Re: tubifex

[daktari@earthlink.net]

Mroz, Tom wrote:
> 
> I'm almost ashamed to say so, but I currently have some wild form
> cacatuoides that are (inadvertently) getting blackworms in their diet.
> I'm ashamed because everyone "knows" that blackworms/tubifex worms cause
> bloat in apistos, dont' they?   The inadvertent part is that I dropped
> some ~3/4" cacatuoides fry into a tank where I am keeping some empire
> gudgeons, just as dither and to see how they would grow out.  I feed the
> empires blackworms every couple days.  The cacatuoides have almost
> doubled in size in the past several weeks and are the most full bodied,
> robust (but not bloated!) cacatuoides I have ever raised!
> 
> Now, am I convinced that this is not only safe, but desireable?  Well,
> let's just say I have not had the guts to throw blackworms into my
> grow-out tank for cacatuoides yet.  Still too much concern over the
> bloat issue.
> 
> Some additional random observations:
> 
> - I had a stray Nannacara anomala in a catfish "only" tank that got
> blackworms all the time.  I just took the fish out the other day, and it
> is the plumpest, healthiest looking 2 1/2"+ anomala I have ever seen.
> And I am one of those guys that has never been able to spawn anomala,
> and in fact typically end up with weak, sick fish.
> 
> - I was growing out Corydoras barbatus and some pandurini recently.  I
> fed blackworms occasionally for the Corys with no sickness issues with
> the pandurini.  Feedings were small enough that the pandurinis were not
> getting enough to expect significant growth, but they all swam around
> with one jammed down their throat every feeding!
> 
> - I started feeding blackworms to my discus pair when the female stopped
> eating anything else (she stopped eating first, then the worms - not the
> other way around).  This once shy pair of fish now greet me true
> cichlid-style whenever I come near the tank, just hoping and praying
> I'll shove some worms down their throats.  THey only get blackworms a
> couple times a week at best, but their behavior appears to be
> consistently improved.  Not a dwarf, but a cichlid at least.
> 
> For blackworms, I tend to buy 1/2 lb. at a time, clean them with
> multiple water changes every 2 or 3 days, and keep them in the
> refrigerator.  They always look in good condition, which is contrary to
> the quality of worms I have occasionally seen for sale.  Because I get
> 1/2 lb., I have them around for a few weeks, which I would guess further
> cleans them out as they get nothing to eat (but they all do live, which
> to me is both amazing and fortunate).
> 
> Further regarding sickness and worm quality, I have never, ever seen a
> corydoras sickness/death linked to good quality, clean worms.  But, I
> have (rarely) fed poor quality as-received worms to corys, and had
> significant problems with disease and mortality.  Perhaps it is not
> worms themselves, but how they are kept, regardless of the species they
> are fed to?
> 
> Tom (still probably not going to feed blackworms to my cacatuoides, not
> quite yet)
> > ----------
> > From:         Ed Pon[SMTP:edpon@hotmail.com]
> > Reply To:     apisto@majordomo.pobox.com
> > Sent:         Friday, December 05, 1997 10:16 AM
> > To:   apisto@majordomo.pobox.com
> > Subject:      Fwd: tubifex
> >
> > >
> > >I recently heard that tubifex can cause bloat in cichlids.  Anyone
> > have
> > any
> > >experience with them.
> >snip

I  never  had  any  problems, but then  again I  developed a  ritual 
for  cleaning  the  black  tubifex  species, that  consists  of  an
anti-fungal ( liqiud  fungus  cure )  soak  for  a  few  minutes. Then 
rinse  with  fresh  water.  I  also  alternate  foods,  sometimes 
feeding  3  or  4  different  food  on  the  same  day.  
example flake  food  with  some  vegetable  content, next  feeding 
worms,  then  next  feeding  brine  shrimp  and  so on.