# Other Aquarium Forums > Fish Care, Nutrition and Water Management >  ideas to sanitise tubifex worms?

## antitrust

as i was feeding my fish their all-time favourite tubifex worms just now, i thought about how i could be exposing them to potential diseases and the unexplainable sudden deaths of a couple of my fish...  :Knockout: 

then an idea hit me, could cooking tubifex worms be the solution to guilt/worry-free feeding? by cooking tubifex worms we will be able to kill the bacteria.. but will all the nutrients be also gone in the 'broth' which will be discarded?  :Huh?: 

just a thought.. does anyone else have other ideas on how to sanitise this cheap and delicious (to the fish of course  :Laughing: ) but potentially harmful live feed?

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## gan77

> as i was feeding my fish their all-time favourite tubifex worms just now, i thought about how i could be exposing them to potential diseases and the unexplainable sudden deaths of a couple of my fish... 
> 
> then an idea hit me, could cooking tubifex worms be the solution to guilt/worry-free feeding? by cooking tubifex worms we will be able to kill the bacteria.. but will all the nutrients be also gone in the 'broth' which will be discarded? 
> 
> just a thought.. does anyone else have other ideas on how to sanitise this cheap and delicious (to the fish of course ) but potentially harmful live feed?


Bro, previously what i did was, that i buy a whole packet for abt. $5. Bring home, pour into a bucket, filled with 3/4 full, stir and let the worms settle in the centre, from there, i pour out the water, till abt. sligthly left abit, to cover the worms repeatedly for afew times.
From there,after afew washes, I will fill the bucket till 3/4 full. Air pump for a day or two. Rinse and Wash again the last time, then can start to feed the fishes liao. But remember to change water twice everyday.

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## illumnae

many people recommend rinsing/washing tubifex worms before feeding it to your fish. however, i've always had my doubts about this method. after all, it's bacteria that the tubifex worms carry, and bacteria can't just be washed away like that can it?

if you REALLY want to feel safe while feeding tubifex worms, try keeping them in an antibiotic solution for awhile to kill the bacteria before feeding them to your fish. i've never tried this before though, so the solution may end up killing the worms too

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## mobile2007

I'm pretty sure your wife or your mom will screamed at you if they see you cooking tubifex for lunch ( for fishes  :Laughing: ... )

I feel that the fishes generally have some immunity to the bacteria if they relatively healthy. For me, I will make sure the worms are clean of the any dirts/debris with tap water and making sure that they are alive when they are being fed to the fishes. :Smile:  Also, worms as weekly treat rather than the main diet for the fishes.

Not advisable to abuse antibiotic in this way.

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## celticfish

Waterlife Myxazin can be use to kill the bacteria first.
But a bottle costs a bomb.

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## StanChung

Since you already plan on doing it, you might as well have some Epsom salt[encourage purging], Metronidazole[internal bacteria and flagellate killer] and Praziquantel[worms, etc] ready. Epsom salt and Metro cheap but Prazi is not.

It's best to have a drip method to rinse and keep these fellas alive long enough for it to be fed. I think a week so that their innards are emptied.

That said, I tried once and decided never ever again to feed live tubifex. Lot of things you can't see like cysts/spores of pathogenic microorganisms that can't be killed so easily.

Been to a tubifex farm before...yuck. LOL It's Russian roulette and breeders only use it as a last resort.

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## raglan

here's few articles that I found interesting , on subjects of cleansing and storing them, to propagation of cultures.

Store in toilet tank after cleaning out the worms ? perhaps they can even stand straight chloraminated water ? wh o knows ? but that article is about an earlier era. it might have been chlorine in the tapwater back then.

http://fins.actwin.com/live-foods/mo.../msg00028.html




http://www.geocities.com/jasonmconder/CV.html
http://www.geocities.com/jasonmconde...uring02SLC.pdf

In the old days of mainly topping up water instead of WC, I had lots of them growing in the dirty oscar tank gravel after I fed the oscars some live tubifex. oNce they are in the gravel, they can quickly retract their butts ( It's that end, I think  :Smile:  ) back into the gravel and are not so easy prey for the fish as when they are just dumped in the tank as food.

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## freddiewee

i tried salt before but they all died, dont know why, when they come in contact with a grain of salt they wriggle for their lives in a ball then die, almost a beige-ish pink colour. Would this work? i mean salt is a anticeptic afterall. Of course must use it in moderation so as not to kill them and keep them Wriggily delicious  :Roll Eyes:

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## raglan

I don't think salt is good if you want them to be alive. Probably best to feed them live though. Cooking would alter the fresh ingredients into normal cooked worm stick quality prepared food, I think, but with added expense and trouble..

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## trident

I use acriflavin solution. Can be bought either from pharmacy, LFS or chinese medical shop. A few drops daily after changing the water in the tubifex container.

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## bryan

Not sure about the medication part. But logically speaking, it would be wise to keep the worms for a couple of days for them to defecate what ever is in their system before feeding the fish.

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## exotic_idiot

> I use acriflavin solution. Can be bought either from pharmacy, LFS or chinese medical shop. A few drops daily after changing the water in the tubifex container.


Is it cheap? What does the solution does? Kill bacteria?



> Waterlife Myxazin can be use to kill the bacteria first.
> But a bottle costs a bomb.


Wah no point costing a bomb just to kill the bacteria in the worms.. We either avoid feeding them or just feed them as anyhow eat anyhow grow!!! HAhaaa :Grin:

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## StanChung

Long term, the chances of tragedy is higher not to mention cost and effort.

I think you guys can get live brineshrimp? Those would be a much safer choice. Even the frozen ones are ok.

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## exotic_idiot

Yup.. Like i always did.. Only buy those fresh ones instead of those left yesterday..
Because those yesterday ones smells as they die off.. Anyone have cheap deals for BS????

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## wei

> Is it cheap? What does the solution does? Kill bacteria?


If i dont recall wrongly, this is the 'yellow solution' that we human use for open wounds etc. I used to use this to quarantine my discus  :Smile:

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## natureAddict

i had my bad experiences with tubifex. my prize bettas died prematurely - giants and all beautiful females('mei ne'). what a waste!!!! i think its the tubifex. so try alternate food. maybe even fruitfly - can cultivate yourself by using banana skin and stockings to trap them in. i did it at one time for discus. have fun

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## exotic_idiot

I heard alot from other forumer who think alike that tubifex worms can pump the fishes faster... But i rather be safe then sorry.. No 100&#37; guarantee... :Smile:

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## stormchild

One word. Frozen. Save all your troubles.

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## Morgan01

how about breed mosquito larvae? just make sure fishes finish them before developing into aedes mosquitoes  :Grin:

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## antitrust

> One word. Frozen. Save all your troubles.


that's what i do now currently, but fish still seem to be disappearing and i'm suspecting that the tubifex worms are the causal factors.

i'm thinking if freezing would kill the bacteria or just remain dormant until it reaches room/activating temperature when in the fish's body or defrosted?

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## stormchild

> that's what i do now currently, but fish still seem to be disappearing and i'm suspecting that the tubifex worms are the causal factors.
> 
> i'm thinking if freezing would kill the bacteria or just remain dormant until it reaches room/activating temperature when in the fish's body or defrosted?


If you are feeding with those bought off the shelves(i.e Hikari frozen cubes) you shouldn't have those problems cos i'm pretty sure they are sanitised before frozen.

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## natureAddict

ever thought of putting them through ultra-violet to sterilise them??? you gotta research abit though.

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## exotic_idiot

Just yesterday, i went to lfs was thinking to get tubiflex worms to feed my fishes..
But ask the uncle are they fresh but uncle ask me what fish i kept at home.. And i say apisto.. He warn me that they are not 100&#37; safe.. Encounter before his whole tank of fishes die after feeding tubiflex worms.. After hearing with he said i get a packet of bs instead.. Rather spend more on fresh, safe food then end up sending all my fishes to heaven.. So think twice before what you feed them..

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## zyblack

I have this method of using mouthwash to sanitize the worms. Just add some water then a bit of mouthwash, give it a swirl for a minute or so, let the settle down....then drain off the water and rinse at least twice. Mouthwash don't seem to have any effect on my fish and so far don't see any casualty though I rarely feed tubifex worms.

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## Jungle-mania

Seems alot of work just to get fresh food for your fishes and it is not 100&#37; safe. I would rather go about getting frozen food. Even fussy fishes like dario dario are fine with it. I lost alot of clown killies before due to my feeding of live daphnias, really heartbreaking.

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## BillD

Tubifex just aren't worth the risk or bother, when so many other foods are available.

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## k3nlim

You can try breeding your own baby brine shrimp if that's the case :Grin: 

Don't seems to see any live blood worms around in LFS anymore

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## Jungle-mania

Actually that is a good idea, but it takes alot of dedication to rear baby brine shrimp too.

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## rbt

Long ago i bought daphnias/worms etc....being curious i paid close attention to the water. The number of other organisms is amazing, so live food is a risk.

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## exotic_idiot

> You can try breeding your own baby brine shrimp if that's the case
> 
> Don't seems to see any live blood worms around in LFS anymore


Yes.. No more LIVE blood worms in any lfs in singapore... Only can get frozen packs...




> Actually that is a good idea, but it takes alot of dedication to rear baby brine shrimp too.


Hmmm actually not that hard in rearing baby brine shrimps... Just get a hatchery dish and put 2 tablespoon of aquarium salt add 1litre of water mix and add a pinch of bbs eggs, wait for a day or so... Voila.. :Shocked: 

Very easy.... :Grin:  :Grin:  :Grin:

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