Re: Live Foods Digest V4 #94

[George Slusarczuk <yurko at warwick_net>]

Hello Tomoko,

Some years ago I obtained a Tubifex starter culture from LFS Cultures.

Their directions are good and the culture prospered. After a while I
realized that it contained TWO distinct kinds of worms: A thin,
threadlike worm and a thicker one.

I isolated the two species and cultured them separately. Partly though
neglect the "thick" worms died out and now I am left with the "thin"
ones.

I don't put much effort in changing water, substrate etc. Without
attention they do multiply slowly, about two orders of magnitude slower
than Grindals. They are good for an occasional snack. One positive thing
-- they live in water indefinitely, but so do Daphnia, which are much
more productive.

Best,

George

 
> Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2002 14:20:42 -0600
> From: "Tomoko Schum" <tomokoschum at knology_net>
> Subject: Blackworms vs tubifex
> 
> Hi y'all,
> 
> First of all, thank you Paul for answering my
> question.  Whatever it is in my blackworm
> culture, they are causing a decline of my
> blackworms.
> 
> Jennifer Macke's post on "Alternative" from a
> few weeks ago really piqued my curiosity.  I
> know that tubifex is regarded as dirty
> disease carrying worms by most people.
> However, the source that Jennifer sited
> (Sachs Aquaculture) seems to have clean
> cultures.  LFS Cultures sells tubifex as well
> and they said that theirs are clean and never
> caused any problem.
> 
> Now that I have to start over my blackworm
> culture, I am interested in trying tubifex.
> Have anyone else tried tubifex from these two
> sources?
> 
> I heard that tubifex multiply much faster
> than blackworms.  Is this true?
> 
> Tomoko