Weird question: Hiding blackworms

[Quokka]

Hi everyone,

I am planning on getting some blackworms to feed my fish, namely Corydoras sterbai, Corydoras hastatus, Dermogenys sp, Megalechis thoracata, as well as my ever-increasing guppies (They are not all in the same tank).

As spring is coming the ambient temperature is slowly increasing, and I heard that storing blackworms in the fridge is the best way and also ensures they last longer.

The catch is.....I live in an apartment-style boarding house and I do not have my own fridge, but there is one that is open for everyone who lives here to live.

People never steal each other's stuff and there is plenty of room inside...But I assume quite a lot of people will freak out if they see a shallow plastic box filled with squirming tiny worms with their food haha.

So my question is....do you have any suggestions on how I could pull this off? I was thinking about a dark colored plastic box with air holes punched in the lid...but maybe there could be a better way?

Thanks for any sneaky ideas in advance!

[bekateen]

Hi Quokka,

True, I save blackworms in the fridge in an open box with 2" water. But if you can't do that, then you can leave the worms in the bag, closed with a rubber band. Rinse the worms with fresh water when you first buy them, and leave the fish in the bag covered by at least 1/2" water (you do not need to use any dechlorinator). And make sure the rest of the bag is full of air. Then change the water every 1-2 days.

Cheers, Eric

[MChambers]

I've kept them alive for weeks in a Marina breeder box on one of my tanks.

[Quokka]

Hi Quokka,

True, I save blackworms in the fridge in an open box with 2" water. But if you can't do that, then you can leave the worms in the bag, closed with a rubber band. Rinse the worms with fresh water when you first buy them, and leave the fish in the bag covered by at least 1/2" water (you do not need to use any dechlorinator). And make sure the rest of the bag is full of air. Then change the water every 1-2 days.

Cheers, Eric

Thanks yet again Eric! So they are sealed airtight but with a large amount of air in the bag? Do you think airholes will not be enough?
Changing the water every few days I will definitely do!

I've kept them alive for weeks in a Marina breeder box on one of my tanks.

I see! I guess the breeder box had good water flow and the tank's temperature was not too high?

[bekateen]

So they are sealed airtight but with a large amount of air in the bag? Do you think airholes will not be enough?
Changing the water every few days I will definitely do!

If you puncture holes in the bag, it will collapse when its air leaks out. No holes in the bag. Alternatively, you can store them in the fridge in an clean plastic or glass jar, like an empty spaghetti sauce jar or peanut butter jar.

Leave the jar about 2/3 full of air., change water every day or two.

[MChambers]

Hi Quokka,

True, I save blackworms in the fridge in an open box with 2" water. But if you can't do that, then you can leave the worms in the bag, closed with a rubber band. Rinse the worms with fresh water when you first buy them, and leave the fish in the bag covered by at least 1/2" water (you do not need to use any dechlorinator). And make sure the rest of the bag is full of air. Then change the water every 1-2 days.

Cheers, Eric

Thanks yet again Eric! So they are sealed airtight but with a large amount of air in the bag? Do you think airholes will not be enough?
Changing the water every few days I will definitely do!

I've kept them alive for weeks in a Marina breeder box on one of my tanks.

I see! I guess the breeder box had good water flow and the tank's temperature was not too high?

Good flow and an additional airstone. The temperature has been as high as the upper 70s, without problem. Include a layer of sand or gravel for the worms, too.

[Lycosid]

Good flow and an additional airstone. The temperature has been as high as the upper 70s, without problem. Include a layer of sand or gravel for the worms, too.

Gravel, airstone, water changes, and stale vegetarian pleco food disks is how I raise blackworms (not just maintain them).

[dw1305]

Hi all,

Gravel, airstone, water changes, and stale vegetarian pleco food disks is how I raise blackworms (not just maintain them).

I've maintained the same culture for the last ~10 years. I have them in the substrate of the tanks (

Corydoras

will eliminate them), in the filter and also as separate cultures, details are in UKAPS: "Blackworm and Asellus...https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/bla ... ets.50145/".

cheers Darrel

[Mol_PMB]

I have two thriving cultures in the substrate of fish tanks without Corydoras. When I siphon the substrate at water-change, I separate the worms and feed them to other tanks.

I use a dennerle substrate with grain size about 2mm, which seems ideal for them.

Temperatures in these tanks are as high as 27C and the worms do well on a diet of left-over fish food.

Regards,
Paul

[Quokka]

Thanks for all the replies! I will try to use either a breeder box are a shallow box as planned haha

Hopefully all my fish enjoy their snacks!

On a side note....do port hoplos show interest in dwarf shrimp? I hope they do not!