{"product_id":"frozen-bloodworm-flat-454g","title":"Frozen BloodWorm Flat 454g","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe bulk format for tanks that go through bloodworm faster than a blister allows.\u003c\/strong\u003e Ocean Nutrition Frozen Bloodworm Flat 454g is a single-ingredient frozen slab of whole bloodworms - declared composition simply \"Bloodworms\" - running 4.9% crude protein and 91% moisture as fed. The flatpack holds roughly four and a half times a 100 g blister and is snapped to size rather than pushed out as cubes, which suits multiple tanks, large fish and heavy feeding schedules.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eKey features\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOne ingredient, nothing else\u003c\/strong\u003e - the declaration is bloodworms, with no binders, fillers, colours or added vitamins.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e454 g slab\u003c\/strong\u003e - about four and a half blisters' worth, at a lower cost per gram than buying blisters repeatedly.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSnap-to-size format\u003c\/strong\u003e - break off exactly what the tank needs instead of committing to a whole cube.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e4.9% protein at 91% moisture\u003c\/strong\u003e - a wet food, so the protein figure is not comparable with a dry pellet; compare it against other frozen foods.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNear-universal acceptance\u003c\/strong\u003e - bloodworm is the food most commonly used to start a fish that has stopped eating.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFreshwater and marine\u003c\/strong\u003e - takes in tetras, barbs, cichlids, bettas and loaches as readily as clownfish, wrasses and gobies.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFlat profile\u003c\/strong\u003e - stacks in a domestic freezer drawer instead of taking up a shelf.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ctable\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eForm\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eFrozen flatpack slab\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003ePack size\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e454 g\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eWater type\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eFreshwater and marine\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eCrude protein\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e4.9%\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eCrude fat\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e0.5%\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eAsh\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e2.0%\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eMoisture\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e91.0%\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eFeeding frequency\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eTwo to five small feeds a day\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eThawing\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e10 to 15 minutes minimum, without water, at room temperature\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eStorage\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eKeep frozen until fed. Do not refreeze once thawed\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eFreight\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePick up only, North Lakes store\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\u003c\/table\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhich pack size do I need?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOcean Nutrition packs bloodworm in 100 g blisters and in 454 g and 907 g flatpacks. The food is identical across all three; only the format and the quantity change.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ctable\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eFormat\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003cth\u003ePortioning\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eBest suited to\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e100 g blister\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePre-formed cubes, pushed out one at a time\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eA single tank, or anyone feeding bloodworm as an occasional treat\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e454 g flatpack\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSolid slab, snapped to size\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSeveral tanks, larger fish, or bloodworm fed multiple times a week\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e907 g flatpack\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSolid slab, snapped to size\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eShops, breeders and fishrooms with the freezer space to justify it\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe practical trade-off is freezer discipline rather than price. A blister comes back out of the freezer for a few seconds; a slab is out for longer while you snap a piece off, and every extra minute is a partial thaw of the whole pack.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eIngredients and nutrition\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eFull ingredient declaration\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eReproduced exactly as Ocean Nutrition publishes it: Bloodworms.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat is the entire declaration. There are no added vitamins, minerals, colours, binders or preservatives in this product, and no ethoxyquin, BHA or BHT. Bloodworms are the aquatic larvae of non-biting midges (Chironomidae) rather than true worms; the red colour is haemoglobin.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eGuaranteed analysis\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003ctable\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eCrude protein\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e4.9%\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eCrude fat\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e0.5%\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eAsh\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e2.0%\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eMoisture\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e91.0%\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOcean Nutrition does not publish a crude fibre figure for plain bloodworm, so none is shown here rather than estimated.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese figures are as fed, not dry weight. At 91% moisture the pack is mostly water, which is why 4.9% protein here sits nowhere near the 40%-plus on a dry pellet tub. It also means a bloodworm feed fills a fish visually while delivering relatively little.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eThawing and feeding\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSnap off the portion you need and return the rest of the slab to the freezer immediately - within a minute, not after the feed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLet the piece defrost without water, at room temperature, for at least 10 to 15 minutes. Feed two to five times a day, offering only the amount the fish clear within five minutes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStraining the thawed portion through a fine net and discarding the pack liquid is worth doing on a bulk pack in particular. A larger portion carries proportionally more dissolved material into the water column.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNever refreeze a portion that has fully thawed. With a 454 g slab the realistic risk is not one refrozen portion but repeated partial thawing of the whole pack, which shows up as a slab that has fused into a solid brick and lost texture.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eSuitable for, and not suitable for\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eSuitable for\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFreshwater community fish - tetras, barbs, rasboras, danios, rainbowfish and gouramis\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBettas, which take bloodworm more reliably than almost any other food\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLoaches, corydoras and other bottom feeders\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSouth American and African cichlids that are primarily carnivorous\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMarine community fish - clownfish, wrasses, gobies, dottybacks and cardinalfish\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eConditioning breeding pairs, and restarting a fish that has gone off food\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eNot suitable for\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUse as a staple diet - bloodworm is a single unfortified food, and fish held on it long-term commonly develop dietary deficiencies. Rotate it with a fortified dry or blended frozen food\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHerbivorous fish such as mbuna, \u003cem\u003eTropheus\u003c\/em\u003e, tangs and plecos, whose gut is built for algae and plant matter rather than concentrated animal protein\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFry and very small fish, which cannot take a whole bloodworm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCorals and filter feeders, which need a much finer particulate food\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAuto-feeders of any kind, since this is a wet frozen food\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eHandling\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSome people develop an allergic sensitivity to bloodworm with repeated handling - chironomid haemoglobin is a recognised occupational allergen among aquarists, fish-food workers and anglers. Reactions are usually skin or respiratory irritation and build up over time rather than appearing on first contact.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you feed bloodworm daily, handle the thawed food with tweezers or a spoon rather than fingers, and wash your hands afterwards. This is worth knowing before buying a 454 g pack rather than after.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eGoes well with\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/frozen-bloodworm-spirulina-garlic-100g\"\u003eFrozen Bloodworm Spirulina Garlic 100g\u003c\/a\u003e - the same worm with plant matter and an attractant added, if a plain single-item food is the concern.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/frozen-mysis-flat-454g\"\u003eFrozen Mysis Flat 454g\u003c\/a\u003e - the other bulk flatpack worth keeping, and a better fit for marine tanks.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/frozen-artemia-brine-shrimp-flat-454g\"\u003eFrozen Artemia Brine Shrimp Flat 454g\u003c\/a\u003e - bulk brine shrimp to rotate against bloodworm.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/ocean-nutrition-formula-one-flakes-36g\"\u003eOcean Nutrition Formula One Flakes 36g\u003c\/a\u003e - a fortified dry staple to carry the nutrition bloodworm does not.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/frozen-tropical-mix-100g\"\u003eFrozen Tropical Mix 100g\u003c\/a\u003e - a blended frozen food for variety across the week.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWarranty and delivery\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAquarium foods carry no manufacturer warranty period. Your rights under the Australian Consumer Law apply in full and sit in addition to anything a manufacturer offers, including the right to a remedy where a product is not of acceptable quality on arrival.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFrozen food is pick up only from our North Lakes store, because a pack that thaws on the way cannot be refrozen.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\n\u003ch3\u003eCommon questions\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eWhat is in Ocean Nutrition Frozen Bloodworm?\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe complete declared composition is bloodworms. Nothing else is added - no vitamins, minerals, colours, binders or preservatives - which is both the appeal of the product and the reason it should not be the only food a fish receives.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eCan bloodworm be a fish's only food?\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo. Bloodworm is a single unfortified ingredient at 4.9% protein and 0.5% fat as fed, with no added vitamins or minerals, and fish held on it long-term commonly develop dietary deficiencies. Use it two or three times a week alongside a fortified staple rather than daily on its own.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eHow does the 454g flatpack differ from the 100g blister?\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe food is identical. The flatpack is a solid slab you snap pieces from, while the blister is pre-formed cubes you push out individually. The flatpack is cheaper per gram and better for several tanks; the blister is easier to portion and spends less time out of the freezer.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eWhy is the protein only 4.9%?\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBecause frozen bloodworm is 91% water. The figure is measured as fed rather than on a dry-weight basis, so it cannot be compared with the 40%-plus printed on a dry pellet. Against other frozen foods, 4.9% is mid-range.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eDo I have to thaw it first?\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYes, for a flatpack. Ten to fifteen minutes without water at room temperature lets the snapped-off piece separate into individual worms in the tank. A frozen chunk dropped in whole tends to sink as a lump and drift into the filter intake before the fish break it up.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eIs frozen bloodworm safe for a reef tank?\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere is no copper, medication or additive in the declaration, so there is no chemical risk to corals or invertebrates. The practical reef caution is nutrient load: strain the pack liquid off before feeding and portion deliberately if phosphate is already elevated in the system.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ocean Nutrition","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55293354770723,"sku":"ON1574401","price":62.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0972\/7236\/5347\/files\/frozen-bloodworm-flat-454g-43505609474339.webp?v=1790235656","url":"https:\/\/nicksaquariumoceanariumterrarium.com.au\/products\/frozen-bloodworm-flat-454g","provider":"Nicks AOT","version":"1.0","type":"link"}