Live Black Worms

[epyllion]

We found a great local aquarium store that stocks live black worms and lots of great aquarium plants...and we've been working on a planted tank for our two cynops pyrrhogasters. (Hoping/fearing they'll get around to laying eggs one of these years with the new plant setup...) We feed our newts mostly a diet of smushed tubifex worms from dried cubes, thawed frozen bloodworms, and live earthworms from our garden (which they love)...and we're curious about introducing more live worms to their diet.

At the aquarium store, they say you can keep the worms (or at least some of them) in your tank...and your pets will get to them when they want to...but I'm wondering if that introduces problems. I've read in some old threads here at caudata that live black worms should be stored separately in very shallow water... but at the aquarium store we're seeing them fully immersed in water... Any advice /comments on keeping and feeding live black worms?

 

[merk199]

In the fridge I store then in plastic shoe boxes in just enough water to cover them.
I throw them in the tank and they usually get gobbled up immediately. Those that survive poke their heads out of the sand. Never had a weater quality issue when using them.

Rinse blackworms with declor water/old tank water 2 times a week. If they smell
you have waited too long to change the water and they are starting to die off.....
Don't worry it is a strong smell if you wait too long.

 

[epyllion]

Thanks--I think we'll try it and keep an eye and a nose on the tank...

 

[merk199]

They are remarkably easy...When I moved I had to give up my second refridgerator as it wouldn't fit down the basement stairs....Boy do I miss my blackworms...

 

[Jennewt]

If blackworms are in deep water, it needs to be well-airated. Thus, they survive in an aquarium of deep water, but die if they are stored under deep water in the fridge for any length of time. I also keep them in the fridge with just enough water to cover, and rinse daily.

You *do* need to worry about accumulation of too many of them in the substrate. I don't use blackworms at all in tanks that have sand or pebbles.