Clean invertebrates

[fat meloe!]

Tubifex, filth-feeding maggots, and other small "worms" are often used for feeding fish and other animals. Apparently, the standard procedure is to keep them in a clean environment for a few days as they excrete their "dirty" gut contents before feeding.

Unfortunately google search only turned up a few forum discussions which I would not trust. Could anyone verify how successful such a method is, and whether there are other methods for sanitizing a breeding culture? I know maggot-therapy maggots are sterilized, but I don't know how well a similar procedure would work on non-maggot invertebrates.

[bekateen]

For blackworms, it's relatively easy to keep them alive in the fridge if you rinse them every day or two. If you don't feed them over the week, I imagine their guts are pretty empty (unless they're eating their own poop)

Just thinking out loud,
Eric

[Fundulopanchax76]

I have ever wondered, in the nature who cleans worms gut to prepare them for fish ?

[Bas Pels]

I have ever wondered, in the nature who cleans worms gut to prepare them for fish ?

That's, obviouysly, right, but tubifex and red mosquito larvae live in areas where fish do not come - little oxygen, therefore they have lots of hemoglobin and thus they are red - which are nowadays often heavily polluted

Part of the pollution can be removed, such as gut contens. But others, such as heavy metals, not. For tubifex and red mosquito larvae, that is an argument against buying them, unless I am certain the source is trustworthy.

[Fundulopanchax76]

Tubifex lives in streams with good curent, relatively cold water and high level of oxyge. Thats why they die in warm water where oxygen is low. About cleaning we al live in our environment where everything is poluted you have not any proof that in other foods are not heavy metals. Considering infections and parasites - they could not be removed with starving tubifex.

[dw1305]

Hi all,

.... but tubifex and red mosquito larvae live in areas where fish do not come - little oxygen, therefore they have lots of hemoglobin and thus they are red - which are nowadays often heavily polluted

Part of the pollution can be removed, such as gut contens. But others, such as heavy metals, not. For tubifex and red mosquito larvae, that is an argument against buying them, unless I am certain the source is trustworthy......

I have the same reservation as @Bas Pels, and I wouldn't feed commercially produced Tubifex or Blood worms (Chironomid midge larvae) for that reason. To get the high densities, that are required for economic commercial production or exploitation, you need water with a very high organic waste content, and they are collected at sewage farms etc.

I also think, for Blood worms, that there are potentially issue during freezing as well.

Tubifex lives in streams with good curent, relatively cold water and high level of oxyge. Thats why they die in warm water where oxygen is low.

Both chironomids and tubificid (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naididae) worms occur in clean water (as well as disgustingly filthy water) they just form a small component of the faunal assemblage, rather than all of it.

Scientists actually use the changes in the species composition of the chironomid assembly to estimate pollution, but their use, at finer taxonomic levels, is hindered by the morphological similarity of species (basically they all look the same).

I "ranch" Blood worms (https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/wha ... ost-271855) and Black-worms in buckets outside. From (https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/bla ... ost-501726)


cheers Darrel

[Shovelnose]

I feed tubifex and blood worms (both live) on a fairly regular basis, two water changes a day and ample aeration keeps these worms living long enough to use on multiple occasions.

I have been able to keep tubifex alive for 3-4 weeks (with die offs) through water changes and Tetra Bits as feed. While it may sound like I have a fairly cavalier attitude when it comes to tubifex, I have had a single (and unconfirmed) tubifex related death in the past decade and I like those odds.

Personally though, I believe shrimps are way better to 'culture' and feed on a regular basis but it requires a little more space than I can spare presently.