Blackworms?

Hi just received these in my fish order and they are suppose to be live blackworms? I haven't used these before for my elephant noses, usually it's live bloodworm but they are out of them, is it just me or do they look like tubifex? If they are I don't want to use them. Thanks

I've never had tubifex, but the black worms I've ordered are, in fact, black. Why don't you want tubifex?

Hi ive just heard such a lot about live tubifex carrying diseases that make fish sick and value my elephant noses to much to try. Thanks

They look like blackworms to me, at least that is what mine look like. I haven't met a fish yet that doesn't love them. I will buy freeze dried tubilex worms, they are a hit with the fish too.

I think if it was tubifex they would be a lot smaller, more hairlike.

Boundava said:

They look like blackworms to me, at least that is what mine look like. I haven't met a fish yet that doesn't love them. I will buy freeze dried tubilex worms, they are a hit with the fish too.

I think if it was tubifex they would be a lot smaller, more hairlike.

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Thanks, I take it you treat them the same as bloodworm and put in clean tank water before adding to the tank?

Elephant nose 4 said:

Hi ive just heard such a lot about live tubifex carrying diseases that make fish sick and value my elephant noses to much to try. Thanks

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Any live worms can bring diseases, it depends on where they came from and how they were collected and/raised.
Tubifex are usually pinkish.

Any live food can bring parasites. That is why it is recommended to treat your tanks regularly when feeding live foods.

yep, blackworms ( i think they are just a lil stressed)

Elephant nose 4 said:

Thanks, I take it you treat them the same as bloodworm and put in clean tank water before adding to the tank?

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When I bring the blackworms home I will rinse them out and out them into a container because I usually buy enough for about 5 days. I will then drain and refill the water daily until they are gone. Also depending on where I buy them, I may have to clean them a bit as some come with leeches that my fish won't eat and the leeches can foul the water relatively fast causing the worms to die.

I used to buy them from a relatively close lfs at $3.99 a portion in a cup, but I found a further lfs that sells them for $1.99 a portion or 4 oz for $15 (which I bought since so many of our fish eat live food only), so I store them in a plastic shoe box I used for isopods (so there are holes for air circulation).



The little blobs on the top are the leeches that I missed. It took about 30 minutes to clean them out when I first bought them.

Here is a close up. The leeches can be clear-ish or dark grey. They aren't hard to clean with a good pair of tongs, but tedious and I easily cleaned about 100 out.

Oh I also keep them refrigerated, they prefer cooler water and the fridge is perfect for keeping long term-or however long they last with hungry fish!

Blackworms should be black. Tubifex worms are red or pink.

Put them in a container of clean water and add an air stone. Change the water every day and leave them for a week or so. Then use them if you want to.

Tubifex worms are regularly found in sewerage farms.
Black worms are normally found in shallow drains, like storm water drains.

Black worms are a lot safer and cleaner than tubifex but if there are any white or grey worms in the mixture, do not feed them because the white and grey ones are dead and rotting and will make fish sick.

Thanks for all the help, I'll transfer them into a container and change the water for a few days before feeding.

This price difference doesn't look good to me, maybe i'm wrong