Worms as food: Parasite risk?

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Laticauda

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Nov 16, 2010
1,400
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Central Oklahoma
What kind of worms do people use to feed their fish? I've heard of nightcrawlers and blood worms, but what else is there?

Is there a risk of these worms being parasite hosts and introducing it into my tank? Where would I buy these things if they are considered a "safe" food?
 
I feed my fish Earthworms. I get them from a feed store that raises them in a chemical-free environment. I'm not really sure about the risk of parasites. In all of these years I have never had a problem with them. I plan on keeping my own worms this spring. They are easy to keep and they reproduce like rabbits. The biggest danger is getting them from grounds that have been treated with pesticides and fertilizers.
 
Thanks for the tips. Now I just need to find a place that grows them in those conditions.

If anyone lives in Oklahoma is familiar with a place, let me know! I'm not originally from here, so don't know the area at all :(
 
Once you get some, save a few and place them in a long Rubbermaid container. Cover them with a mixture of damp soil and compost (peanut shells,lettuce, and other veggies work very well). Then cover with a lid that has tiny holes for air and place in a dark and moderately warm place. The worms will do the rest. You just have to turn over the soil about once a week. You will have a great supply of worms in no time. Easy and safe.
 
Agreed. Earthworms are not known to carry any parasites that transfer to fish. I collect mine in the forest when it rains and keep them in shallow changes of water in a plastic container in the fridge. I let them poo for a few days and keep changing the water until it stays clean, then feed them off.
 
Breed your own or get them from a reliable feed store
 
jmanglona;4836950;4836950 said:
what do much people fish with? worms..."nightcrawlers". do i, and most other people eat these fish after they are caught...yes. so i guess walmart, or any other major stores would suffice. so you're not originally from OK, huh. then where you from, CA? i doubt it. nightcrawlers from anywhere would do fine.
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What was the point of the rude comments? Very unnecessary. There's too much of that on this site as it is. There is a reason why the source of the worms is important. In soil treated with pesticides or some harsh fertilizers, the worms found in that soil can introduce these things to aquarium fish. Most of the time when people fish, the fish are quickly caught on the hook and reeled in. The bait you use doesn't have a chance to be processed and absorbed by the fish. Aquarium fish are different because they are fed the worms and they actually digest it along with everything present in the worms or other live foods.
 
Red wigglers are easy to culture...and a great food for most fish.

I haven't tried it but earthworms are harder to culture.

Terrestrial worms (like earthworms and red wigglers) don't transmit parasites to fish.

I think that the frequently cited "risks" of pesticides and fertilizer in worms and bugs collected in the garden are overblown / wives tales. Trace amounts of these materials could possibly bio-accumulate in your fish over time. But I'm not planning to eat my aquarium fish. Not that rivers and lakes (where people actually catch and eat fish) don't have lots of fertilizer / pesticide run-off. I've been feeding worms and bugs from the yard / sidewalk for years. Never had a problem.

Matt
 
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