Loaches Online Forum

Hi there,
Do any of you use frozen bloodworm? I have always used frieze dried & occasionally live but I have recently started buying the frozen stuff as it is so cheap at my lfs.

I first started putting it in my tank after defrosting it in boiling water but I put it straight in last night frozen, much too my clowns amuzement. There they were wrestling with each other over the cubes until my alpha pops out of his hideout and scoffs it all whole. He must have picked up three whole cubes still frozen, do you think this could do him any harm?

Please let me know the best way to feed this type of food as I do not want to do them any harm through ignorance?

AD

Hello...

Although it is amusing to watch your fish gobble up a frozen cube, the temp difference in their bodies isn't good for them. Even for us it is best to drink room temp water, though it doesn't taste as good.

The frozen food is safe to feed without boiling. My favourite way is to defrost a cube in a little hot water before feeding. This way it also gets spread out more so everyone gets a share. Some fish are definitely either more eager, or more pushy, than others!

soul-hugger

I just take a small glass of water out of tank, only takes a minute or two to defrost.

i've always fed straight from frozen, the fish are'nt daft they take of the loose worms first, if you see big barbs they shove it in their gobs frozen, the pharyngeal teeth do the crunching with no ill effects to the fish.

mick

Thanks, i'll continue to defrost prior to putting in the tank then.

Thanks again.

I defrost them in cold water and rinse them very well. I only give bloodworms once a week, as mine may be very poluted. Many Germans are careful, as the source remains often unclear. Finding traces of feathers may indicate, they have been grown in the excrements of chicken farms.

Unthaw a cube with a little water and measure P and N you may be surprised of the readings. That's why I rinse a lot.

i float my frozen bloodworm in a small net in the top of the tank to thor it before i release it to the tank, i have found by doing so all the loaches tend to come out and all have a good chance of a feed at the same time

rave

I use only Hikari brand frozen bloodworms and the quality is excellent. I defrost the bloodworms, brine shrimp, and mysis shrimp that I feed in a container in the refrigerator overnight since I feed at least some frozen food everyday. I put a small piece of paper towel in the container to soak up the liquid. This makes the food easier to handle and lessy "soupy".
If I need to thaw any food quickly, I do the same thing (paper towel and all) except I float the container in hot water in the sink.

For to feed Loaches and other bottom dwellers it's best to soak it in a cup of tank water. For to feed other fish........it's your choice!

Thanks everyone for your comments, prior to throwing frozen cubes in last night I have been defrosting in boiled water & then rinsing through an old tea strainer. I think I will revert to this process as it appears most of you agree that this (or similar) is the best practice.

Thanks again.
AD

If you defrost in boiling water, aren't you cooking the bloodworms?

I forgot to mention, I also feed other frozen stuff including frozen seawater-fish and salad shrimps, those I cut frozen and blanch before serving. Other than that, I unthaw everything in cold water. Perhaps I will flush it with tank water to warm up a little in future.
Bloodworms I would not treat with hot water.

I leave mine in little dishes to thaw out at room temp. Then rinsed under luke warm water (sometimes Im lazy and chuck it straight in).

Ashleigh

I agree with Jim Powers, Hikari bloodworms are the best. If your pet store sells it this way, don't buy the little cubes, buy the large flat pack. The worms are always bright red and perfect, unlike other brands that may be darker or have white areas.

I suppose I should use tank water, but thawing them out in such a small amount of straight tap water doesn't hurt them. I like to use a turkey baster. It's much easier to control, and the fish eat directly from the end.

I get the liquid out of mine so I can better use a feeding tube to get the worms down to the bottom for the loaches.