Lumbricus rubellus aka red worms

[Hassles]

Lumbricus rubellus - aka red worms

I have been communicating with fellow Apisto keepers / breeders (abroad) some of whom have had disasterous experiences with blackworms. Many of these are now feeding red worms to their Apistos. A little research uncovered the fact that Lumbricus rubellus is one of 3 commonly employed worms used in composting farms. The worms thrive on kitchen scraps.

Is anybody here feeding worms to their Apistos and what worms are you feeding them

On a personal note, I use good 'ol Aussie Blackworms (both live and freeze dried) in all of my Apisto tanks.

[Reillin]

When I buy blackworms, I'm very careful to make sure that the bags are in a fridge or even in a healthy looking tank bubbling away. Most, if not all live blackworms come from Aussie Blackworms p/l and how they are stored can determine how healthy they are for water friends.

I think when you get them home, keep them in cold water with daily waterchanges can help them to stay healthy and make sure that the tank is heavily aerated. When you change water, stir the worms around, if there are whitish worms (dead worms), then your colony is not as healthy as it should be. Healthy blackworms should feel slightly tough and they should separate easily. Dying worms feel very soft and they do not curl or hold their shape when removed from the water. Healthy worms will move and swim about when disrupted. I also noticed that during hot weather, the worms are not as high of a quality as when the weather is cooler. This is probably due to deteriorating water conditions during the transport from the farm to the subsequent storage in warmer than usual waters at the stores/counter-top.

It is vital to feed only the healthiest of the blackworms and you'll avoid most of the troubles with bacteria infested dead worms. Another method I have heard of is to place the worms in a bucket with a tap dripping slowly into the bucket, this ensures a constant supply of fresh water. The chlorine in normal tap water does not seem to bother the worms.

Feed a variety to your apistos, supplying them with daphnia, mozzie wrigglers, copepods, newly hatched baby brine shrimps can add vigour and colour to your apistos, as it will supply closer to complete nutrition and make your apistos less likely to become spoilt into only eating one certain type of food. I would also put in some flakes and other prepared food, as you never know when your schedule may change and a quick feed of dried or frozen food is all you can manage.

All in all, if the worms do cause problems, then I suggest stop feeding them blackworms for a while and see if the problem persists. I have tried earthworms, and bought myself a worm-farm from Bunnings. The only problem seems to be convenience. It's blooming cold outside and I must say groping through the muck then purging them and then chopping them to the right size can be a chore best left for when my fingers are not so blue.

Cheers,
Vien.