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Thanks to Draka for introducing these Dero Worms here.
I came across a well-written blog-post about them here:-
http://guppytruth.blogspot.sg/2010/06/co-culturing-daphnia-and-dero-worms.html
Hello guys, I saw this type of smaller tubifex worms being mentioned in another thread the other day, and was wondering if anyone knows whether it is available locally, or has ever to anyone's knowledge been brought in locally before?
And if anyone has them, do you have any tips on culturing them locally besides the methods found online, like any special things to take note of like cannot be too hot and other stuff like that.
Many thanks in advance for your replies!
Thanks to Draka for introducing these Dero Worms here.
I came across a well-written blog-post about them here:-
http://guppytruth.blogspot.sg/2010/06/co-culturing-daphnia-and-dero-worms.html
LIFE IS UNBEARABLE WITHOUT A FISH TANK!!!
Now the golden question... who has 'em Deros???
Oh wait... I think I just realized something but don't tell you... yet!!!
I'm back & keeping 'em fingers wet,
Ronnie Lee
Ah... Seems like there might be a culprit behind this
I've included a short clip of The Dero Worm. But the funny thing about these guys is that get enough of them together and they clump together like tubifex. It's only when you disturb them sufficiently that they start swimming like that. But please beware not to collect these from outdoor sources you aren't sure of, because they could harbour nasty parasites.
http://www.youtube.com/embed/ybdvFfjZku4?rel=0
Last edited by Draka; 20th Nov 2012 at 01:23.
After seeing the way that worm swims in that video, I am pretty sure I have seen at least one single worm swimming freely like that among a batch of Tubifex on one occasion some time in past years, but did not pay much attention to it.
This 'new' worm is rather interesting, though I would rather prefer to cultivate those 'big bad boons' (Red Russian Magna Daphnia) if possible. Those boons are supposed to impart great coloration to fish.
Are derro easy to cultivate? Tubifex worms are not the easiest to culture and I have tried them.
Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach a man to fish and he will drink beer while getting sunburnt.
It would appear that way, and please somebody correct me if I am wrong, since dero worms seem to be able to take in food directly better as compared to tubifex, which prefers filter feeding. Both do both methods of feeding.
I have tried to develope a way to cultivate small-batch Tubifex worms. Like many others, I have since given up, as it is not worth the trouble.
Since I know that fish go crazy over Tubifex worms, I have found a solution to the problem. My take is that the widely-talked about parasite problem may be due to the fact that hobbyists usually keep their Tubifex worms for many days and continue feeding their fish for up to a week with the same batch of worms they buy. This to me, is a definite no-no.
A batch of fresh Tubifex if left overnight will contain many dead and rotting worms among it. Rinsing with water does not remove all the dead worms. As the hobbyists continue to feed their fish with it by repeated daily rinsing of this fouled-up clump of worms, the risk of disease infection becomes higher. Hence the inevitable resulting fish-kill at a later stage, usually weeks or even months after the first infection.
Many hobbyists feed their fish with frozen Tubifex worms. I usually freeze my worms this way. After buying a fresh clump of succulent healthy worms, I immediately feed my fish with it as soon as I unpack the bag and have rinsed the worms. I will then leave a small amount aside in a cup for feeding again a few hours later. The remainder of the worms must be frozen immediately. Never leave the worms overnight.
To freeze the worms, rinse thoroughly many times with tap water. Spray the tap water so that all the worms are separated. Since tap water contains chlorine, this will help take care of any harmful micro-organisms. Some may prefer to 'sterilize' their worms with antiseptic, etc, but I don't do it. After rinsing the worms, carefully drain the tap water and pour ice-cold water on the worms for a final rinse. Then drain away the cold water until the worms are just left behind with only a thin layer of water covering them. This layer should be as thin as possible to make it easier to break up after freezing. So it is important to use a plastic container with a big base. Put the worms in the freezer to freeze.
Feeding is done by hitting and breaking the frozen 'biscuit' with the back of a big metal spoon, etc into suitable sizes. The frozen worms can then last until they are all eaten for many days. This way risk of infection is much prevented. It is important not to thaw the remaining worms and refreeze. The whole batch must be discarded if it is accidently thawed (do not refreeze). Fish relish 'fresh' frozen worms as much as live ones.
With this method, fish will have a constant supply of worms to eat. A mixed diet is good for fish, but always have a regular feeding schedule.
Haha thanks for sharing bro. But if you managed to get a batch of pathogen-free tubifex worms and rinse off the dead worms daily, you definitely will not run into the problem of sick fish still. Even if they do get sick, it will not be from diseases that could be introduced from tubifex worms.
Conversely, if you get a batch of parasite-carrying tubifex worms and rinse them well before freezing them, your fish will still get infected even though it has been frozen prior to feeding, as these pathogens are inside the tubifex worms and do not get killed with freezing.
Of course, when talking about live foods, it's always best to assume the worst and not keep them for too long, as any pathogens would eventually contaminate the whole culture. So in a way, bro tetra is right in saying that feeding fish with one batch of worms that have been kept up to a week will increase risk of infection. However, I would just like to add that if one is able to culture a batch of tubifex worms, or dero worms in this case, and there is no introduction of pathogens in this culture, then there is no issue with feeding your fish with it.
I agree with Draka.
Dero worms may be worth a try though, but first, we must find a source to buy some. Due to it's small size, it is more desirable for young fish than Tubifex.
Anyone got a source to buy dero worms? I'm actually working on a project co-culturing them with Moina and tracking the Moina population growth! The tubifex we get in shops has a whole bunch of different worm species mixed in. I need a pure culture to reduce the variables.
Did you happen to find any dero worms or moina? I want to try culturing them too!!
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Originally Posted by Draka
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