Need help in dario dario's diet.

**Dean** · 13th Apr 2011, 14:01

I've read that dario dario only prefer live food like bloodworms but is there any other alternatives for their diet? I know they don't like manufactured pallet or flakes but they also not interested in frozen brine shrimps. I bought live bloodworm and they like them but the bloodworms all died after few days. Anyone knows how to keep live bloodworm alive? Will the dario dario eat frozen bloodworms?

**stormhawk** · 14th Apr 2011, 01:25

Dario will almost always take only live food. Frozen bloodworm is too big for their tiny mouths given the larger sizes in the bloodworm that are sold in those frozen packs. I used to feed mine with BBS, Daphnia and tubifex worms. If you dislike tubifex just give them sieved BBS/Daphnia live.

**Dean** · 14th Apr 2011, 12:26

The worm which I used to feed them is actually tubifex worm, not bloodworm. They are smaller than bloodworm. By the way, how do you keep the live tubifex? I might try bbs but where to buy them?

**Shi Xuan** · 22nd Apr 2011, 12:21

Keeping tubifex worms in containers with a few cubes of ice can keep them going for a while. I usually keep them in minimal water & change the water only when it turns dirty. Another good alternative is to keep the tubifex worms in a container under a dripping tap but I don't think your family will be happy about it. The key factor in keeping them going is cold water. You can get bbs in packets at C328 but you have to be quick because they sell out fast. Unfortunately, the problem is you don't know how long the bbs have been kept & they lost their nutritious value over time. The best bet is to buy bbs eggs through the internet or LFS. I got mine from LFS & the hatch-rate is rather poor but it is more than enough for the fishes i have.

**newcastle78** · 25th Apr 2011, 23:18

hi shi xuan, just a question. one thing about live tubifex worms is that they will hide in the substrate. in a heavily planted tank, the badis badis may not get to the tubifex worms fast enough before it disappears into the substrate..how to solve this problem?

**stormhawk** · 25th Apr 2011, 23:57

Do not use tubifex worms in a planted tank, unless you are prepared to see them tunnel into your substrate and die off over time due to other reasons.

When feeding tubifex worms in a planted tank, you require the use of a weighted dish, or a clay plate that you must place at a certain spot in the tank. For aesthetic reasons, this is very impractical, hence the use of freeze-dried tubifex worm cubes, or frozen/live bloodworm might be better.

**newcastle78** · 26th Apr 2011, 13:42

thanks! ok now i just need to go about learning how to culture microworms

**stormhawk** · 26th Apr 2011, 20:17

It's very easy, just need cooked oatmeal, and a starter culture. They boom in numbers very quickly. I brought in live cultures of microworms, bananaworms and walterworms from a Canadian source and while I no longer keep them, there are people selling them in various forums. I would advise you to spend time and Google for info on how to culture worms as fish food, in particular grindal and microworms, since these survive very well in our climate. Another option you might consider are vinegar eels but they might be troublesome to harvest for most people.

**newcastle78** · 26th Apr 2011, 22:51

can i buy those culture from LFS like C328?

**stormhawk** · 27th Apr 2011, 17:34

Unfortunately no. LFS seldom deal in live food cultures, except things like live tubifex/bloodworm/daphnia/BBS that are usually sourced from farms. You have to purchase such cultures from fellow hobbyists who maintain them.