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Blackworms
Hi All:
Sorry to have repeated what Wright wrote on the
Carolina Supply Article - I've go to stop using that "Send out later"
option.
The only problem I've had using Blackworms is
the tendency of some fish to overeat - especially Nothos. They will gorge
themselves to the point of destruction. So feed sparingly. I use glass
pudding cups to contain the worms as they will get into every crevice and
up into the mops near the float where the yard is tight. After rinsing, I
pull up a small quantity of worms with a baster. I then submerge the end of
the baster to a point just above the cup. Gently squeeze the
bulb. The worms will flow out of the baster and into the cup. The
worms will not be able to crawl out of the cup, and will remain
there unless the fish throw them out while feeding. It is amusing to
watch the fish the first time you do this. They try to get at the food
through the sides of the clear glass pudding disk. It takes them a while
to work their way over the edge of the cup and into the pile of
worms.
By the way, salt will kill the worms almost
immediately, so don't feed after adding solid salt to the aquarium. I
also noticed that once the worms get the hang of survival in the aquarium, they
will live for months on end, and will scavenge food including anything that
dies - fish, snails, etc. The less aggressive feeders seem to ignore
these "residents" but will go nuts over newly added worms. The more
aggressive Nothos, Fundulopanchax and most natives however, hunt them
down.
Fragments are alive, so don't discard the
pieces. The worms can be cut into small pieces for the smaller
killies and these fragments will stay alive for long periods. Cut them up
with a single edge razor on a glass or ceramic plate, a left over bathroom tile
is great for this. Rinse the fragments in a fine net before feeding to
clear away the blood resulting from the dissection.
Our local supplies here in central Florida are very
clean, no smell, and no apparent contamination aside from the occasional
leech. No diseases except gluttony have been introduced.
Charlie Nunziata
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