# Mealworms?



## strat guy (Dec 5, 2011)

Anyone ever had any problems with them? I'm thinking of foods I can feed my fish once they get to be a pretty good size, and I'm looking for some variety.

The reason I ask is because I remember when I used to do reptiles that there were people who were wary of feeding small lizards mealworms. Apparently, they have a burrowing habit. Coupled with their exoskeleton, they're hard to digest, and the worry is that they may try to burrow out of the animal.

Anyone ever had any experience with this? I guess the simple solution would be to cut the head off of them, but I would think the fish may miss out on some nutrition that way.

Cheers!


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## Aulonocara_Freak (May 19, 2011)

You can feed

Ã¢â‚¬Â¢ Blood worms
Ã¢â‚¬Â¢ Black worms
Ã¢â‚¬Â¢ Newly Hatched Brine Shrimp
Ã¢â‚¬Â¢ Daphnia
Ã¢â‚¬Â¢ Mosquito Larvae
Ã¢â‚¬Â¢ Other baby fish, make sure there healthy

All of these are great source's of nutrition for them.


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## strat guy (Dec 5, 2011)

Thanks. I do feed them a variety already, I'm looking more for some larger stuff, especially once my sev and festivum start really growing. I'm sure they'll like some bigger foods. I'm already aware of earthworms, redworms, and the like as well.


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## sjwrx (Apr 15, 2009)

I have fed mealworms a few times to my JD and my Red Devil, however they dont seem to digest too well because of the exoskeleton so i stopped feeding.

They pretty much poop out something that almost looks like the actual mealworm. lol.

I do feed mealworms to my Arowana with no problem.


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## strat guy (Dec 5, 2011)

Interesting. Maybe too big for medium sized fish?


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## mccluggen (Jul 5, 2008)

Mealworms are fine as a treat for medium / large cichlids. They poop out a lot of "roughage", and I wouldn't use them as a staple, but they won't harm them. If you want to sneak some greens into your fish's diet you can also gut load them.


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## strat guy (Dec 5, 2011)

What do you feed the mealworms? I used to do that with the lizards too, I fed the crickets orange squares.


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## Amatyi1 (Jul 8, 2021)

strat guy said:


> What do you feed the mealworms? I used to do that with the lizards too, I fed the crickets orange squares.


Feeding the crickets orange squares is not gut loading them. You feed the crickets to keep them alive so they're alive when you feed them to your lizard. You can either give them a powder like food to eat and gel stuff for water (you can't give them regular water or they'll drown) or you give them the orange cubes which is their food and water combined. Gut loading crickets mealworms etc is when you feed them vegetables so when your fish or lizard eats the crickets mealworms etc they're eating the vegetables that their cricket mealworm ate.


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## Ichthys (Apr 21, 2016)

Mealworms' tough skin can be a problem for big cichlids, that will swallow their food whole if they can. If you pierce the skin before feeding, like say a characin's teeth would, then they'll get digested.

I rarely use them these days. Compost worms on the other hand.....


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