Cultivate Blackworms?

My fish love these and I like that they remain live until the fish nab them (usually they nibble the syringe end before I can even squeeze them out though).

I read online how to cultivate them and I have some in a 1.5 gal tank with a small single layer of gravel, 3-4" of water, and a makeshift sponge filter. I feed them a few fish flakes every few days.

Anyone else ever done this? What works for you?

 

I've done it in a 10 gallon. I get in 25-50 pounds at a time from CalI for resale, so cultivating enough to supply what I sell would take a whole lot of tanks. My supplier does them in ponds, here in Chicago it isn't warm enough in the winter to do them outdoors in this manner. What he does is broadcast feeds trout chow, has guys go in there a few times weekly to break them up with large rakes since they reproduce by segmentation. After harvesting they go through a fasting period, purging the digestive tract the same as you would for fish before shipping. Once cleaned out the get refrigerated, bagged, and shipped with ice packs.

If you look it up online most sites suggest brown paper towels for the bottom, a leaf litter substrate works just as well, and is free for the collecting. You'll want to keep that sponge filter off the bottom, they will crawl into the sponge, and just wait for food to flow by. As long as the filter provides enough surface motion to keep the O2 level up you can fill the tank with water. A couple times weekly go in there with a net handle or some such, break them up, helps the segmentation along. They're a good way to use up old fish food, samples, or food you no longer feed.

I've started with 1/4 pound in a 10 gallon, after 4, maybe 6 weeks they've about doubled. Something like a 40b or 55 would work for a pound. When sales are busy I get in 25 pounds every 10-14 days, 50 before a busy event, so you can imagine the tank space I'd need to produce them myself.

 

Sorry to intrude, but I am quite interested in cultivating these little guys as well. where would one purchase them live for cultivation?

 

If you're located near Chicago you can get them from me. Most clubs will either have someone who sells them, or get together a group order. If neither of these are an option contact Dan at Aquatic Foods;

 

Thanks for the great info.

I read about the paper towel/leaf litter substrate. I read that the gravel and airstone helps with propagation.

Will they split on their own in the paper towel/leaf litter substrate?

 

If you're located near Chicago you can get them from me. Most clubs will either have someone who sells them, or get together a group order. If neither of these are an option contact Dan at Aquatic Foods;

I live in Glencoe, IL. How can I get it from you?