Blood worms and nutrition

[RD.]

You'd be better off feeding chopped earthworms. I've had fish hesitate on eating earthworms. I fixed that by mixing the chopped earthworms with some thawed O.N. bloodworms to get the BW scent on the earthworms.

Earthworm nutritional value:

Crude Protein-62.2%
Crude Fat-17.7%
Calcium-1.72

The above is somewhat misleading, as there is a major difference in nutritional content of a fresh worm that mostly consists of water (a non nutrient), and the nutritional content of a food where the water portion has been removed. Such as freeze dried worms. See below.

"Approximate analysis of earthworms was completed by Dr. Carl Cater in the Oilseed Products Laboratory at Texas A&M. He reported that on the samples tested moisture (volatile) averaged 80.44%. A further analysis of freeze-dried earthworms indicated the following components: oil 6.8-7.1%, nitrogen 10.6 - 11.0%, protein 66.2 - 68.6% and ash 9.3 - 9.7%. This would indicate that on whole, live earthworms are less than 14% protein. Therefore its use as food or a feed supplement would probably be limited. It should be noted that the freeze-dried product (after water is removed) compares favorably with defatted soy flour from the standpoint of amino acid availability. Further research may lead to the use of earthworms as a food supplement but this use is at best only a potential market."

 

[Adamson]

The Vita-Chem is not needed with the earthworms. Also know that earthworms alone does not constitute a complete diet but, would be a decent inclusion in a varied diet.

Do you purge the earthworms? If so, how?

 

[cvar]

Do you purge the earthworms? If so, how?

If left for a few days in the fridge (in a coffee can), the earthworms will purge themselves. But I don' t bother to purge them. I feed the small earthworms to my CL tank as is. I slice up the big ones. No problems. Our lawn gets no fertilizer nor pesticides.

 

[Johnez]

Curious as to how well blackworms stand in nutrition compared to bloodworms. I'd like to start a culture to keep a continuous live food supply going.

 

[Texas1203]

Not to hijack this thread but would earthworms bought at a fishing store be ok to feed my fish? I've never fed earthworms to my fish

I would also like to know the answer to this question… do y’all just buy the earth worms at like a fishing store, you know how they usually have them in styrofoam cups.

 

[Randles]

I would also like to know the answer to this question… do y’all just buy the earth worms at like a fishing store, you know how they usually have them in styrofoam cups.

This is what I do just in a much larger quantity as they are big part of my Axolotls diet. My Oscars also get them once/twice a week plus some crickets. Just make sure the worms are "plain" no dye or flavour additives/enhancers and your good to go etc

 

[FJB]

A number of folks, myself included routinely grow red worms (smallish earthworm) in bins. They are great, cheap and permanent. Carboard and clean kitchen scraps will do them great and it can be grown indoors, or outdoors, small or large.
Worms from safe soils are an excellent food, which can effectively be used successfully as part5 of a rotation of several types of high quality foods. By themselves, not so good, just like all foods. --> the same can be said of blackworms, bloodworms, mysids, etc., even if additionally fortified.

 

[Deelee]

I like HikarI bw...

I feed Hikari 1-2 per week. Fish seem to like and no issues from I can see

 

[BlueLineAquaticsSC]

I’ve heard before that the casing on bloodworms can act as a dietetic for fish and cause issues if given to much

 

[Melvin Russell]

Thank you, they look like they'll be a big upgrade for me.