CBB, new to this but have an established tank.

[99gtbaby]

What worms would you recommend for a CBB? I’ve been feeding a small amount of dried blood worms/flakes/pellets mix twice a day and in between my fish get a variety of frozen foods, clams, mussels, shrimp, cockels etc. my CBB won’t take food from the water column that I can see but it does forage the rocks all day every day, is this a good sign? Could it be getting food that dropped onto the rocks?

 

[99gtbaby]

Here’s my CBB, I got it from NY Aquatics, for size reference the bubble coral is the size of a soft ball

 

[RMS18]

Live black worms. My CCB will go nuts for them. I used them for when I first got the fish. It now eats mysis, brine, and hikari mega marine which is in the shape of a worm.

 

[Tft12]

@RMS18 where do you get your live black worms?

 

[albano]

…my CBB won’t take food from the water column that I can see but it does forage the rocks all day every day, is this a good sign? Could it be getting food that dropped onto the rocks?

Searching for food does not = finding food. You need to make sure that it is eating something or it will soon be gone.

 

[RMS18]

@RMS18 where do you get your live black worms?

I have a local fresh water fish store that has them. I believe you can also buy them online but call around to tropical fish stores in your area.

 

[Paul B]

Live whiteworms. Blackworms are fine but only live in salt water for about 10 seconds. Whiteworms live about 5 days in saltwater and the fish will hunt for them.

You buy a whiteworm culture and feed them either dry catfood or like I do, whole wheat bread with Kefir yogurt.

I still am using my culture for about 10 years. They grow like crazy. You can't really raise blackworms in any quantity.

My last copperband lived for 10 years. My newer one lives on clams, mysis and worms.

 

[RMS18]

Live whiteworms. Blackworms are fine but only live in salt water for about 10 seconds. Whiteworms live about 5 days in saltwater and the fish will hunt for them.

You buy a whiteworm culture and feed them either dry catfood or like I do, whole wheat bread with Kefir yogurt.

I still am using my culture for about 10 years. They grow like crazy. You can't really raise blackworms in any quantity.

My last copperband lived for 10 years. My newer one lives on clams, mysis and worms.

Growing white worms would lead me into a divorce lol. I've seen those cultures, definitely not going to fly with my wife haha. I do really like the idea the white live in SW.

 

[Reefer Reboot]

A feeding station designed for the CBB will help ensure that it is getting it's fair share of food. As easy as a tube with small holes just big enough for the CBB to get his mouth in but other fish can't.

 

[Paul B]

Growing white worms would lead me into a divorce lol.

I had my fish and worms way before I got married 48 years ago so my wife knew what she was getting in to.

 

[Miami Reef]

@Paul B Wow. Perfect timing. I was about to buy black worms.

Is there anything nutritionally different from black vs white?

How do you propagate them? Black worms live in a freshwater tank need to be chopped up in the gravel to split and use mitosis to regrow.

 

[Celestion]

All fish go crazy on Tubiflex worms , and can be frozen , keeping them alive is just another chore, feed within 30 days..

 

[Paul B]

Blackworms are great but expensive as you have to buy them all the time. They croak in seconds in salt water.

Whiteworms you put in a plastic shoe box with potting soil. Keep it very damp and feed cat food or I use whole wheat bread with yogurt of Kefir which lasts much longer. In a few weeks they are climbing up the sides and you just spoon them up and feed the fish.

I don't usually use the same spoon I eat with. ;Vomit

 

[dedragon]

blackworms are really easy to find at fish stores and once the fish starts eating blackworms you can usually switch to mysis.

 

[dedragon]

Here’s my CBB, I got it from NY Aquatics, for size reference the bubble coral is the size of a soft ball View attachment 2281405

I also bought mine from ny aquatic, but i went to the store. Micheal feeds them well and from what i have seen most of them tended to target the large pieces of mysis floating in the water. Mine took a week to start eating again but blackworms and mysis got it back eating

 

[ReefHog]

I like blackworms as they just seem easier. I buy enough to last a month for $10. I change the RODI they’re in about every three or four days. Then it’s just a large pinch with three fingers every day. But they have to be kept in the fridge so if a shoebox in the closet won’t get green lighted, I doubt a Tupperware full of blackworms in the fridge would.

 

[Tamberav]

$10 gets me a huge bag of live black worms at the LFS. Last over a month easy. I just use tap water for them and they do great. I run some fresh tap over them when I feed as a water change for them.

My husband hates worms but he doesn't control me

Besides live black worms, my copperband also eats frozen LRS in a mesh food holder.