Where to find live blackworms?

[Myka]

Anyone know where to get live blackworms? I've exhausted my search locally, including the Killifish peeps around here. These are usually used for freshwater fish.

[Myka]

Bump.

[Proteus]

Some bait stores carry them. But they are farmed in feces. Not something I want to deal with or the pathogens they may carry

[outacontrol]

The Edmonton Aquarium Club did a few orders of Black worms not very long ago.
Its too bad the reefers around here are not more interested in being involved in the club, they do some really cool things.

[Myka]

Cool, thanks for the leads guys. And yeah, blackworms are gross.

EDIT: I got a PM on a local lead...woohoo!

[imisky]

what blackworms arent grown in feces.... I used to grow them for my discus and they are far from stinky.

The way I did it was grow them with brown paper towel + fish food....They reproduced fast enough that way to sustain both my FW and SW fish.

[thedwightguy]

Blackworms (tubifex) grow in duck crap; run a bucket under water and they clean out pretty quick. Used to get them that way at a duck farm......near Disneyland!

They concentrate into a ball as the feces are removed; you could do it right on the farm, I suppose!

I don't know where or how far down into the ground they go once it freezes, though, considering Saskatchewan is NOT Disneyland.

[Veng68]

Actually California black worms and tubifex are 2 different worms. Google California Black worms.

If you can't find them where you are, Canadian Aquatics out of Vancouver has them http://www.canadianaquatics.com/equipment/equipment.htm (near the bottom of the page).

You can get some and if you have some room you can culture them.

This book will help you.
Culturing Live Foods by Mike Hellweg
ISBN: 9780793806553
Hardcover, 240 pp.

Cheers,
Vic

[Myka]

Thanks for the help Vic. I may look into culturing them, but for the price and what (now) appears to be a reliable source I may just buy them when I need them. They aren't something I will be needing all the time.

Thedwightguy, Vic is correct, Tubifex and Blackworms are not the same thing. http://www.skepticalaquarist.com/lumbriculus

[BlueWorldAquatic]

go white worms, easier to maintain your own cultures.

[Myka]

Thanks Ken, white worms not suitable though.

[daniella3d]

Not suitable for what exactly? Because I have been feeding my copperband butterfly almost exclusively white worms for a year and half.

All my fish love these and eat them as if there is no tomorrow.

Easy to culture, can be easily enriched with Selcon, multiply like crazy and all it takes is a bit of earth and a bit of food.

Here is the copperband feeding on white worms:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=AvkIATAzV5Q

This is what saved my copperband which was extremely small and skinny when I first got it.



Thanks Ken, white worms not suitable though.

[Myka]

Perfectly suitable for your use and many others' uses, just not suitable for my particular use. :)

[daniella3d]

Do you have any info on how you cultured them because I am looking into this and cannot find any source in my area nor any way to culture them. It is said to leave them in clear water in the fridg, so I am guessing they need very cold water? How did you manage to raise them in paper if they need to be kept in water?

I already raise white worms and I love the fresh live food but I would like to vary things a bit.

what blackworms arent grown in feces.... I used to grow them for my discus and they are far from stinky.

The way I did it was grow them with brown paper towel + fish food....They reproduced fast enough that way to sustain both my FW and SW fish.