Keeping blackworms alive

Paul B · 01-06-2010, 02:29 PM

This last live blackworm keeper so far is working great. I never have a dead worm and they are even multiplying. This is my third model as the first two were too small for the amount of worms I need to keep.
The secret to these things is they have to age for a couple of weeks to build up some bacteria. I have some eggcrate in there for that purpose. The shallow water flows over the worms and into the tank below. Some of the worms manage to get into the tank but they ball up and I suck them out and put them back on top in the trough. There is a very small powerhead in the tank that is suspended off the bottom. The worms don't swim so they don't get sucked into the pump.
This model has been running for a few months and I am very happy with it.
I feed the worms pieces of paper towels and some occasional flakes.

Dmaaaaax · 01-06-2010, 03:46 PM

Looking good. What are the seperate compartments for? More mature worms?

I used to keep black worms in 10g tank with gravel and plants and a HOB filter. They seemed to love it an flourish in the gravel but I needed the tank for other things and eventually broke it down. When I needed some, I would just vacuum up some and put them into the "regular" blackworm holders in the fridge.

Normally you would not see them at all in the tank, but ocassionally I would feed them an algae wafer and this is what you would see...a spot like this at each wafer:

WhiteGloveAquatics · 01-06-2010, 03:55 PM

Awesome, I was gonna post on how to keep them alive, good thing I got two extra tanks and the ability to build a flow tray.

Paul B · 01-06-2010, 05:21 PM

The seperate compartments and plastic window screen is to keep the worms from traveling down to the tank below. If they do, they fall into a jar and I suck them out.
The thing needs a few weeks to mature before you can keep worms in quantity.
In the beginning the water fouls easily, now I could throw a dead water buffalo in there and the bacteria would take care if it. Now there is plastic window screen in the tank to grow more bacteria, it is absent in the picture.
I have been keeping worms for decades to feed to my reef. I don't have a fresh water tank.

01-06-2010, 02:29 PM	#1 (permalink)
Paul B Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 433 Name: Paul B Location: Nassau NY Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Welcome to Aquarium Forum" 4 Times Said "Thanks" 0 Times Was Thanked 102 Times in 68 Posts	Keeping blackworms alive This last live blackworm keeper so far is working great. I never have a dead worm and they are even multiplying. This is my third model as the first two were too small for the amount of worms I need to keep. The secret to these things is they have to age for a couple of weeks to build up some bacteria. I have some eggcrate in there for that purpose. The shallow water flows over the worms and into the tank below. Some of the worms manage to get into the tank but they ball up and I suck them out and put them back on top in the trough. There is a very small powerhead in the tank that is suspended off the bottom. The worms don't swim so they don't get sucked into the pump. This model has been running for a few months and I am very happy with it. I feed the worms pieces of paper towels and some occasional flakes.

01-06-2010, 03:46 PM	#2 (permalink)
Dmaaaaax Dmaaaaax's Photo Gallery Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 756 Location: North Carolina Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Welcome to Aquarium Forum" 21 Times Said "Thanks" 35 Times Was Thanked 183 Times in 154 Posts	Re: Keeping blackworms alive Looking good. What are the seperate compartments for? More mature worms? I used to keep black worms in 10g tank with gravel and plants and a HOB filter. They seemed to love it an flourish in the gravel but I needed the tank for other things and eventually broke it down. When I needed some, I would just vacuum up some and put them into the "regular" blackworm holders in the fridge. Normally you would not see them at all in the tank, but ocassionally I would feed them an algae wafer and this is what you would see...a spot like this at each wafer: __________________ --->Pictures of my 75g Amazon tank<----

01-06-2010, 03:55 PM	#3 (permalink)
WhiteGloveAquatics WhiteGloveAquatics's Photo Gallery Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 2,112 Name: WhiteDevil Location: NW suburbs of chicago Feedback: 2 / 100% Said "Welcome to Aquarium Forum" 145 Times Said "Thanks" 48 Times Was Thanked 412 Times in 384 Posts	Re: Keeping blackworms alive Awesome, I was gonna post on how to keep them alive, good thing I got two extra tanks and the ability to build a flow tray.

01-06-2010, 05:21 PM	#4 (permalink)
Paul B Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 433 Name: Paul B Location: Nassau NY Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Welcome to Aquarium Forum" 4 Times Said "Thanks" 0 Times Was Thanked 102 Times in 68 Posts	Re: Keeping blackworms alive The seperate compartments and plastic window screen is to keep the worms from traveling down to the tank below. If they do, they fall into a jar and I suck them out. The thing needs a few weeks to mature before you can keep worms in quantity. In the beginning the water fouls easily, now I could throw a dead water buffalo in there and the bacteria would take care if it. Now there is plastic window screen in the tank to grow more bacteria, it is absent in the picture. I have been keeping worms for decades to feed to my reef. I don't have a fresh water tank.

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