Keeping tubifex worms alive

[Johnc]

Hi folks,

I just discovered something, which I thought to share with you.

Ever since I started spawning bettas, I have been buying tubifex worms every few days to feed the fish.

As those of you who do the same will know -- it is quite a challenge to keep the worms alive and fresh.

The worst way to keep the worms is to use water straight from the tap. The worms will experience necrosis (i.e. part of each worm will die) in a day and by the next day the water will stink.

I can extend the life of the worms by an additional day by using filtered or matured water. The water will foul up after 24-36 hours and need to be changed. Some of the worms will die and the water will eventually stink

Last week, i decided to use tap water treated with the Ketapang extract++ that my wife prepared, and presto! The worms survived almost 3 days without water change! And as far as I can see they are all still fresh and alive by the time I fed off the last worm. I repeated the same experiment again beginning of this week, and the result was the same.

I wanted to take some photos to show the difference, but my camera is unfortunately needing major repairs.

I am not sure if it is the Ketapang, or the nutrafin or the salt or all three in combination (in the blackwater++) that did the trick. Those of you who bought the blackwater++ might want to try it out to verify my experience. Those who have your own ketapang extract might want to try it too. Keep the water level low, about 2 mm.

Hope this information is useful for some of us.

/John