sharing Eucalypta :^:, it is good to see :).

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Hi Dave, u are prob. right about the size of tanks, i dont breed for commercial reasons so i wouldn't know. I have 2x10 gallon tanks which are approx. 1/4 full of worms. Anyways that's how i breed them, it works (after many failures) so as the saying goes "if it works, keep doing it".

regards

pete.

My pleasure Yew, god knows many a person has helped me out over the years so... :8

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would love to see pics of the set-up

The only time i have seen them breed in numbers ...was in a trout farm !!!

very cold water lots of oxygen ?

Anyway would love to know more of your set-up.

oohhh and they are not easy to breed ...

because they are an acuatic worm they live all their lives in water unlike bloodworms etc that are larvae ....

cheers :rolleyes:

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G'day Yew

I will document my progress and hopefully a reasonably coherent article will result.

If I can find a willing photographer then it may even have some pics to show off my success :D (or failure ;) )

Will let you know how I go once I get these little creatures. ;):

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