# 'Worms' at Dragon Aquarium



## Joeee (Apr 3, 2010)

I saw that at Dragon Aquarium they have something labelled as 'worms' right beside their ghost shrimp and feeder fish. Does anyone know what type of worms these are?


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## arc (Mar 11, 2010)

I believe they were blood worms but lost time I was there was almost a year ago so I could be wrong.


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## Joeee (Apr 3, 2010)

arc said:


> I believe they were blood worms but lost time I was there was almost a year ago so I could be wrong.


I forgot to ask them ;[

I was hoping they would be microworms so I can start my own culture.


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## bae (May 11, 2007)

Joeee said:


> I forgot to ask them ;[
> 
> I was hoping they would be microworms so I can start my own culture.


They aren't likely to be bloodworms, which are the larvae of a mosquito-like insect, or the store would be full of the adults!

Microworms are about 1-3 mm long, and in nature live in moist soil. They drown in water. If you want some I can give you a starter culture.

My guess is that they are blackworms, a cleaner relative of tubifex that are grown commercially in California these days. While you can culture them on a small scale, they aren't very productive.


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## carmenh (Dec 20, 2009)

They are blackworms...


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## Joeee (Apr 3, 2010)

bae said:


> They aren't likely to be bloodworms, which are the larvae of a mosquito-like insect, or the store would be full of the adults!
> 
> Microworms are about 1-3 mm long, and in nature live in moist soil. They drown in water. If you want some I can give you a starter culture.
> 
> My guess is that they are blackworms, a cleaner relative of tubifex that are grown commercially in California these days. While you can culture them on a small scale, they aren't very productive.


I'd love to take a starter culture from you, but I have no transportation to downtown Toronto and it would be too much to ask for you to deliver.

Does anyone in the Mississauga/Brampton area have microworms?


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## Firerox (Apr 26, 2010)

Last I went to Dragon aquarium (Is it the asian shop beside the big al's?) I saw those worms in the back, around the middle. I'm pretty sure they were bloodworms.


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## Twiggles (Jun 6, 2010)

Which one of those worm foods would be best for dwarf puffers? I'm looking for something else to feed my puffers in addition to bloodworms and pest snails.


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## TBemba (Jan 11, 2010)

The best food is the blackworms they are said to be cleaner and without parasite issues. In the past, over 15 year ago. I remember Bloodworms where considered a risk to feed your fish because some people thought that their fish had contacted parasites from bloodworms. I used to condition Discus to breed with bloodworms and I never had an issue.


Oh you must look at them. They should be in a cooler or fridge and the water should be clear. They fowl the water pretty quickly with slime like substance. You have to keep them in the fridge and change the water daily to keep them alive and not have them dying on you. Hard to keep them for more than a week. Fish go nuts for them and they should be used sparingly. Best to get small amounts (use like a treat)


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## Twiggles (Jun 6, 2010)

TBemba said:


> The best food is the blackworms they are said to be cleaner and without parasite issues. In the past, over 15 year ago. I remember Bloodworms where considered a risk to feed your fish because some people thought that their fish had contacted parasites from bloodworms. I used to condition Discus to breed with bloodworms and I never had an issue.
> 
> Oh you must look at them. They should be in a cooler or fridge and the water should be clear. They fowl the water pretty quickly with slime like substance. You have to keep them in the fridge and change the water daily to keep them alive and not have them dying on you. Hard to keep them for more than a week. Fish go nuts for them and they should be used sparingly. Best to get small amounts (use like a treat)


I'll definitely have to try some blackworms then, I'm sure my puffers would appreciate it as well lol. I think I know what you mean - when I'm at my cottage I keep leeches in a container in the fridge for fishing bait, when left for a day or two the water is basically all slime so you gotta change it with lake water to keep them alive. 
I read somewhere that you can keep blackworms alive by having like a plastic container filled up with an inch of water and layers of paper towel (the safe kind) on the bottom, that and putting in a bit of fish food .. would you know anything about that or do you think just it's easier to just buy some when needed?


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## Joeee (Apr 3, 2010)

Twiggles said:


> I read somewhere that you can keep blackworms alive by having like a plastic container filled up with an inch of water and layers of paper towel (the safe kind) on the bottom, that and putting in a bit of fish food .. would you know anything about that or do you think just it's easier to just buy some when needed?


After a bit of research, I read that you do that and stir them around with a fork to get them to reproduce, because they reproduce asexually when they're cut in half. I think it was also a 75% change every week?


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## vaporize (Apr 10, 2006)

black worms are regularly available at Wong's (east chinatown), they are really great to get hard to feed fish eating. But there are also talks that they have parasites and also have high fatty content causing digestive issues for certain fish.

never the less, they are easy to "keep", just change water and throw them in the refrigerator, last easily 2 -3 months without feeding. I believe they need to be cultured in 'chilled' water temperature though.


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## carmenh (Dec 20, 2009)

LOL, another interesting way to keep them is hanging in a nylon stocking or other fine mesh container in your toilet tank. Every time it's flushed, they get rinsed, and it stays cool. 
I tried this once but the mesh of the stocking I used was too fine and it didn't rinse...at all...and I didn't check it for a few days...the smell was indescribable...
I still think in the right vessel it would work really well...but I'm not allowed to try again 



vaporize said:


> never the less, they are easy to "keep", just change water and throw them in the refrigerator, last easily 2 -3 months without feeding. I believe they need to be cultured in 'chilled' water temperature though.


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## Twiggles (Jun 6, 2010)

carmenh said:


> LOL, another interesting way to keep them is hanging in a nylon stocking or other fine mesh container in your toilet tank. Every time it's flushed, they get rinsed, and it stays cool.
> I tried this once but the mesh of the stocking I used was too fine and it didn't rinse...at all...and I didn't check it for a few days...the smell was indescribable...
> I still think in the right vessel it would work really well...but I'm not allowed to try again


lol that's hilarious, don't know if I would try it but I see where your idea's coming from. And actually i know where Wong's is so I could check them out, a plastic container in the fridge is probably the way I'd go. And as far as health issues I guess I should only feed them blackworms like once or twice a week?


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