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can discus eat frozen bloodworms?
Posted: Sat May 24, 2025 8:58 am
by kayzer
I've been feeding my discus flakes and pellets, but I wanna mix it up with frozen bloodworms. Heard some folks say it's sketchy, others swear by it. What's the deal? My tank's a 75g, planted, with driftwood, temp at 84F, pH 6.8, and they're about 4 inches each. Got a Fluval canister filter, weekly 30% water changes. Anyone got experience with this?
Re: can discus eat frozen bloodworms?
Posted: Sat May 24, 2025 10:00 am
by landfall
Yep, they can eat frozen bloodworms, but don't make it a staple. Too much can mess with their digestion. I've got a 120g with 6 discus, same temp as yours, and I feed bloodworms once a week as a treat. Key is to thaw 'em properly in tank water first. Also, watch for any weird vibes after feeding—some fish react badly. What's your current feeding routine?
Re: can discus eat frozen bloodworms?
Posted: Sat May 24, 2025 10:43 am
by Rusty
Agreed with landfall. Bloodworms are fine occasionally, but they're not nutritionally complete. I've bred discus for years, and I rotate between beef heart, pellets, and the occasional bloodworm. My juvies get fed 3x a day, adults twice. Tank's at 86F, pH 6.5, with a sponge filter and daily 10% water changes. How old are your fish?
Re: can discus eat frozen bloodworms?
Posted: Sat May 24, 2025 11:23 am
by kayzer
Thanks for the input. Mine are around 8 months old. I usually feed them twice a day, Hikari pellets in the morning and flakes at night. Gonna try bloodworms once a week like you suggested. They're in with some cardinal tetras and a pair of rams, no aggression issues so far. Filter's a Fluval 407, substrate is sand, and I've got some Java fern and Anubias.
Re: can discus eat frozen bloodworms?
Posted: Sat May 24, 2025 12:13 pm
by cadence
landfall wrote: ↑Sat May 24, 2025 10:00 am
Yep, they can eat frozen bloodworms, but don't make it a staple. Too much can mess with their digestion. I've got a 120g with 6 discus, same temp as yours, and I feed bloodworms once a week as a treat. Key is to thaw 'em properly in tank water first. Also, watch for any weird vibes after feeding—some fish react badly. What's your current feeding routine?
Spot on! I've seen discus get bloated from overdoing it. My crew gets bloodworms maybe twice a month, and they're thriving. 90g tank, temp 85F, pH 6.7, with a mix of driftwood and live plants. Also, what brand of bloodworms are you using? Some are sketchier than others.
Re: can discus eat frozen bloodworms?
Posted: Sat May 24, 2025 1:45 pm
by boldo
Stick to reputable brands like Hikari or San Francisco Bay. Cheap stuff can have parasites. My discus are in a 100g, temp 84F, pH 6.6, and I've been using Hikari bloodworms for years with no issues. Tankmates are rummynose tetras and a few Corydoras. Filtration is dual sponge filters with a powerhead for flow. How often do you guys quarantine new food?
Re: can discus eat frozen bloodworms?
Posted: Sat May 24, 2025 2:53 pm
by talon
I don't quarantine food, but I always rinse frozen stuff in tank water before feeding. My discus are in a 55g, temp 83F, pH 6.8, with a canister filter and weekly 25% water changes. They get bloodworms maybe once every 10 days, mixed with beef heart and pellets. Anyone else notice their fish go nuts for bloodworms? Mine act like it's candy.
Re: can discus eat frozen bloodworms?
Posted: Sat May 24, 2025 3:08 pm
by butteredBiscuit
Oh yeah, mine lose their minds for bloodworms. 75g tank, temp 85F, pH 6.5, with a Fluval FX4. I feed 'em once a week, and it's like a feeding frenzy. Also got some angelfish in there, and they're just as hype. Substrate's pool filter sand, with a bunch of driftwood and Amazon swords. How do you guys thaw the worms? I just drop the cube in a shot glass of tank water.
Re: can discus eat frozen bloodworms?
Posted: Sat May 24, 2025 5:01 pm
by Jazzman
Thawing in tank water is the way to go. I use a small container with water from the tank, let it sit for 5 minutes, then feed. My discus are in a 125g, temp 86F, pH 6.4, with a sump system. They get bloodworms every other week, along with a mix of pellets and live blackworms. Tankmates are sterbai corys and a school of emperor tetras. Anybody else notice color changes with bloodworms?
Re: can discus eat frozen bloodworms?
Posted: Sat May 24, 2025 6:12 pm
by SunKnot
Jazzman wrote: ↑Sat May 24, 2025 5:01 pm
Thawing in tank water is the way to go. I use a small container with water from the tank, let it sit for 5 minutes, then feed. My discus are in a 125g, temp 86F, pH 6.4, with a sump system. They get bloodworms every other week, along with a mix of pellets and live blackworms. Tankmates are sterbai corys and a school of emperor tetras. Anybody else notice color changes with bloodworms?
Yep, my discus get a deeper red after feeding them. 110g tank, temp 84F, pH 6.7, with a canister filter and weekly 30% water changes. I feed bloodworms once a week, and their colors pop more the next day. Also got some Congo tetras and a few bristlenose plecos in there. Substrate's black sand, with lots of floating plants.