(Strain of 12 individuals)
Live Blackworm: Premium Food for Adult Fish
What are Blackworms?
Blackworms (Lumbriculus variegatus) are slender segmented aquatic worms, similar to tubifex but darker, thicker, and much more active. Measuring 2 to 5 cm, they bury their heads in the substrate while wiggling their tails in the water. This captivating (and hypnotic) display stimulates fish hunting behavior but is also fascinating to watch in a natural aquarium without fish. Raised in clean water, free of muddy sediments and parasites, they arrive ready to use.
Why choose Blackworms?
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👍 Very rich in protein, iron, and fatty acids: boost growth, reproduction, and coloration.
- 💧 True aquatic worms: as 100% aquatic worms, they live in the tank as long as they are not preyed upon. In fishless aquariums, they form beautiful large colonies, gathering in moving masses resembling sea anemones.
- ✨ Live worms for sensitive or demanding fish; a premium alternative to live tubifex.
- 🔋 Low tech compatible: they are detritivores that contribute to the long natural aquatic cycle and biodiversity of ecosystems like ponds or trash aquariums.
- 🔄 Fascinating reproduction: if you decide to breed them separately from fish, you will discover their unique reproduction: the worms split to form two viable individuals! Sexual reproduction, theoretically possible, has never been observed.
Who are Blackworms for?
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Carnivorous and omnivorous fish: bettas, cichlids, corydoras, goldfish, koi...
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Hobbyists seeking premium live food to stimulate breeding.
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Low tech aquarists wanting to enrich the natural food chain or biodiversity of their aquariums.
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Pond owners wishing to introduce discreet bottom detritivores to manage organic matter settling on the bottom, for example as a complement to water lice.
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Educational projects focused on observing this detritivore worm that reproduces by division.
Usage tips
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Distribute without rinsing: Blackworms are minimally messy worms.
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Storage: up to one week in the refrigerator with regular water changes.
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To breed or keep them in a natural aquarium, they need a substrate. Sand is ideal as they like to partially burrow into it.
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To feed them: if you feed your snails with cooked vegetable fragments, Blackworms will often join the feast. Otherwise, let them find their food in organic waste at the bottom.
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Comparison: also try our live tubifex to offer both species to your fish.
FAQ - Blackworms in aquariums
What is the difference with tubifex?
Blackworms are darker, more vigorous, and a bit thicker. They have the rare ability to reproduce by splitting their bodies.
Can they live in the aquarium?
Yes, if no fish are present to eat them, you can breed and observe them for many years and see their population grow.
Should I rinse them before use?
Not necessary: Blackworms are particularly clean worms.
Are they suitable for all fish?
Yes, except for strict herbivores. Perfect for hard-to-feed fish.
Are they low tech compatible?
Absolutely: they are detritivores that have their place in the decomposition chain of organic waste, just like ramshorn snails, malaysian Trumpet Snails, or water lice.
Additional information
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Scientific name: Lumbriculus variegatus
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Size: 2 - 4 cm
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Packaging: strain of 12 live individuals (approximate weight: 17 g)
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Guarantee: parasite-free, preservative-free, no polluted substrate
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Recommendation: although naturally present in ecosystems, as a rule, please never release these organisms into the wild.
