Do you want the best and safest live food for your fish? According to aquarist Luděk Zicháček, the ideal choice is white worms (Enchytraeus albidus). Although the culture is easily available, Zicháček describes how it can be easily obtained from your own compost by transferring water between barrels. In home breeding, drainage made of Liapor and the substrate Lygnocel are crucial, as they provide safety from drowning and mold.
Feeding fish with enchytrae
Sometimes fish food is literally at your fingertips. Enchytraeus albidus or the white enchytraea is a great example, and you can see that fish really enjoy it in this home video:
White enchytraea are everywhere
Anyone with a garden has enchytraea. Even though it's easy to obtain cultures nowadays, there's a way to get them from compost as well. Luděk Zicháček prepared a recipe for how to extract enchytraea from compost.
To obtain enchytraea from compost, use a 120-liter barrel with compost and place a 200-liter barrel next to it. By slowly pouring water from one barrel to the other, you will encourage the enchytraea to crawl to the surface. It’s then enough to simply collect them. The key is the slowness of the process so that the enchytraea have enough time to leave the compost.
Home Breeding for Enchytraeus albidus
- Box: A box measuring approximately 30 x 40 cm (providing sufficient area for stable breeding). The container must be sufficiently ventilated – it should never be closed with a tight lid (only loosely placed or with a lid with holes) to prevent overheating.
- Base layer: The bottom is covered with a base layer of Liapor (expanded clay), which serves as drainage. Drainage is key for removing excess water and preventing the drowning of the breeding stock.
- Separation layer(filter layer): On top of Liapor, place mesh (screened fabric) or fine mesh. This layer separates the substrate from the drainage and prevents clogging of the pores in the Liapor.
- Substrate: As an ideal substrate, Lygnocel has proven itself (Coconut fiber). Advantages: Lygnocel molds less and significantly limits mites.
- Temperature: ideally 18°C-25°C
Side view of the breeding box. Some of the fine Lygnocel falls into the drainage layer of Liapor.
Moisture and risk of flooding
- Moistening: The substrate is kept moist, ideally with a sprayer. The substrate should be moist but not wet and dripping.
- Beware of drowning: If too much water is added, the drainage (Liapor) will prevent drowning. If only pure Lygnocel is used without drainage, moisture will rise, oxygen will quickly disappear, and in case of flooding, it is a matter of half an hour before the entire breeding stock dies en masse. Therefore, drainage is crucial for Enchytraeus albidus 's survival.
Feeding enchytraea and cleanliness
Food: The food must not sour or mold in the breeding.
- Problem with biscuits: The composition of classic biscuits has changed, and therefore the breeder had to replace them. As a suitable alternative, Luděk Zicháček discovered Tastino biscuits.
Cleanliness: Cleanliness is necessary because waste products from enchytraea, remnants of food, and mold quickly deteriorate the environment and can lead to the death of the breeding stock.
How to get white worms out of the substrate and prepare them for feeding in the aquarium (see video below)
Maintenance of Breeding and Substrate Replacement
Procedure for replacement: After a longer period, Lygnocel becomes contaminated and depleted. After that, proceed as follows:
- Add another layer of mesh and fresh Lygnocel on the depleted substrate.
- The worms from the depleted substrate will move themselves into the fresh Lygnocel.
- Old (depleted) Lygnocel and the mesh can be removed and disposed of after the transfer of the majority of the enchytraea.
- Liapor (drainage) can be rinsed occasionally and reused, or replaced with new.
Pests and solutions
Fungus gnats (Sciaridae): The larvae of fungus gnats are a problem because they consume both food and enchytraea and degrade the substrate. It is necessary to actively reduce them (e.g., yellow sticky traps, possibly biological control with nematodes Steinernema feltiae).
Mites: Mites are a problem, especially if they are in greater numbers than the enchytraea (the so-called overpopulation). They compete with enchytraea for food. They can be controlled by maintaining optimal moisture and more frequent substrate replacement.
How are tubifex doing (Tubifex)
Why are tubifex excluded from feeding (recommendation by Luděk Zicháček)
- Origin and contamination: Tubifex collected from the wild (especially from ponds, streams, or places with poor water quality) often come from areas under public sewers or nearby them today.
- Pathogens and parasites: Due to this origin, they can carry pathogens, parasites (e.g., capillaries – hairworms), or other undesirable organisms (blood cells).
- Chemical contamination: Locations of tubifex occurrence, where there is also chemical contamination (e.g., industrial waste, pesticide residues from fields, or even bird droppings/chemicals in livestock), pose an unhealthy diet for fish.
- Problem: A breeder can feed tubifex multiple times without issues, but then suddenly a problem can occur en masse (e.g., introduction of dangerous diseases or poisoning). Prevention is therefore key.
Relationship parasite – fish (Factors of sensitivity)
- Symbiosis vs. pathogenicity: Some parasites can be temporarily in balance/symbiosis with the host fish and do not cause acute disease. It depends on the sensitivity of the specific organism (species, condition, immunity).
- Example of gill parasites: For example, gill parasites (Dactylogyrus, Gyrodactylus) can be specific and a major problem for sensitive species (e.g., discus – Symphysodon), while resistant tetra fish may not be affected or manage to keep the parasite under control.
Emphasis on the origin of food
- General rule: When obtaining any live food (not just tubifex), it is essential to pay extreme attention to the source of the food.
- Risks near agriculture: If the food (e.g., near streams) is located close to livestock or agriculturally cultivated areas where chemicals are used, it may not be a healthy diet but rather a toxic one.
Auloforus - How to keep this live feed in the apartment so it doesn't smell?
Auloforus is a popular live food that is cultivated in aquaristics because, unlike tubifex, it does not suffer from such severe contamination.
Substrate/medium: Breeding ideally takes place on floating sponge or other porous material, which serves as a substrate and hiding place for the worms. The sponge should float in the water.
Water and aeration: The water must be aerated. Aeration is crucial because:
- Reduces odor: It prevents the formation of anaerobic conditions and putrefactive processes that cause a strong and unpleasant odor.
- Increases oxygen content: Auloforus needs sufficient oxygen to survive.
Cleanliness: It is necessary to keep the breeding clean. Regular water changes and removal of food remnants reduce the risk of contamination, decay, and subsequent collapse of the breeding (just like with enchytraea).
You can watch the entire part of the interview with Luděk Zicháček and Lája Chramosta as part of the series Talks Above the Surface in the video below:
