Page 1 of 1

Meal Worms For GSP

Posted: Sat Feb 19, 2011 6:08 pm
by drj1259
As the title states i just wanted to know if meal worms had any nutritional value for my gsp. I soak food in vita chem first but i got a huge tub from a friend that had turtles and got rid of them. I know this is not something that should be fed everyday but still free food is always good if there is a use for it. Thanks for any help

Re: Meal Worms For GSP

Posted: Sun Feb 20, 2011 1:58 am
by Pufferpunk
Only as an occasional treat. Their outer skin (chiton) is difficult to digest.

Re: Meal Worms For GSP

Posted: Sun Feb 20, 2011 12:01 pm
by drj1259
ok thx looks like there is atleast "some" use for them

Re: Meal Worms For GSP

Posted: Sun Feb 20, 2011 12:15 pm
by RTR
If you are in routine mealworm production, as I used to be to feed birds and some herps, you should select the white mealworms. Those are freshly hatched or freshly molted and the shells are soft. I did use such as treats for puffers and other fish, but the insect casings are not to me right "crunch" for incisor wear in puffers.

Re: Meal Worms For GSP

Posted: Sun Feb 27, 2011 6:18 pm
by greenspottedlover
I think insects such as mealworms are good for feeding puffers as long as it is not the only thing.

Re: Meal Worms For GSP

Posted: Sun Feb 27, 2011 6:46 pm
by Pufferpunk
You do, huh? What's your experience with this?

Re: Meal Worms For GSP

Posted: Sun Feb 27, 2011 7:35 pm
by sevenyearnight
My bichir got constipated on a meal worm when he was smaller. He stopped eating and pooping (which normally go together) lol. It took almost 2 weeks, but he finally shat out the chiton in two intact pieces. I thought he was going to die. Never again a meal worm shall be fed.

Re: Meal Worms For GSP

Posted: Sun Feb 27, 2011 7:46 pm
by greenspottedlover
Pufferpunk wrote:You do, huh? What's your experience with this?
Yah now that I think about it my puffer seems more lively and colorful after I switched from mealworms to maggots/maggot pupas

Re: Meal Worms For GSP

Posted: Wed Mar 02, 2011 11:55 pm
by Mac Myers
My. How odd.

The thing I've learned about mealworms is that they are about on par with Pork Rinds as a food favorite. I've fed them to a LOT of different animals.
I don't have any experience feeding them to fish (other than Oscars when I couldn't get Earthworms or clean feeders) as I've found them to be all but useless as anything other than a "treat" or an emergency fill in.

If you want to feed that sort of food to your beasties and they are larger than a Dwarf Puffer (or you don't want to chop anything up)... then use "Superworms" (Zophobas morio). Better Goo to Chitin ratio, better nutrition, and you don't have to keep them in the fridge and get punched in the throat by your significant other.. :shock: