Feeding: Blood worm

blueblue · Post by **blueblue** » Sat Jun 10, 2006 1:08 pm

I am thinking about feeding my zebra with live blood worm but i am concerned with the internal parasites and gems that come with the blood worm. For my apistos (i have been keeping a lot of apistogramma for years), i would sterilize the blood worm with some standard medicine but i do not know if it is wise for zebra. Are there any advices on feeding zebra with blood worm? Thanks much.

Dale90g · Post by **Dale90g** » Sat Jun 10, 2006 3:03 pm

You are ahead of me on this - I have always heard of nasties in live food. I wouldn't take the chance when frozen blood worms are available.
But that is my opinion. Since you are doing it for other fish, maybe you got it down and got a handle on it.
Others may have better input than this - best of luck.

NetsuaiAngel · Post by **NetsuaiAngel** » Sat Jun 10, 2006 11:52 pm

My experiences with live blood worms make me sketchy to feed them to my zebras. I've lost a few bettas to live blood worms.

I'm not sure what you could use to steralize them. If the method you're using with your apistos is working, I would stick with that. To reduce any possible risk, you may want to steralize a week ahead and keep the steralized worms in a fresh and clean environment. (perhaps steralize a canning mason jar in boiling water and let it cool down, then make that the home for the clean worms). You could use two steralize mason jars, switch the blood worms out daily after their daily rinse. Seems more effort but would reduce chances of bacteria growth.

It would seem more benficial when you buy live blood worms to keep them in clean water and make sure they're in a quality environment to reduce to risk of contamination or growth of "bad things". Or grow your own worms, which I hear is pretty nasty.

How big is your zebra?

Breeders have suggested chopping up the blood worms in small pieces to reduce the risk of baby fry choking.

Just my two cents.

- Angela

blueblue · Post by **blueblue** » Sun Jun 11, 2006 2:30 am

Thanks Dale and Angela. My zebra are mature and are 7cm+ long.
For blood worms, i used to sterilize them with diluted formalin 37%;
My biggest concern is, zebra as a pleco, may be poisoned easily by
medicine and die... some people use garlic juice to sterilize the blood worm and this option i am willing to try (though its effectiveness is under doubt...) ... are there any sterilizing drugs/methods that are safe to try?

NetsuaiAngel · Post by **NetsuaiAngel** » Sun Jun 11, 2006 9:46 am

Garlic has been the new craze lately in fish food and so has vitamin C. I would vote for the garlic to be safe. Or you can continue using the formalin, except I would rinse them really, really, really, really...did I say really yet?... well and maybe give them a good soak in clean water for 5-8 minutes (not sure if they can hold their breath that long)

But I'm just theorizing here...you may want to wait for others to vouch their opinions

blueblue · Post by **blueblue** » Sun Jun 11, 2006 5:14 pm

Thanks Angela. Have tried garlic and it should be very safe (but is it effective enough?) How about you? Do you feed your zebra with live food?

NetsuaiAngel wrote:Garlic has been the new craze lately in fish food and so has vitamin C. I would vote for the garlic to be safe. Or you can continue using the formalin, except I would rinse them really, really, really, really...did I say really yet?... well and maybe give them a good soak in clean water for 5-8 minutes (not sure if they can hold their breath that long)

But I'm just theorizing here...you may want to wait for others to vouch their opinions

NetsuaiAngel · Post by **NetsuaiAngel** » Sun Jun 11, 2006 8:31 pm

I'm too scared!

There's only a few LFS out here. A new one just opened up. But I've bought live blood worms from two of the oldest stores and I've lost a few of my bettas to feeding them bloodworms. Now I can't say that was the direct cause of death but I try to avoid live foods right now until I get a better understanding and handle on what I'm providing to my fish before giving them live foods.

I lost my female zebra a while ago and I'm not sure of the cause of death but she was getting live food a while ago and she just passed away...no signs of fin damage, red stomach, bloatines, or anything... like she passed away sleeping

>cry<.

So I'm very paranoid and skittish to try live foods. IMO I don't think I'm skilled enough to do it right now...or I haven't found reputable live food sources in my region.

- Angela

blueblue · Post by **blueblue** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 6:34 am

Thanks Angela for the sharings

and sad to learn that the female zebra has passed away

For me, i finally give up to use the live blood worm even though i already bought some. i continue to feed the zebra with a large quantity of freshly
hatched bbs (i used to hatch a lot of bbs everyday for my apistos and their fry). The zebra love bbs and bbs is full of protein. In addition, i
also feed the zebra with some Tropical VegeTabin B even though i haven't seen them touch it ... As the VegeTabin will dissolve in water, i believe that the zebra will eat some of it if it is NOT too bad to eat

NetsuaiAngel wrote:I'm too scared!

There's only a few LFS out here. A new one just opened up. But I've bought live blood worms from two of the oldest stores and I've lost a few of my bettas to feeding them bloodworms. Now I can't say that was the direct cause of death but I try to avoid live foods right now until I get a better understanding and handle on what I'm providing to my fish before giving them live foods.

I lost my female zebra a while ago and I'm not sure of the cause of death but she was getting live food a while ago and she just passed away...no signs of fin damage, red stomach, bloatines, or anything... like she passed away sleeping >cry<.

So I'm very paranoid and skittish to try live foods. IMO I don't think I'm skilled enough to do it right now...or I haven't found reputable live food sources in my region.

- Angela

jerms55555 · Post by **jerms55555** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 7:39 pm

I give my zebras live blood worms! I just give them a good washing! I only feed them about 4-6 times a month but they love live food!! I use what I can for that day and throw out the rest! I know when my LFS gets there shipment in and buy it that day and feed that day. I have never had a problem with them.....well maybe. Sometimes i notice that the worms will dig themselves in the sand and I have found a few weeks later while vacuuming the gravel. But besides that my zebras look pretty happy,fat and breeding!

CDNAqua · Post by **CDNAqua** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 7:48 pm

Hi,

I use LIVE black worms on my zebs. They LOVE em and get very fat on them.

Black worms are the only live FOODS I feed.. I have had no parasites internal or exterabnl parasites.

Other frozen foods I provide are brine shrimp, blood worms and krill.

Zebs really prefer worms.... Or at least mine do.

peace

Troy

blueblue · Post by **blueblue** » Fri Jun 16, 2006 8:43 am

i see and thanks much all for the advice.