# Increasing detritus worm population



## RubyG (Nov 14, 2017)

I want to increase the number of detritus worms in my planted tank. I had a bunch when I was doing a fishless cycle along with bladder snails and water fleas, it was a perfect ecosystem. 

Once the 20g cycled I released my betta in to his new home two weeks ago, he is so happy! He obviously loves hunting for these worms, fleas and the baby snails as much as I like watching him. 

How can I maintain the population within my mini ecosystem? He's eaten most of the snails, detritus worms and water fleas.

I don't want a bubble aquarium, I want him to continue to hunt and forage.


----------



## trahana (Dec 28, 2015)

Your ecosystem should not have so many detritus worms that it keeps your betta fed. Having so many means something was off, to much detritus or in other terms the muck that is on the bottom of the aquarium. That is muck is bad for the betta. 

If you like him hunting for food, set up a separate aquarium and raise worms. There are several different species of worms that fish people raise to feed their fish.


----------



## LittleBettaFish (Oct 2, 2010)

I find I get more detritus worms in my wild betta tanks, as I don't vacuum the substrate, and a thin layer of mulm forms. They were also present in higher numbers when I used leaf litter in my tanks and let the leaves breakdown in the aquarium. I'm sure the detritus worms and other microfauna in my tanks provide a valuable food source for fry and juvenile fish.


----------

