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I would like to try feeding earthworms from my backyard to my corydoras and would like to know how to safely prepare them for feed? How do you drain their "guts", do I need to cut them into tiny pieces so it fits in the cory's mouthes? They seem rubbery.

I have never fed live backyard worms. I have the earthworms sinking pellets.

I think I have read that people rinse them off and then chop them up and add to tank. Did you search this site for earthworm?

I just dig them up from my garden and quickly clean them in water before I chop them up and put them in the tank.

Some people put them in moist sand for a day to let them clean out the gut as well.

I get an old & clean margarine tub or fishing baitbox with a few small air holes in the lid. Fill this with damp sphagnum moss & pop the worms in.Store it some where cool with no danger of overheating or freezing. After a couple of days the worms will have cleaned themselves out!

Then prepare as you wish - feed whole, chop up, or for corys - liquidise or finely shred. It depends on how big the worms are & how big the corys are. I have a dedicated aquarium chopping board & knife also a mezzaluna-style blade for when i need them ultra finely chopped

I lightly wet a sheet of newspaper and fold it several times and place it into an icecream container (with a few airholes in the lid) add a few worms then another sheet of damp paper then more worms then paper etc etc and place in the fridge for a few days.
This methods cleans them inside and out and they seem to absorb the water and get really wriggly and juicy
I use this method when I buy worms for fishing, which are of course generally near deaths door when bought as they are normally just kept on the warm shop shelves but after a few days in the fridge they are ready to go

I just rinse and chop them. Is is really necessary to purge their guts?

I usually rinse them off and take a pen or pencil and roll it down the worm and all the crap comes right out. Then chop them up however you want. Keep in mind that you shouldn't use worms from your yard or garden if you use fertilizer or pesticides on them.

I don't think it is necessary to clean them out but it does keep the water and filters from getting as fowled.

I agree with Trent, that it's probably not necessary to "clean" the earthworms, except to avoid extra filter loading. I have red wigglers and they are pretty small, up to 2 inches long. I heartlessly put one on a block of wood and chop it into pieces about 1/4" long each. The corys seem to appreciate it! I might want to clean more if I had large night crawlers.

Paul