This article will be helpful:
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/sh...lackworms.html
This article will be helpful:
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/sh...lackworms.html
Fish.. Simply Irresistable
Back to Killies... slowly.
Just a side question..
How are you guys "cleaning" your LFS bought tubifex worms? How far do I have to go in terms of cleanliness? My current practice is simply rinsing the worms through with tapwater + antichlorine for a few times until the water is clear and the foul smell is no longer present. This process is repeated everytime before I do a feed in my tanks. I also feed the tubifex worms with abit of guppy food (maybe once every 2 days). Given this, I am only able to make the worms last 3-4 days before junking the leftovers into the toilet bowl. I don't really mind the drive down to the nearest LFS for tubifex every 4 days or so (perfectly valid excuse to go see the new stocks), but I'm more worried about the quality of tubifex I am feeding my fish with.
Setup: ADA Cube Garden 45-P, Starlitz Clear 45, Eheim Aquacompact 40
Layout/Hardscape: ADA Amazonia Powder Soil, Borneowild Rutsuuddo Wood (SS Root Type)
Fauna: Apisto Trifasciata, Sundadanio Axelrodi (Blue), Yamato Shrimp
You need to let the worms stay in the container for about 48 hours so they purge their guts of their poop, which IMO, contains the scum that usually causes problems for fish. Ronnie gave me good advice the last time I visited him at home. As long as the worms are bright red with no visible black bits in their body, they are perfect for feeding fish. By bright red I almost mean wriggling insanely in the container in clean tank water. They should react and squeeze into a tight ball if kept properly. Some aeration in the container would be good during the storing phase.
Fish.. Simply Irresistable
Back to Killies... slowly.
Waa.. 48hrs before I can feed them..?
Actually, some LFS seem to have fresher tubifex than others. At least, whenever I visit my usual LFS, the tubifex seems to be as you describe, bright red and wriggling, reacting to movements and squeezing into a ball. The water in their packet also seems clean even after a day of sitting on the shelf, waiting for people to buy them. I have been to another LFS in my area that sells tubifex as well, but the tubifex are usually a dull shade of red and the water looks to be slightly murky, although they are probably packed on the same day as well.
Setup: ADA Cube Garden 45-P, Starlitz Clear 45, Eheim Aquacompact 40
Layout/Hardscape: ADA Amazonia Powder Soil, Borneowild Rutsuuddo Wood (SS Root Type)
Fauna: Apisto Trifasciata, Sundadanio Axelrodi (Blue), Yamato Shrimp
I used to get my tubifex from Choong Sua Aquarium when it was still opened. When you buy the tubifex worms, the bag should not have that greyish muck that comes with most tubifex that are pre-bagged. That is their poop and the leftover bits of dead tubifex. They should be wriggling furiously and bright red in colour. It is a good sign that the water in the packet remains clean even after a day of sitting, so I guess you can try those.
Fish.. Simply Irresistable
Back to Killies... slowly.
Anybody who wants to feed tubifex to their fishes but not willing to spend time cleaning worms thoroughly, should just stick to pellets and off-the-shelf prepared foods. Life need not be so complicated.
Most purchased tubifex (except for those lifeless mucky little bags) can be kept for at least 4 days, up to 2 weeks (if you know how), but it isn't easy to go past 3 weeks let alone culture them.
I'm back & keeping 'em fingers wet,
Ronnie Lee
I seldom buy them, but when I do I always flush and clean the dead away.
Also I do daily water change for the tubs I keep them in. Else it never last 1 week.
Learning the hardway, not the highway.
Photo Blog - impervious-endeavors.blogspot.com
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"if he cant be bothered to take the time to write his question properly, why should I take the time to answer him."
Maybe one of these days I will experiment culturing them in a glass marble medium with good aeration. Or perhaps with no medium but with a continuous water-dripping system, just to keep them wet and clean but not submerged underwater. I believe there must be a way to do it properly.
LIFE IS UNBEARABLE WITHOUT A FISH TANK!!!
I'm doing an experiment now and it seems to be working. I left a small bunch of worms in a plastic tub with a layer of coco peat on the bottom, running off old aquarium water. They get aeration from an airstone. The container has 2-3 snails with a bunch of Moina and some floaters. So far the worms are still alive. I just squirt a little green water solution every now and then in the container. Currently having a Cyclops bloom.
Fish.. Simply Irresistable
Back to Killies... slowly.
was toying with the idea of culturing tubiflex worm and saw this thread. anyone knows if the following idea might work for culturing of tubiflex worm?
1 20x20x23 tank with simple filter
Some soil about 1 inch.
i recently bought some tubiflex worm from an LFS in hougang and fed them to my community tank. There were some left over and the worms burrowed in to the soil and seems to be living well at the bottom of the tank in the soil. Seems to be producing slowly and all pinky.
Green water is basically algae water. Suspension of free floating algae and small animals that feed on them.
They are tunneling worms much like earthworms, so a soil or gravel base will keep them happy. They feed on detritus and such, which is rich in most established tanks. In newer tanks they may die in the substrate. A circulating system with proper filtration helps in keeping them alive. I have them in my fry tanks where they are still alive after 3 weeks now.
Fish.. Simply Irresistable
Back to Killies... slowly.
ok thanks for clearing the air. With regards to the cycling system, do i have to cycle the tank like one does when you setup a shrimp tank?
and with that, not having any fry, what else can i put in my tank to keep mosquitoes from breeding
any photos you can share to get an idea?
Sorry I don't have any pictures.
I use a very thin layer about half a cm thick. They will form clusters in the substrate and turn them into small "hills" and balls. The container is quite small, around that of a mini plastic tank. Opaque on the sides but they are there wriggling. Water is a little brownish.
It's best to cycle the container with snails and other animals. A sponge filter also helps. The use of a Satellite box running off an established tank may be a better idea to deal with their filtration needs. Only keep a small amount and they will slowly multiply. You cannot keep a big lot alive unless you are very good with water changes.
The basic idea here to get a pond-like ecosystem going on. With some plants, worms, microscopic animals and some snails.
Fish.. Simply Irresistable
Back to Killies... slowly.
They might, if they contain bacteria that might be lethal to your shrimps. They can survive in small containers with shallow water as long as it is changed regularly with aquarium water, never with tap water, even dechlorinated tap water.
Fish.. Simply Irresistable
Back to Killies... slowly.
shall give that a try. but with regards to the changing of water, do you remove the dead ones or just leave them inside? and as for feeding?, do we need to constantly feed the tubiflex worms?
Last edited by Shi Xuan; 12th Apr 2012 at 23:20. Reason: sms lingo
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