Ive got some live black worms and some brine shrimp. I didnt even think about asking the guy at the store how to keep them. I have the shrimp swimming around in a plastic container, and the worms are doused with water in another. How can I keep them alive for a while?
Keeping live food
- Thread starter Acclaimed
- Start date
In the fridge. If you keep them cold, they will live a great deal longer and stay fresh for your fish.
Yes, even the brineshrimp. If they're in the fridge they won't need air holes.
Hi Acclaimed 
Since the man at your lfs didn't tell you how to keep them, I'm guessing he didn't tell you how to clean them either.
Since they live in just a little water, they excrete and a few of them might die in there too. To avoid introducing bad bacteria from them into your aquarium, give them a good rinse in cold water when you bring them home and again every day you keep them.
To clean them, just put them in a cup or other container and fill with water. Stir them around to separate them and then let them settle back to the bottom. Pour the water off and repeat. Do this until the water runs clear. Since they are often neglected at the lfs, it might take several rinses when you bring them home, but one will probably do the trick after that. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator.
They are not eating and haven't been since they were shipped from the place they were grown, so do not plan to keep them for more than a few days. Once the start dying and looking bad, I would replace them with new. Above all, do not buy them from the lfs if they look or smell bad. They might have been laying around for too long and neglected by the employees there.
Since the man at your lfs didn't tell you how to keep them, I'm guessing he didn't tell you how to clean them either.
Since they live in just a little water, they excrete and a few of them might die in there too. To avoid introducing bad bacteria from them into your aquarium, give them a good rinse in cold water when you bring them home and again every day you keep them.
To clean them, just put them in a cup or other container and fill with water. Stir them around to separate them and then let them settle back to the bottom. Pour the water off and repeat. Do this until the water runs clear. Since they are often neglected at the lfs, it might take several rinses when you bring them home, but one will probably do the trick after that. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator.
They are not eating and haven't been since they were shipped from the place they were grown, so do not plan to keep them for more than a few days. Once the start dying and looking bad, I would replace them with new. Above all, do not buy them from the lfs if they look or smell bad. They might have been laying around for too long and neglected by the employees there.
clutterydrawer
where is my mind?
I tip mine into a tea strainer and rinse them through to clean them.
(a dedicated fishfood tea strainer...not the one i use for my tea...
)
(a dedicated fishfood tea strainer...not the one i use for my tea...
)abstract
Fish Herder
someone actually wrote a very useful post on keeping blackworms (i believe it was "joker"). i have been following those instructions exactly with a 1 tablespoon culture i got from my fish store 3 weeks ago and the culture is still going strong feeding to 3 different tanks a coupel times a week.
basically it says keep them in a fairly large container so that they are not too crowded with at least 2 inches of water (with a cover as they may crawl out - although i dont use one and haven't had problems). keep them in the fridge and change water daily (or twice daily as I do) - MAKING SURE TO USE COLD WATER - warm water will kill them off quick. throw in a small piece of the brown paper towel you would find at like a restaurant or department store bathroom and a shrimp pellet or so every week and they should live for a very long time.
good luck!
basically it says keep them in a fairly large container so that they are not too crowded with at least 2 inches of water (with a cover as they may crawl out - although i dont use one and haven't had problems). keep them in the fridge and change water daily (or twice daily as I do) - MAKING SURE TO USE COLD WATER - warm water will kill them off quick. throw in a small piece of the brown paper towel you would find at like a restaurant or department store bathroom and a shrimp pellet or so every week and they should live for a very long time.
good luck!
clutterydrawer
where is my mind?
what's the brown paper towel for abstract? 
Paul_MTS
MAD
have a read of jokers article it's in the betta and gouramai section pinned at the top, very informative i had a read a week back!!
With live foods i'ved just used a tea strainer aswell but I think if i can find black worms i'll do jokers culture thingy.
With live foods i'ved just used a tea strainer aswell but I think if i can find black worms i'll do jokers culture thingy.
abstract
Fish Herder
i'm not quite sure. all i know is i've tried normal paper towel too and some of them borrow into it.clutterydrawer said:what's the brown paper towel for abstract?
joker says:
"The worms can live long periods of time with-out food but the brown paper will let them feed over and over. If u want ur blackworms to reproduce in fast numbers. This is what I suggest change there water every day this avoids many parasites that could harm fish like I say better to be safe then sorry."
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