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Post by fishfever on Jun 24, 2009 21:19:23 GMT -5
Is it possible to grow white worms in the tank? I was reading Carl's article on nematodes and it caught my interest. All the articles I've ever read indicated you need a shoebox and peat moss, etc. It would seem to be alot easier if you could just drop a small starter culture in your tank and let them feed on scraps/waste and let the bottom feeders feed on them for a treat. Although I'd be a little afraid they could get out of control, like snails perhaps?
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Post by kagome on Jun 24, 2009 22:32:51 GMT -5
What kind of worms exactly?
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Post by Carl on Jun 25, 2009 9:43:28 GMT -5
While Worms can certainly grow inside an aquarium, the organic load to support them and the resulting rise in nitrate/ decline in pH would not be worth trying to propagate them in this way IMO. The article has several links at the bottom including a good one about propagating white worms, as this is not an area of much experience for me. Suzie Q also has more experience in this area (I have a link to her site, Over a Copper Moon as well in this Aquarium Answers post) Nematodes & Trematodes; Feeding WormsCarl |
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Post by Suzie Q (Lori) on Jun 25, 2009 14:18:09 GMT -5
In Betta...white worms are WHITE WORMS and will drowned. As Carl's info states...Nem's can be. Sorry guys....Convention has started...tied up until late  Lori |
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Post by fishfever on Jun 25, 2009 16:29:50 GMT -5
Sounds like the tradoffs are not worth it... and after reading how to raise them outside the tank, I don't think so. I can just imagine my wife's face opening one of these shoeboxes and finding a bunch of worms wiggling in it! Plus it's a bit hot here for the white worms, even in our basement it's getting kind of warmish without running the A/C.
I have also read about scuds which is kind of a shrimp. Apparently they can grow in your tank and help consume scraps and waste. I don't know if my fish (mollies, platys, tetras, catfish) would eat them though.
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Post by murdock6701 on Jun 25, 2009 16:52:37 GMT -5
mollies and platys will contribute a lot of waste to a tank but am afraid between the catfish eating them and vacuuming the bottom, scuds would be a losing battle too
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Post by fishfever on Jun 26, 2009 18:05:29 GMT -5
I have the feeling I'll be better off trying to grow live food in a small dedicated tank or barrel. Yes the vacuuming would probably do them in eventually; I don't mind the catfish eating them since they need more food diversity anyway. I did read about some who were able to get a colony of scuds growing in their cannister filter of all things! I guess they would feed on the waste products coming through and be safe from vacuuming there. So far all I've tried to cultivate is daphnia magma, but both starter cultures I've tried arrived with only a handful of living ones and even they didn't make it past 24 hours.
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Post by babygeige on Jul 3, 2009 13:41:21 GMT -5
I don't know if this would be helpful to you or not, but the most recent issue of TFH (August) has an excerpt from a book about culturing live foods. The excerpt in the magazine is how to cultivate various types of worms.
The book is called Culturing Live Foods by Michael Hellweg. It might be interesting for you to check out.
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