Christmas Question

[Bud Smith]

Merry Christmas to everyone

I have some time before everyone arrives to open presents and I have a question about freeze dried black worms

When I feed freeze dried black worms they will not fall to the bottom of the tank very well - anyone else notice this?
My discus like to feed off of the bottom or while the food is mid range in the tank and the brand Iam using now just will not sink
very well

[TURQ64]

You can press cubes against the glass. Both cubes and loose can be soaked for a half hour prior to feeding, and they will sink somewhat...after feedings, clean the waterline at the rim for leftovers that turn slimey...

[Chicago Discus]

You can press cubes against the glass. Both cubes and loose can be soaked for a half hour prior to feeding, and they will sink somewhat...after feedings, clean the waterline at the rim for leftovers that turn slimey...

are freeze dried ok???????????????

[PAR23]

are freeze dried ok???????????????

If you are referring to contracting diseases, they should be fine if they are from reputable sellers. I feed FDBW from Al's without any issues.

[Wes]

are freeze dried ok??????????????? yes. plenty of good stuff to read about AL'S F.D. Worms............................................. ..... Forum: AquaticSuppliers Freeze Dried Black Worms (Al Sabetta) - Northford, Connecticut
USA and Canada Distributor of Freeze Dried Australian Blackworms

[seanyuki]

Train the discus......imo hungry they will eat........whether it's FDBW(cubes or non cubes),flakes,floating pellets,sinking pellets or even yr homemade foods.

[Skip]

they will eat off surface

[Bud Smith]

are freeze dried ok???????????????

Freeze dried blackworms are excellent food. There are California and Australian black worms sold on forum and both are excellent. One I think just processes the worms a certain way which causes them to float and not sink so easily. I have soaked them and pushed against the glass and they still go to the top. They get eaten but not as quick as the other. I just was curious if anybody else has noticed the difference if you have fed both

[PAR23]

I have tried and fed both and both float.....I believe they are both processed the same way. Once caught in the filter current, they will disperse throughout water column. As stated above, once trained, they will rush to the top to eat

[Discus PB]

My discus just come to the top and eat them. They also eat flake food off the top.

[ShinShin]

Josie,

I have had communications with Mal on his growing process. Because of his set-up there is almost no chance of buying unclean worms. "Unclean" meaning worms that may be contaminated with toxins and heavy meatals, or pathogens. I would actually feed Mal's worms live if he were living in my neighborhood. Any other worms that are freezedried are the same worms people are buying live and frozen, and you have already stated you have made a decesion on them. Freezedrying does not kill all pathogens nor their eggs.

Mat

[Bill63SG]

Take your worm cones,if you use them, and turn them upside down and slide them down a few inches.Keeps it from floating to top.

[Melissa]

Ahh bill, that's an excellent idea.

Mat- you just freaked me out a little. Have you had a bad experience with freeze dried worms giving your fishes something or known someone who has??

[Discus Origins]

Josie,

I have had communications with Mal on his growing process. Because of his set-up there is almost no chance of buying unclean worms. "Unclean" meaning worms that may be contaminated with toxins and heavy meatals, or pathogens. I would actually feed Mal's worms live if he were living in my neighborhood. Any other worms that are freezedried are the same worms people are buying live and frozen, and you have already stated you have made a decesion on them. Freezedrying does not kill all pathogens nor their eggs.

Mat

Mat,

I too have read on both Mal and Dans growing process. How are you able to guarantee Mal's live is pathogen free vs Dan's? Mal's may be grown in man made troughs instead of in a pond, but the water being dripped thru Mal's troughs are still sourced from his surrounding pond/water source.

So both sources' worms are essentially raised from natural sources of water, how can one be completely pathogen free vs another. Am I missing something?

[ShinShin]

I was told by Mal that the water was not from an outdoor source and troughs were inside.

Mat

[Discus Origins]

That info would contradict his own website. The farm used to be a trout farm before being turned into a worm farm...who knows what pathogens were not fully eradicated during the conversion. Water is pumped into outside retention ponds on his property before being pumped into the worm troughs. Maybe that counts as a 'non-outside' source once its in his ponds? He has both inside and outside troughs but water going in them are still coming from ponds.

Too many factors for me to declare one source 'safer' than another, that's why I have not endorsed one over the other while using both.

[ShinShin]

That is news to me, Mark. I was under the impression from my communications with Mal that no outside water or troughs were being used. If in fact your info is accurate, that would change the whole picture for me. I would not endorse Mal's over anybody elses worms, nor would I use any more of them myself. I will have to contact Mal again for clarification. Maybe as his business expanded, he changed things up. Thank you, too, for making me aware of your info.

Mat

[Discus Origins]

Mat, don't give me too much credit yet...I may be wrong :) I have only researched his website not spoken with him directly. I'm on the same page with you as trying to ensure a pathogen free live food source but unless the source is grown in a sterile lab environment I don't think anyone can claim to be.

That being said, I believe both Dan and Mal are trying to be as careful as naturally possible to provide all of us with clean source of live food.