Live worms usually come in a plastic container. You should rinse the worms before feeding them to the fish and don’t add any of the water in which they were stored to your tank.

You should store them in the fridge, with enough water to cover the bottom of the container.

They are ideal for large tanks which have many fish.

Whilst live foods are usually more nutritious than frozen foods, they do have a higher risk of carrying infection and disease. For this reason, it’s not recommended to collect your own worms or larvae from the wild.

One way to avoid contaminating your tank is to buy your live foods from a reputable breeder.

Live ones are ideal for conditioning fish if you want them to breed; they are commonly used to condition betta fish. 

Feeding them live foods will also bring out the hunting instincts of your fish and you will see more of their natural behaviors.

Daphnia  

Daphnia are a form of plankton. They fair best in calm or still water, such as that found in small ponds. Just about any place that combines fresh water and the right conditions can be a sanctuary for Daphnia. In nature’s grand design, however, Daphnia are imprisoned in the lower end of the food chain, where they serve as food for larger aquatic creatures, such as small or young fish.

Basically, Daphnia provide two primary vitamins that are of vital importance to fish — vitamins A and D. Vitamin A is essential for the growth and development of fish, and it also serves as an excellent anti-infective agent. Vitamin D is primarily responsible for the production of bone, and all vertebrates are therefore dependent on it. Daphnia also offer small amounts of vitamins B and C, which vary in quantity depending on what foods the Daphnia have consumed. Vitamin B supports tissue growth and stimulates appetite. Vitamin C aids in skin formation and coloration. Finally, Daphnia provide protein, carbohydrates (sugars and starches) and fats.

There are numerous advantages to offering Daphnia in comparison to a diet consisting exclusively of dried foods. Dried foods typically lack essential vitamins. Daphnia provide the necessary vitamins in proportionally balanced quantities. Because they are a live food, Daphnia activate a fish’s instinct to hunt. Overfeeding Daphnia to aquarium fish will not pollute aquarium water because they will live until eaten later on. It costs much less to provide Daphnia to your fish. Unlike with brine shrimp, there are no difficult or costly requirements needed to cultivate Daphnia to adulthood.

Tubifex

Tubifex worms are another choice in live fish foods that are especially handy for feeding to fish who are picky eaters and refuse flakes and other forms of live foods such as bloodworm. Tubifex worms are packed full of proteins and are often used to condition fish for breeding, they are a fantastic food for most corydoras species as well as other catfish as they wriggle on the bottom of the substrate attracting even some of the more un-interested fish.