# Earthworms...



## tison 30 (Feb 29, 2008)

I have 4 2inch rbp's in a 75G and they dont really eat anything but earthworms...i got pellets they look at them then swim away so when they sat in the water a while i squeezed them so they sink they bump into them but dont eat them...I have dried krill that the dont touch the only time they took a bit out of it was when i left a piece in over nigh...I gave them catfish that i got at the river they played with it took a few bites but then lost intrest..I throw in an earthworm they hit it right as it goes in the tank..idk what to do, I know i have to feed them 2 times a day so i didnt really want to skip out on feeding them for a day then throw in something and see what happens...What do you guys think try not feeding a day and turn the temp to 70 something...i keep it at about 80....O and ill be picking up some shrimp today after work since i work at a grocery store and hey if they dont like it then ill eat it haha...but What do you guys think.

Ill post it here since i already have a new topic going but do your guys P's turn sideways and rub stuff haha idk if somethings up but they pretty much started after they got use to the tank..but hey ill ask incase somethings up.

I get off at 8est time so thats when ill be back on.


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## TobiasRieper (Mar 14, 2008)

It should be ok to not feed your p's for a day. Keep trying different food and eventually theyll eat something other than earthworms.


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## Retaks (Apr 6, 2008)

Mine are starting to be picky since i gave them wax worms. They wont eat anything else for a day or 2 after they have wax worms. I never tryed Earthworms just wax worms since i have a large supply in my basement for Trout fishing. Im goin trout fishing for the last time Sat and still ahve about 1500 worms left.


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## tison 30 (Feb 29, 2008)

Haha mine dont eat wax worms, i threw in 2 after trout fishing also but no luck..try a worm..mine go ape shet over them.


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## Guest (May 23, 2008)

Tison said:


> Mine are starting to be picky since i gave them wax worms. They wont eat anything else for a day or 2 after they have wax worms.


Wax worms are very high in fat. That may be why they don't eat for a while after eating wax worms.


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## tison 30 (Feb 29, 2008)

O great...I didnt think earthworms were that good..but ill still try to change it up and see what happens.


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## notaverage (Sep 10, 2005)

Thats interesting I never knew they were fatty.

ANyway,
Stop feeding them for a few days.
They will learn to eat what you feed them MOST of the time...jsut dont wait too long so they dont attack each other.

Im going to try crickets and a few other things soon.
My old SPilo would go ape sh*t as soon as they hit the water!
Pellets only worked for a while. I couldnt seem to get him to eat them often.
He loved shrimp crickets and other stuff.


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## Guest (May 24, 2008)

Tison said:


> O great...I didnt think earthworms were that good..but ill still try to change it up and see what happens.


Sure, they're high in protein and very low in fat.


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## Retaks (Apr 6, 2008)

I never knew Wax Worms were high in fat. My fish will eat them all day every day if i gave them to them. They only get them about once a month i give each fish 2-3 worms. IM gonna try some Eathworms soon now.


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## bernokarl (Mar 26, 2007)

I like a well balanced fat Piranha : I say feed the fatty stuff


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## TobiasRieper (Mar 14, 2008)

bernokarl said:


> I like a well balanced fat Piranha : I say feed the fatty stuff


Hear Hear!!

Fat n Happy


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## ronzz (Oct 26, 2004)

earthworms and white fish fillets is a good diet


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## blackandgold4ever05 (Jun 5, 2008)

I have 5 RBP's about 3"-4". They have been eating krill pellets, feeder guppies, and occasionally beef heart cubes. Yesterday, after reading this, I decided to try a leftover earthworm from fishing. 
Introducing earthworms to my RBP's
I made a video, but the short of it is that they liked it once they got a good taste of it. I even tried 2 meal worms later last night and they seemed to like those as well. Today I dropped a large earthworm in and my biggest one had it before it hit the bottom. He basically took that and ate it all himself. Is this bad? He looks like he could pop. I gave another to my other 4 and they seemed to love it. My question is, besides, (can they eat too much?) is (how much of their diet can consist of earthworms?) Like I said, they still eat the krill pellets, but not like they did at first,guppies, and less and less beef heart and I plan on getting them some shrimp and catfish soon. Any tips or changes I should make are welcome. I had P's years ago when I was a kid off and on, but they always just ate feeder goldfish because I didn't know any better. Thanks in advance.


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## Guest (Jun 24, 2008)

blackandgold4ever05 said:


> . My question is, besides, (can they eat too much?) is (how much of their diet can consist of earthworms?)


I don't think you can actually overfeed fish on earthworms. Worms are mostly water and contain little fat. There are no shells or bones to cause an impaction. Feed away.

I don't know what percentage of their diet can consist of earthworm before a nutritional deficiency is found. I only feed worms in the summer when I can dig them up in the park.


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## blackandgold4ever05 (Jun 5, 2008)

Bullsnake said:


> . My question is, besides, (can they eat too much?) is (how much of their diet can consist of earthworms?)


I don't think you can actually overfeed fish on earthworms. Worms are mostly water and contain little fat. There are no shells or bones to cause an impaction. Feed away.

I don't know what percentage of their diet can consist of earthworm before a nutritional deficiency is found. I only feed worms in the summer when I can dig them up in the park.
[/quote]

Thanks


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## Jon P (May 22, 2008)

I got 3 2.4 in RBP and was feeding them earthworms for about a month I wanted to switch to pellets and they didnt take so I got them some freeze dried shrimp and they loved it they eat it all but it is kinda messy because it breaks up alittle when they eat them.

I am still getting rid of my worms but they will still hit on the shrimp.


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## john1634 (Mar 22, 2005)

earthworms are pretty much a guarantee to get eaten but they dirty up your tank quick if used often. but as for the rrubbing on their sides you might want to examine them completly, all of them. sometimes thats a symptom of ick. if you dont know what ick is it looks like salt like grains on their fins.might be just an ich but just to be safe u should check, good luck on the new diet.


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## joeytoad83 (Sep 10, 2004)

i give mine earthworms a few times a week, mostly when i feel like going into the worm bucket and finding a bunch. mine will eat just about what ever i out in the tank. with the exception of super worms they wont eat them.


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## cueball (May 24, 2005)

my rhom went nutz snapping worms but my oscar wont touch them go figga,,, but there good for them


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## haroldglenn (Jun 24, 2008)

Tison said:


> I have 4 2inch rbp's in a 75G and they dont really eat anything but earthworms...i got pellets they look at them then swim away so when they sat in the water a while i squeezed them so they sink they bump into them but dont eat them...I have dried krill that the dont touch the only time they took a bit out of it was when i left a piece in over nigh...I gave them catfish that i got at the river they played with it took a few bites but then lost intrest..I throw in an earthworm they hit it right as it goes in the tank..idk what to do, I know i have to feed them 2 times a day so i didnt really want to skip out on feeding them for a day then throw in something and see what happens...What do you guys think try not feeding a day and turn the temp to 70 something...i keep it at about 80....O and ill be picking up some shrimp today after work since i work at a grocery store and hey if they dont like it then ill eat it haha...but What do you guys think.
> 
> Ill post it here since i already have a new topic going but do your guys P's turn sideways and rub stuff haha idk if somethings up but they pretty much started after they got use to the tank..but hey ill ask incase somethings up.
> 
> I get off at 8est time so thats when ill be back on.


You don't "have" to feed 2" RBPs twice daily. They're large enough to go a day or two without eating. Try a 24 hour fast, and then introduce a new food. If they still don't eat, feed them the worms a few hours later. Every once in a while RBPs will gnaw on each other when they're hungry, but 2 inchers with plenty of places to hang out should be fine unless you starve them.


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## NTcaribe (Apr 8, 2004)

run your fingers down the worm to excreet the poop this will minimize mess


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