# Where can I find live tubifex worms?



## BNP (Jun 23, 2013)

Title states it all


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## Fishfur (Mar 4, 2012)

You sure you want them live ? They can carry a fair number of diseases, which is why the frozen ones have become much more popular than the live ones. I don't know of anyone who cultures them... but you could ask on the live food buddy list, which is stickied at the top of this forum.


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## BillD (Jun 5, 2006)

You are unlikely to find any for sale. Blackworms aren't as dirty and have become preferred. Those you should be able to find.


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## Fishfur (Mar 4, 2012)

If you can find a way to get some, there is another safe substitute for them. Dero worms.. aka microfex worms. These are a small annelid, the only annelid that lives in water, but not sewage which is what the larger tubifex worms live in. Hence the risk of contamination from feeding live tubifex. 

There aren't any commercial sources in Canada I can find for Dero worm. There are sources in the US, but Fish and Wildlife wants to inspect any purchased at labs such as Carolina Biological, and the inspection fee is $195. US. Ouch ! Though they're small, they're a very high quality food, if only a source could be found.


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## PPulcher (Nov 17, 2006)

There was a fellow at KWAS that was importing blackworms a few years ago. My fish went nuts for those! I'm not sure if he still brings them in or if any shops do.


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## pyro (Dec 6, 2010)

PPulcher said:


> There was a fellow at KWAS that was importing blackworms a few years ago. My fish went nuts for those! I'm not sure if he still brings them in or if any shops do.


He still is. He is sucker4plecos on the KWAS forum.


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## BNP (Jun 23, 2013)

Hey everyone, I changed my mind, I got some micro worms from my friend.


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## Mykuhl (Apr 8, 2013)

Hey Fishfur....you might still consider getting the dero worms from the US even with the inpection fee. What you could do is see if there is enough interest to do a group buy, and spread the inpection fee around several people. It could still be worth it if at least 8 people get in on an order. I would be interested in a culture or few(depending on the size).


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## Fishfur (Mar 4, 2012)

I'd have to inquire if the fee covers multiple shipments.. though I expect it would so long as they all went to one address. One culture is a ball about the size of a pea at most. I'd be interested if enough others were.


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## BillD (Jun 5, 2006)

Blackworms are also annelids.


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## Fishfur (Mar 4, 2012)

So they are.. just not water dwelling. Dero's are the only member of the species that lives its life in water. Which makes them a great live food as you never have to worry about them dying off and fouling water.

Btw, I've put a query on the live food pool to see if anyone's interested in doing a group buy on Dero's.. if you are, please reply to that post, or PM me.


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## Bwhiskered (Oct 2, 2008)

The Dragon Aquarium sells Black Worms.


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