Tubifex: food suitable for bottom and mid-water fish
What are tubifex?
Tubifex (Tubifex tubifex) are slender segmented red worms, 1 to 4 cm long, naturally living buried in mud. Their bodies are rich in protein (about 60%) and essential amino acids, making them highly nutritious prey. Unlike wild tubifex often contaminated, our worms are raised in a controlled environment, not collected from the wild, and packaged in bags of about 30 individuals on the day of shipment.
Why choose live tubifex?
- High nutritional value: stimulates growth, reproduction, and coloration.
- Natural behavior: encourages corydoras, loaches, and even bettas to search and inspect the substrate where the worms hide.
- Nutritionally superior to frozen or freeze-dried tubifex. No added salt.
- Finer than Blackworm, it can suit smaller fish.
- Contributes to biodiversity in a fishless aquarium dedicated to plants and invertebrates.
Who are tubifex for?
- 🐟 Bottom-dwelling fish: corydoras, ancistrus, loaches.
- 🎣 Carnivorous or omnivorous fish: bettas, barbs, gouramis, livebearers.
- 🌱 Growing juvenile fish, preparing pairs for breeding.
- 🌿 Low tech tanks without fish: they help balance the system and watching them is fascinating.
Usage tips
- 💧 Since tubifex dirty the water a lot, you can discard the water from the transport bag.
- 📍 Drop the worms vertically where you want them to fall, as tubifex do not swim.
- 🍽️ Distribute in small portions to prevent your fish from devouring everything at once!
- ❄️ Storage: one week in a cool place (8-12 °C) in clean, slightly oxygenated water, changing the water regularly.
Good to know
According to scientists, Tubifex can survive in heavily polluted water with almost no oxygen. But in natural aquaristics, it is better to keep them in clean tanks, with a substrate to burrow into, and effective oxygenation.
FAQ - Tubifex for aquarium or pond
Are tubifex dangerous for my fish?
No. Our worms are produced through clean breeding, without sludge or pathogenic bacteria. They are never collected from the wild.
Should I rinse them before feeding?
It is not essential, but a quick rinse with clear water reassures some aquarists. In reality, it is enough to remove their transport water, which is often dirty.
Do they live in the tank?
In the presence of fish, they are quickly eaten. Without predators, they can burrow for a few days and then settle. They are therefore comfortable in a natural aquarium without fish, dedicated to plants and various invertebrates.
What is the difference compared to frozen or freeze-dried tubifex?
Live food remains more nutritious and stimulates natural hunting behavior. In the wild, fish always prefer live prey.
How long can I keep them?
Up to eight days in the refrigerator, in a container of clean water with slight aeration.
Additional information
Scientific name: Tubifex tubifex
Packaging: bag of about 30 individuals (approximate weight: 17 g)
Guarantee: raised in controlled conditions without parasites or sludge
Recommendation: even if they are often already present, as a rule and out of caution, please never release these organisms into the wild
