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Dero Worms

RickyV

RickyV

Member
Joined
8 Nov 2022
Messages
236
Location
Texas
A few weeks ago I found clumps of these guys in my blackworm culture, and they have been reproducing at an extremely fast rate. Why are they so rarely talked about? I didn't even know they existed up until a few weeks ago. I have grown a massive amount from almost nothing since I never even remember seeing any when I first got my blackworms. I have read in a paper their biomass can double every 5 days under optimal conditions. So much potential yet almost no one cultures them or talks about them. I haven't tried feeding them to fish yet, but maybe fish just don't like them? Though I'd find that hard to believe. I have heard they have hooks, but they're so tiny I can't imagine it's a real problem. So why does it seem like no one cultures dero worms? 20250117_144921.jpg
 
Hi all,
RickyV said:
haven't tried feeding them to fish yet, but maybe fish just don't like them? Though I'd find that hard to believe. I have heard they have hooks, but they're so tiny I can't imagine it's a real problem. So why does it seem like no one cultures dero worms?
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They are really popular with European "Corydoras" breeders. I think all <"small fish will eat them">. The main problem is <"normally getting a culture">, although they are another worm that is common in the wild in the USA (and Europe) <"Co-Culturing Daphnia and Dero Worms">.

cheers Darrel
 
dw1305 said:
Hi all,

They are really popular with European "Corydoras" breeders. I think all <"small fish will eat them">. The main problem is <"normally getting a culture">, although they are another worm that is common in the wild in the USA (and Europe) <"Co-Culturing Daphnia and Dero Worms">.

cheers Darrel
Click to expand...
Ah I see that makes sense. I'm just surprised they haven't already become as common as daphnia/moina, grindal worms, white worms, or even blackworms. I've only been keeping them for a few weeks but imo they have potential to be much easier and more productive than any of the live foods I listed. Can even just setup an HOB breeder box and all you have to do is feed (or not if you add an auto feeder).
 
RickyV said:
A few weeks ago I found clumps of these guys in my blackworm culture, and they have been reproducing at an extremely fast rate. Why are they so rarely talked about? I didn't even know they existed up until a few weeks ago. I have grown a massive amount from almost nothing since I never even remember seeing any when I first got my blackworms. I have read in a paper their biomass can double every 5 days under optimal conditions. So much potential yet almost no one cultures them or talks about them. I haven't tried feeding them to fish yet, but maybe fish just don't like them? Though I'd find that hard to believe. I have heard they have hooks, but they're so tiny I can't imagine it's a real problem. So why does it seem like no one cultures dero worms? View attachment 226001
Click to expand...
Hello. I have a question for you. Is it possible to buy a small amount of Dero Worms ( Auloforus ) from you?
 
Sklejka said:
Oh... so the question is not relevant.
Click to expand...
Yeah if you were in the states I'd send you some. But once you find some, even 1 mg of worms will be enough to start. If you do the math, 1 mg can turn into 1 kg in 100 days assuming doubling every 5 days and perfect conditions.
 
They were, at one time anyway, very popular with US guppy breeders, or so I have been informed. But short of buying a culture from a supplier like Carolina Biologicals or wild collecting them, they have not been available for a long time.

It makes no sense because they are very eagerly taken by most fish and are slender enough for quite small fish & most fry once the fry are large enough. Being fully aquatic annelids, they won’t die anytime soon if they don’t get eaten right away.

And worms generally are very nutritious and tend to be fairly high in fat, ideal for juvie fish & other swimmers such as tadpoles.

I had some once, long long ago, that apparently appeared out of the blue sky but they must have come with plants of course 🙂. I had no clue just what they were & no experience with raising live food at the time. I didn’t find out what they were for something like another ten years but it was far too late by then. Their population was quickly wiped out by fish. Sure wish that had turned out differently.

I just read about a small live fish food & invert business here in Ontario that’s begun culturing them but they are not yet far enough along to sustain sales.

I was planning to try to collect some from the marsh that’s not too far from me come April.
 
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