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Worm pellets - too good to be true? or perfect for the squeamish?

ChristineB

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I found this brand who sells worm-based pellets:
Earthworm Blackworm Sticks Great for Carnivores Bottom Fish Turtles | eBay
Has anybody tried these? I'm getting some ribbed newts soon, and am told they take pellets and frozen bloodworms, but the consensus seems to be blackworms and earthworms are more nutritious. I *really* don't want to chop worms or keep tubs of live worms, and I heard they don't freeze well. Seems like a great way to add variety to their diet, unless there's a downside I haven't considered?
 

Dyelon

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I have used an earthworm pellet that zoo med makes.

Zoo Medium Earthworm Sticks .7 oz

As I remember they were really good to supplement for Vitamins and proteins but couldn't be used as a staple diet. Not sure why... but I remember someone telling me that.

Perhaps they would be good to supplement a diet of frozen blood worms and things.
 

rachel1

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I tried some earthworm pellets that I found on Aquabid.com. My axolotls weren't impressed. Palatability seemed low compared to the Hikari carnivore, and they disintegrated pretty quickly if they weren't eaten right away (they never were...). I tried for a week or two with little enthusiasm from the gang, then gave up and fed them to my fish instead. I was a bit hesitant anyway, as I was never able to come up with a nutritional analysis or even a complete ingredient list.
 

ChristineB

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Just an update that my new juvenile ribbed newt went first for the ZooMed newt pellets, then made two valiant attempts on a worm stick, but it was too hard for him to bite. He gave up after that. I will try briefly softening them in water before feeding tomorrow and report back!
 

SludgeMunkey

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I used to make my own in the past, but you have to soak most pelleted foods before the critters will eat them. Additionally, I have my reservations about how much nutritional value is left after processing.

Better safe than sorry. Try the small size nightcrawlers from a bait shop. They make things a bit easier, no chopping required unless you have a very young critter.

If you can get them, blackworms are king and look less like worms and more like a wiggly drain clog...which in hindsight may actually gross you out more...


Have a look at the relevant caudata culture food articles. there has been some serious work done there on keeping your critters well fed!
 

michael

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I feed 3/32" soft moist salmon pellets to ribbed newts. Check the sticky in the for sale adds for info on salmon pellets. They don't need presoaking. One problem with some of the hard pellets is they swell up after they get wet. If the pellets are gobbled up and then swell they can cause impaction problems.
 

ChristineB

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I read on another thread that ZooMed and the type you sell were very similar? He loves those. Also, this morning I broke a small worm stick in two tiny pieces and he ate one eagerly. I tried soaking but they mushed too much; there's no stage between stiff and mushed, bit of a design flaw. So I will keep the impaction risk in mind and just offer one or two of those for variety alongside the semi-moist pellets. I don't mind offering worms occasionally (as long as I don't have to chop them up!), especially as he gets bigger and needs fewer feedings. I've had frogs and lizards in the past and have done the whole cricket-dusting/tubs of larvae in the fridge routine before . . . Love the pellets! :-D
 

ChristineB

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Wanted to update that I've had good luck breaking each stick into several tiny pieces before feeding. They eat them dry or just barely softening and I make sure not to overfeed both to avoid impaction, and because they dissolve so messily. After Rachel's and other comments I also tried Hikari Sinking Carnivore and everybody loved them. Attacked and immediately ate them, zero mess, zero fuss. I liked that the Hikari pellets are the perfect size and don't get kicked around and lost like the tiny pellets. They sink straight down better than the other foods, too. The newts would have loved more than 3 pellets each but that seemed reasonable for 5" juveniles.
 

Chil

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Hi. Mini black worm sticks are available in the UK from TA-Aquaculture along with freeze dried black worm. My axolotles love them and black worm is a very nutritious diet but no one I know has had much luck with culturing them in the UK. The sticks are new to the UK and much cheaper than buying direct from the U.S.
 
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