Tubifex feed live food or as dried animal food: ornamental fish are happy about a varied diet and on the menu of many fish are also the so-called tubifex. In German, these microorganisms are also called mud tube worms or stream tube worms. The word Tubifex comes from the Latin and consists of tubus "tube" and fex "maker". In our aquarium, this food serves as optimal energy, especially since the proportion of proteins and fats is quite large here. But what exactly are Tubifex? What should you pay attention to when feeding and where can you buy these worms? Questions which are answered below.
Origin and appearance of Tubifex
Let's start with the origin and exact appearance of Tubifex. Of course you can't do this with the red mosquito larvae compare, because these originate from larvae of mosquitoes. If you look at the systematics of mud tube worms then you quickly realize that there are a lot of genres here too. Tubifex are found in both freshwater and saltwater. The difference lies in the hair bristles, because the freshwater species have fine hair bristles. The worms can grow up to 80 mm and settle in the soil. They are more common in polluted waters in particular.
In unpolluted waters rather less. They anchor themselves in their tubes in the ground. In pictures you can usually see them coming out of there. Their color is red or reddish. We've also included a video below that nicely shows how they look and how they behave. Its component is mostly water. In addition, they also have a high protein content and a smaller proportion of fat. Precisely because of this protein, it also makes sense to offer these worms to the carnivorous species of our ornamental fish. Take for example viviparous kinds like platy or else guppies very fond of these worms in all dosage forms.
| # | Preview | Products | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | JBL NovoFex 30630 treats for aquarium fish Tubifex cubes 250 ml | 11,55 EUR | View product | |
| 2 |  | Live food Tubifex 10x 45ml bags of fish food, fast refrigerated shipping even in summer | 11,99 EUR | View product | |
| 3 |  | sera Tubifex cubes 250 ml, pack of 1 (1 x 250 ml) | 13,10 EUR | View product |
Tubifex as fish food
As mentioned above, Tubifex can be bought in pet shops or online in various dosage forms. De probably the simplest way is feeding in the dried state. Here, for example, Sera, JBL or Tetra offer the Tubifex in a can. These food cans are mostly sold as protein treats. Of course, as always, dried food can never be as good as fresh food. However, handling is much easier here.
Another way Tubifex gives its aquariums to fish is to buy the Tubifex frozen. The main advantage here is the storage and shelf life compared to the living presentation. On the one hand, you can keep them frozen for quite a long time and, on the other hand, they have lost significantly less protein than when they were dried. The Tubifex are usually offered as cubes.
But that's not all, because Tubifex also serve as live food. The advantage here is the even better nutrient content, but also the stimulation of the hunting behavior of the ornamental fish. So you have enough to do chasing after worms that are still alive. Of course, you have to be careful here.
Tubifex as a live food can usually be kept in the manufacturer's packaging for several days and even weeks store refrigerator. See also our article on storing fish food.
However, if the bag has been opened, you should feed them quite quickly.
This should be considered with Tubifex live food
Especially young animals and animals that want to be fed with fattening feed are happy about Tubifex. The reason is the already mentioned high Protein content. Next to vitamins and nutrients there are also certain ornamental fish here Minerals available However, it is important to watch out for a few things when feeding the live species. As with all types of live food, you should only feed them very little and sparingly, because the organic load in the aquarium quickly becomes quite high. In addition, it can also happen that these are not eaten immediately and the mud tube worms or stream tube worms then settle in substrate of the aquarium nest. At best, they could also multiply there and thus become a plague. This should definitely be prevented.
Furthermore, Tubifex should be thoroughly rinsed before feeding. All you need is a thin sieve. Simply rinse under running water and only then give it to the ornamental fish. The main purpose of this is to prevent any contamination from entering the aquarium.
Let's summarize what you should pay attention to:
- Feed Tubifex dried, frozen or live
- Economical feeding - Only as much as is eaten at once
- Store frozen food properly
- Store live food in the refrigerator according to the manufacturer's instructions
- Once opened keep only 2 days
- Rinse well
Collect Tubifex yourself
Basically you could collect Tubifex or mud tube worms or stream tube worms yourself. However, since these usually only occur in polluted waters, we definitely advise against them. The risk of bringing other unwanted "things" into the aquarium is too high. Be it the stress on the water values, or maybe even hydra or planaria.
Finally, the mentioned video