problem with feeding bloodworms

**bababooey** · 02-19-2013, 08:17 PM

I have a small group of honeycomb catfish that I feed bloodworms to on a daily basis. My tank is heavily planted and they seem to have difficulty finding food once it sinks and falls into the plant mass. They don’t seem to have the best eyesight…? When I drop the bloodworms in the tank, they swim towards the general direction of the bloodworms and then they swim frantically in circles until they run into a worm.

When I had them in my bare quarantine tank, they did not seem to have a problem with finding bloodworms on the bottom….it’s just after I moved them to the planted tank that I seem to constantly find bloodworms littered throughout my blyxa.

I have one of those worm cup feeders that I use for tubifex and brine shrimp, but the holes are too small for bloodworms. Does anybody know if there is some kind of feeder for bloodworms that will dispense bloodworms at the water surface?

Ashnic05 · 02-19-2013, 08:38 PM

At the LFS I work at we use small, shallow glass cups to put the bloodworms in to prevent this or tiny glass fish bowls work as well (although fish sometimes have a hard time finding their way out of it).

When all else fails....target feeding never does

SouthernGorilla · 02-23-2013, 07:45 PM

We "spoon feed" bloodworms to our betta, ghost shrimp, and apple snails with an ordinary medicine dropper. We just thaw the frozen worms in a small plastic cup with a bit of tank water then use the dropper to suck them up and deliver them to the critters. It's a lot like bottle-feeding a baby.

Diana · 02-23-2013, 09:02 PM

You may be able to find a worm feeder. Another option is to get baby blood worms. I have found them frozen, but not very often. They would probably work in the feeder you have with its smaller holes.

Another option is to feed the bloodworms with a turkey baster or PVC pipe. Always to the same spot. The Cats will figure out where to look for their food.

02-19-2013, 08:17 PM	#1
bababooey ba - ba - BOOEY (View User Tanks) PTrader: (21/100%) Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 142	problem with feeding bloodworms I have a small group of honeycomb catfish that I feed bloodworms to on a daily basis. My tank is heavily planted and they seem to have difficulty finding food once it sinks and falls into the plant mass. They don’t seem to have the best eyesight…? When I drop the bloodworms in the tank, they swim towards the general direction of the bloodworms and then they swim frantically in circles until they run into a worm. When I had them in my bare quarantine tank, they did not seem to have a problem with finding bloodworms on the bottom….it’s just after I moved them to the planted tank that I seem to constantly find bloodworms littered throughout my blyxa. I have one of those worm cup feeders that I use for tubifex and brine shrimp, but the holes are too small for bloodworms. Does anybody know if there is some kind of feeder for bloodworms that will dispense bloodworms at the water surface?

02-19-2013, 08:38 PM	#2
Ashnic05 Planted Tank Obsessed (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 409	At the LFS I work at we use small, shallow glass cups to put the bloodworms in to prevent this or tiny glass fish bowls work as well (although fish sometimes have a hard time finding their way out of it). When all else fails....target feeding never does __________________ Alive without breath, As cold as death; Never thirsty, ever drinking, All in mail never clinking. ~ J.R.R. Tolkien ~

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02-23-2013, 07:45 PM	#3
SouthernGorilla Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Euless, TX Posts: 62	We "spoon feed" bloodworms to our betta, ghost shrimp, and apple snails with an ordinary medicine dropper. We just thaw the frozen worms in a small plastic cup with a bit of tank water then use the dropper to suck them up and deliver them to the critters. It's a lot like bottle-feeding a baby.

02-23-2013, 09:02 PM	#4
Diana Planted Tank Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Contra Costa CA Posts: 5,012	You may be able to find a worm feeder. Another option is to get baby blood worms. I have found them frozen, but not very often. They would probably work in the feeder you have with its smaller holes. Another option is to feed the bloodworms with a turkey baster or PVC pipe. Always to the same spot. The Cats will figure out where to look for their food.