# Thinking about starting a scud and blackworm culture



## Geoffrey (Jun 24, 2015)

I'm currently in the planning stage of going into raising live foods. I've done a bit of reading online, but was wondering about other people's personal experience. I'm thinking of scuds and blackworms and I was wondering whether they can be kept in the same tank or do they have to have separate ones.

I was planning on keeping them in 1-2 gallon containers (probably a Sterilite or Rubbermaid container). Which is preferable, a taller but thinner container or shorter but wider container? Do I need a sponge filter for them? Or is an air stone good enough? For food, I'm thinking about feeding them fish flakes, sinking pellets, and filter squeezings.

If there's anything else that you guys can add, that would be great!


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## Hammer (Apr 22, 2010)

I would imagine worm cultures are easier than scuds. There are scuds in lakes in b.c, you can't harvest and transport them legally though. I think worm cultures are available


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## Geoffrey (Jun 24, 2015)

I've heard that keeping scuds is just like keeping shrimp. I've also read that scuds are found in most bodies of water, but I don't feel like going for a dive to look for them even if it was legal. 
Where does it say that it's illegal to harvest scuds from BC waters?


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## Mykiss (Apr 22, 2010)

For the black worms I keep them in a tank with gravel. I'll feed them with flake foods and pellets and every 3 or so weeks I'll do a gravel vac to harvest until another 2-3 weeks. They are able to multiply but not in huge quantities.

For the gammarus shrimps I keep them in 5 to 10g tanks. They like the water cool e.g. no heater, and I will give them a little bit of aeration. I feed them flake foods, and some time veggies and fruits like lettuce leaves and apple cores. Just make sure you don't over feed them as it will foul the water. I also have some substrate in the tank and I also have some plants in the tank so that they can graze off the algae and hang out at. I hope that helps


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## Lutefisk (Jun 29, 2014)

I would think that the lower and wider the culture container you use, the better oxygen exchange you'll get.


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## Geoffrey (Jun 24, 2015)

Thanks Pat, but I wasn't clear, do you not use a sponge filter or any filtration in either cultures? How often do you do water changes?


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## Hammer (Apr 22, 2010)

Geoffrey,
On page 9 of BC freshwater fishing regulations synopsis 
It is unlawful to move live aquatic invertebrates within the province.

I think if you acquired them from a commercial source like Patrick, you are fine. The fear is that people are knowingly or unknowingly introducing organisms into places they don't belong....which happens extensively in B.C. It is illegal for me to transport a live fish that I caught with my rod. However, I can buy a fish from a commercial source and transport it live all I want (as long as I don't let it go into a local waterway) same goes for invertebrates. Also, in saltwater we transport recreational caught live crabs all the time. I think the rule is specific to freshwater.
I hope this is helpful


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## Geoffrey (Jun 24, 2015)

I know that introducing species to other waterways is bad since they can become invasive, but if they're going from a pond to my tank I wouldn't be affecting the environment in any way (other than removing a few scuds).



> IT IS UNLAWFUL TO... Have any live fish in your possession in the wild, or move any live fish or live aquatic invertebrates around the province or transplant them into any waters of B.C.


Based on this, it seems like they just don't want you to accidentally introducing fish and inverts in places they shouldn't be. It seems like taking some scuds for your aquarium should be fine, but with that said, I'm not going to go look for them in the wild. I was planning on buying from Patrick from the start and it was actually his website that got me interested, knowing that there's a source of live food available locally. Although I think I might back off the blackworm idea since I'd have to buy in bulk.


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## effox (Apr 21, 2010)

Geoffrey said:


> I know that introducing species to other waterways is bad since they can become invasive, but if they're going from a pond to my tank I wouldn't be affecting the environment in any way (other than removing a few scuds).
> 
> Based on this, it seems like they just don't want you to accidentally introducing fish and inverts in places they shouldn't be. It seems like taking some scuds for your aquarium should be fine, but with that said, I'm not going to go look for them in the wild. I was planning on buying from Patrick from the start and it was actually his website that got me interested, knowing that there's a source of live food available locally. Although I think I might back off the blackworm idea since I'd have to buy in bulk.


I could be mistaken, but it's more likely they don't want one to rid of them after one grows "tired" or "let's it free", ie. snakeheads, goldfish\etc, turtles. Not that it matters, like you said, if you can get some off Pat, that'd be a good start, just double check.


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## jbyoung00008 (May 16, 2011)

I fish lots and have seen some lakes full of scuds. Good luck growing them out seems like a cool project


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## Hammer (Apr 22, 2010)

I am interested to see how it works out. 
Check with Pat, but you may need add some calcium and mineralization. As earlier said by jbyoung, they are very common in Interior lakes where they play an important role in growth rates for trout. 
I think the smaller ones (hyalella sp?) are widely present here as I have found them when sampling for invertebrates.
I was also curious about the worms. I have heard they are very good for fish.
Keep us posted


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## Mykiss (Apr 22, 2010)

Geoffrey said:


> Thanks Pat, but I wasn't clear, do you not use a sponge filter or any filtration in either cultures? How often do you do water changes?


I don't use any filtration with the cultures. The only time I do water changes is when I harvest the daphnia or shrimp. At that time will I scoop out water and will replace with either rain water or old fish tank water.


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## Geoffrey (Jun 24, 2015)

Thanks. I'm not quite ready to get the scuds just yet (no time at the moment). I'll probably get it in a few weeks to a month so I'll send you a PM when I'm ready.

@Hammer, I'll probably update in a few months, a couple months after I get the scuds (if I remember). As for the calcium and minerals, I think I'll just add a cuttlebone for the calcium. I don't really want to mess around with the water even though I know our water is very, very soft.


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## Hammer (Apr 22, 2010)

Thanks Geoffrey 
I am sure others are interested too...live food supplements add a whole new dimension to keeping fish
Plus many of us are big fans of running side projects


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## Vinkartech (Nov 22, 2021)

Mykiss said:


> For the black worms I keep them in a tank with gravel. I'll feed them with flake foods and pellets and every 3 or so weeks I'll do a gravel vac to harvest until another 2-3 weeks. They are able to multiply but not in huge quantities.
> 
> For the gammarus shrimps I keep them in 5 to 10g tanks. They like the water cool e.g. no heater, and I will give them a little bit of aeration. I feed them flake foods, and some time veggies and fruits like lettuce leaves and apple cores. Just make sure you don't over feed them as it will foul the water. I also have some substrate in the tank and I also have some plants in the tank so that they can graze off the algae and hang out at. I hope that helps


If you do live in canada i am looking for a starting breeding gammarus scuds colony.
I live in montreal,quebec.
I already use grindal worms and daphnea but would love some bigger live food for my african cichlids colonies.


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