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.