Are tubifex worms safe to feed to fish?

Question

I've read of people fearing the spread of disease through tubifex and bloodworms in aquariums. I recently purchased tubifex from petsmart freeze dried. Is it safe? Was that fear only in the 70's or from people in less industrialized societies?

Answer 1

There is only concern if the tubifex is alive and that isn't even in all cases. I had them in my pond and they were perfectly fine because I knew my water was healthy. Tubifex grown for commercial sale are, for a large part, grown in healthy environments, so you don't need to worry anyway, but if the tubifex is frozen or freeze-dried, you're perfectly safe. This is, not completely, but for the most part, an urban myth.

Answer 2

Tubifex worms are completely safe to feed your fish as long as you get them from a store or buy a live culture from a reputable source. The fears surrounding tubifex worms are due to the fact that they breed in polluted water in the wild. However, commercially available worms are purified before being packaged, and are therefore totally safe. A word of caution - they are not terribly high in nutrients. If you are looking for a staple to feed your fish, try bloodworms. They are very nutritious and readily accepted by all fish I've ever offered them to. In commercial operations, bloodworms are raised in large concrete ponds, and not in natural waters.

Answer 3

Tubifex worms is not something any fish in the wild eats, as the live in places of no oxygen, they are anaerobic. Many people don't want to give them to their fish for reason. Pretty much all freeze dried or frozen or live foods you are going to buy for your fish are farmed and carry little to no disease. I've not heard one person who has actually had a problem like this and I belong to more than one fish society. Knock yourself out, a lot of us in the hobby for a long time catch wild things in rivers in the spring and feed them to our treasures. Have fun!

Answer 4

Very safe, used them all the time.