Oscar77
08-05-2006, 12:07 AM
I believe Blood Worm (BW) would not be some thing "alien" to most of us. But do we actually know what BW actually is?
Few people really know that what is referred to, as bloodworms are really not worms at all. They are from the family Chironomidae, in the order Diptera. Class Insecta.
They are larvae of the non-biting midges. In Singapore over fifty species have been recorded. Not all the chironomid larvae are red in color. The surface types are greenish others care white, only those that contain hemoglobin are red, this is where they get their name bloodworms.
The chiromid larvae and pupae are highly nutritious and nourishing and are one of the staple food items in the ration of many fishes in the natural environment. The importance of chironomid larvae as live food for tropical fish culture is well known in Asia. All carnivorous fishes, such as Oscar's, discus, Siamese fighting fish and most all the cichlids will greedily devour them when they are offered as part of their diet.
In studies done by hatcheries in Asia discus have been shown to grow
Faster and spawn earlier when fed with bloodworms. With bloodworms as a supplementary food they gain better weight and the growth rate is more uniform.
The supplies of chironmid larvae are mainly imported and this is partially true for the United State. The natural breeding sites for chronmid midges are diminishing due to the rapid urbanization and modernization of wetlands. Also it should be noted that supplies of bloodworms have at times been unreliable and seasonal as the larvae are subjected to the fluctuation of the populations.
The Nutritive Value
The nutritional value of bloodworms is considered to be very good. Chemical analysis shows that bloodworms contain about 9% dry matter and of this about 65% is crude protein, ten percent is crude fat and about 10 percent is ash. They contain 15% Nitrogen free extract. They are also a good source of iron for fish since they contain hemoglobin in their blood.
The above are extracted from Discus Page Holland
Few people really know that what is referred to, as bloodworms are really not worms at all. They are from the family Chironomidae, in the order Diptera. Class Insecta.
They are larvae of the non-biting midges. In Singapore over fifty species have been recorded. Not all the chironomid larvae are red in color. The surface types are greenish others care white, only those that contain hemoglobin are red, this is where they get their name bloodworms.
The chiromid larvae and pupae are highly nutritious and nourishing and are one of the staple food items in the ration of many fishes in the natural environment. The importance of chironomid larvae as live food for tropical fish culture is well known in Asia. All carnivorous fishes, such as Oscar's, discus, Siamese fighting fish and most all the cichlids will greedily devour them when they are offered as part of their diet.
In studies done by hatcheries in Asia discus have been shown to grow
Faster and spawn earlier when fed with bloodworms. With bloodworms as a supplementary food they gain better weight and the growth rate is more uniform.
The supplies of chironmid larvae are mainly imported and this is partially true for the United State. The natural breeding sites for chronmid midges are diminishing due to the rapid urbanization and modernization of wetlands. Also it should be noted that supplies of bloodworms have at times been unreliable and seasonal as the larvae are subjected to the fluctuation of the populations.
The Nutritive Value
The nutritional value of bloodworms is considered to be very good. Chemical analysis shows that bloodworms contain about 9% dry matter and of this about 65% is crude protein, ten percent is crude fat and about 10 percent is ash. They contain 15% Nitrogen free extract. They are also a good source of iron for fish since they contain hemoglobin in their blood.
The above are extracted from Discus Page Holland