The short answer: Yes! If fed properly, earthworms can be a great source of protein for the fish. Throughout this post, we’ll explain why earthworms are an excellent addition to their diet and other worms you can feed them. Now let’s begin!
Flowerhorn fish love eating earthworms. While they are less likely to see an earthworm in the wild, they have encountered something similar to one. Also, flowerhorn fish aren’t picky with their food, so you can give them a few earthworms when they are hungry.
However, you have to be careful when feeding them earthworms. Your flowerhorn fish can potentially jump out of the tank if you’re not careful. Feed them the earthworms by placing them inside the tank. If you hold it above the tank, chances are they’ll try to escape!
Here is a video of flowerhorn eating earthworm below.
Benefits of Feeding Earthworms to Flowerhorn
Here are some reasons why you should give your flowerhorn earthworms:
Minerals and Protein
Earthworms have as much protein as cow’s milk and eggs. On some occasions, they have medicinal uses as well. Did you know that worms can be used to treat malaria and assist women after pregnancy?
The Royal Society created a study that discovered that earthworms have a lot of calcium, similar to the amount you’d find in cheese or cow’s milk. In addition, earthworms are a great source of copper, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, and potassium. So it’s okay to feed them to your flowerhorn fish once in a while.
Easy Digestion
Like any fish, flowerhorn fish need food that’s easy for them to eat and digest. Fortunately, earthworms can be eaten by them with ease. Place an earthworm in the tank and watch how your fish reacts. Within a few seconds, you’ll see your fish digest them!
How to Prepare and Feed Your Fish Earthworms?
First, you’re going to need a container to store your earthworms. An aquarium, sterile container, plastic box, or terrarium would make a good container. You can even go to the dollar store as they have containers for cheap.
Your container size matters when feeding your fish earthworms. Make sure the container has a screen lid to prevent the worms from escaping. Grab the screen lid and place a hole in the middle to give the worms air to breathe. Doing so will prevent bugs from entering the lid while keeping it ventilated.
Substrate
Next, you’re going to need a substrate to feed the earthworms. This can be in the form of chicken feed, wheat brain, oatmeal, etc. Oatmeal flakes are a good substrate because you don’t have to grind them, and they’re easy to find. Wheat bran is another good meal because it requires less grinding than oatmeal flakes.
Tank Parameters
You have to monitor your tank to make sure it’s good for your fish and earthworms. Monitor the pH, ammonia levels, and nitrates in your tank. With a high oxygen level, your parameters will be disturbed, and your fish and worms might suffer because of it.
Since earthworms require a lot of attention, it’s best not to add them into your first tank. Only try this when you are comfortable in adjusting your tank’s parameters and how to clean a tank with no losses.
Water
Everything needs water, but how will you give your earthworms water? By vegetables and fruits. Slices of carrots, apples, and potatoes are the most popular choices. When cutting the food, keep it into small slices up to 1cm.
That way, the earthworms can eat the food faster and digest it easier. If you keep the food out for too long, it will rot and go to waste. Another reason why the slices need to be thin is because it reduces the mold it will attract from staying out too long.
Maintenance
Check the bucket every two days. Place the pupae in a separate container and remove any dead mealworms. Any leftover food needs to be removed as well. After a month, you’ll notice the substrate becoming darker. This is due to the earthworm’s waste that’s been accumulated over time.
Grab a sifter and take the earthworms out of the tank. Dump out the previous substrate and replace it with a newer substrate. When taking the earthworms out, you can see which earthworms have died.
Lighting, Humidity, and Temperature
For earthworms, you don’t need lighting. But you need to keep the temperature at 75° Fahrenheit. If the temperature is too cold, then it will slow down the growth rate, making the colony growth slower.
If you live in a colder climate, you’ll need a heater. If you’re using an under-tank heater, you should place it in a terrarium and or aquarium because the plastic will melt. Having high humidity is great for growing your colony, but it isn’t too important. Don’t place the container in direct sunlight, or else you’ll harm your earthworms.
Can Flowerhorn Eat Mealworms?
Mealworms are great for flowerhorn fish! When feeding them mealworms, make sure you cut off their heads to prevent them from biting your fish.
You can feed your flowerhorn mealworms at least once a week. Giving them a balanced diet is the best way to ensure that your flowerhorn grows properly. Mealworms might attempt to bite you, so make sure you wear gloves if you’re feeding live ones to your mealworms.
Here is a video of flowerhorn eating mealworms below.
Can Flowerhorn Eat Bloodworms?
Bloodworms make great snacks for flowerhorn fish. In fact, they are the ultimate bait for fish because 99% of fish will eat them. However, it’s important not to overfeed your flowerhorn bloodworms because it can lead to digestive issues.
Instead, bloodworms should be taken as a supplement to their daily diet, which is usually pellet or flake food. Even though they are filled with protein and iron, they lack the essential nutrients, vitamins, minerals, which your fish will need to breed. So make sure you feed them in addition to their current diet.
Here is a video of flowerhorn eating blood worms.
Conclusion
Flowerhorns like to eat worms, especially earthworms. But as a fish owner, you have to make sure they are eating more than just worms. Give them a balanced diet alongside worms and watch them grow immensely!
