Re: NANFA-- live foods/ elassoma

R. W. Wolff (choupiqu_at_wctc.net)
Tue, 19 Dec 2000 10:02:03 -0600

I have tried a number of ways to culture blackworms. None really worked
successfully. The best way to keep them alive is to put them in a shoe box
in a cool area. Have an inch of water and feed them a few pellets when they
consume them. Change the water completely every other day atleast. Pour it
off and add new water. This water is great for feeding any house plants. It
stinks a little, but the plants love it. Also adding lots of them to the
aqaurium they will set up house in the gravel. This has worked great for
small fish like elassoma. I am sure they help areate the gravel and break
down organic matter like earth worms do in the soil.
I have had a daphnia culture cranking all fall now. A friend studied them,
and determined they are an unknown species that is not commonly found. I had
caught them in a swamp somewhere. they are medium sized, and the females
hatch out 20 some young at a time. I keep them in a green water culture on
a window sill. There are also a good number of cyclops, rotifers, and
bristle worms ( niads) in this culture, along with ramshorn snails. I feed
the culture fish pellets every few days. When the water gets clear from the
daphnia consuming the euglena, I suck out a bunch of them and feed the fish.