i see alot of people feed your fish worms. whats hte nut. value if i just buy them from a say a bait shop? high protien? how so is it cause of their diet?? which is ?
nut. value of earth worms and night crawlers
- Thread starter AikidoGuy
- Start date
What I could find quickly (about to go for lunch) :
Earthworms are very high in protein (over 70%), low in fat (less than 15%), and high in carbohydrates (around 14%)
Earthworms are high nutritional value but they should never be fed directly to fish. First place them in a box of damp clean sand to allow their digestive system to clean out. They can then be chopped up or fed whole. Earthworms should be kept alive until ready for feeding. They do not freeze well and tend to go mushy
Earthworms are very high in protein (over 70%), low in fat (less than 15%), and high in carbohydrates (around 14%)
Earthworms are high nutritional value but they should never be fed directly to fish. First place them in a box of damp clean sand to allow their digestive system to clean out. They can then be chopped up or fed whole. Earthworms should be kept alive until ready for feeding. They do not freeze well and tend to go mushy
In a post a couple months ago a member said that insead of using sand they used cold oatmeal, to add a bit more nutrition to the worms. The member also added vitamins to the oatmeal, another added bonus for the fish.
I can't vouch for the above, but I can vouch that my fish love earthworms.
I can't vouch for the above, but I can vouch that my fish love earthworms.
rather than allowing the worms digestive track to clear out, I take a more hands on approach, if your squeemish it may not be the best idea, but I squeeze all the dirt/gunk out of the worm manually. it is possible to "gut load" worms for higher nutritional value, but I really don't want to put out the effort.
oon a side note, I'm building my worm box for composting and raising worms, anyone have any suggestions?
heres a link on worms:
www.worman.com
oon a side note, I'm building my worm box for composting and raising worms, anyone have any suggestions?
heres a link on worms:
www.worman.com
We feed bait worms to our SW tanks as a staple part of their diet. Other than rinsing them off, we dont' worry about 'cleaning' the gut. We've been doing this for over a year, with no adverse effects. The lionfish who moved in 4-5 months ago from our reef (he was getting big enough to threaten small fish) has doubled in size since moving.
The only concerns I would have about feeding the 'dirty' worms to a freshwater tank include parasites--there are a few parasites that live in a worms gut that MIGHT be able to infect aquarium fish...But not enough that I would worry much, and none that are fatal. Most bait dealers sell 'clean' worms--many states have laws about importing bait, to prevent infection in wild fisheries. This protects aquarium fish as well.
The only other problem I have-I occassionally will chop up a worm for my fish (the newts get worm as a staple as well)-is that EVERYONE in my tank loves it, and I have to make sure no big pieces are fed. Small mouthed fish will try and swallow a huge chunk. I had to catch my peacock eel and remove a chunk of worm that he clearly would never be able to swallow.
The only concerns I would have about feeding the 'dirty' worms to a freshwater tank include parasites--there are a few parasites that live in a worms gut that MIGHT be able to infect aquarium fish...But not enough that I would worry much, and none that are fatal. Most bait dealers sell 'clean' worms--many states have laws about importing bait, to prevent infection in wild fisheries. This protects aquarium fish as well.
The only other problem I have-I occassionally will chop up a worm for my fish (the newts get worm as a staple as well)-is that EVERYONE in my tank loves it, and I have to make sure no big pieces are fed. Small mouthed fish will try and swallow a huge chunk. I had to catch my peacock eel and remove a chunk of worm that he clearly would never be able to swallow.
God made dirt so dirt don't hurt 
...
Like Oriongirl I never clean out my worms... Actually I don't even wash them off. I never bothered trying to raise my own as I get them cheap enough at walmart or the gas station.
... Like Oriongirl I never clean out my worms... Actually I don't even wash them off. I never bothered trying to raise my own as I get them cheap enough at walmart or the gas station.
sounds good to me, i wouldnt bother gutting them myself maybe just rinse it off before i tdrop in in the tnak and thats about it.
European Nightcrawlers are the main diet of my sting ray. I've never heard of gutting them until now....Unfortunately, the little buggers poop all over me anyway when I'm handling them between the fridge and the tank... 
They are nutricious and delicious and my ray comes charging when he sees the little wiggler in my fingers!! My parrots always try and steal a worm, too. They suck 'em right down!
Beth
They are nutricious and delicious and my ray comes charging when he sees the little wiggler in my fingers!! My parrots always try and steal a worm, too. They suck 'em right down!
Beth