hi i just got a white worm starter pack and i was wondering how do i feed them im going to put them in a bucket with some compest is that all right or not ???

bikiegirl

In a bucket with compost sounds OK, you'll need to keep them in a dark cool place (they don't do well if they get too warm and will hide away from the light). Would probably be an idea to have the bucket covered so that the compost doesn't dry out too much - they prefer damp conditions - not soggy though. The most common thing they get feed is bread soaked in water (sometimes milk) or cat biscuits soaked in water (though I don't really like the appearance of soggy cat biscuits so I put them on the surface dry and then drip some water over them) some people say about porridge but i hadven't tried that. Having the food on the surface means that that is where the worms gather and makes harvesting easier - I always end up with a small amount of compost making it into the tank though.

hi ty rob

ooo ok ty for that now for my next q when can i start feeding them to my fish (fry) and how do i ????(do i cleaning them or ???) sorry im new to this white worm stuff but i was tolled that there r good for fry and there growing ty

bikiegirl

Potting mix can work ok too instead of compost.

Also I have found that feeding bread crumbs is quite good. You can put the crumbs on dry and the moisture from the soil wets the crumbs enough for the worms to eat (you just have to keep an eye on the soil moisture more closely than if you were using a pre-wetted food). I always found with pieces of bread that if I put too much on the worms didn't eat it and I ended up with a smelly and sometimes moudly mess. Breadcrumbs can be added at a more controlled rate and I find it much easier to match the food addition rate to the worms eating rate.

Plus if you put the crumbs in a pile, the crumbs at the top of the plie remain fairly dry until they reach the soil. This is useful if you don't want to feed the worms for several days, as a large pile can be added without the worry of creating a big uneaten mess because the dry breadcrumbs at the top of the pile don't start to deteriorate until they get wet.

o ok

ive now got a 10lt bucket with a lid that i half full with compest and i cut a hole inthe lid and cover the hole with some cloth ,the compest was dry so i use a little spay bottle and spay some water on the compest and im not going to add them untill morring just to make sure that is not to wet for them so now to add them do i just put them on the top of the compest or dug a little well in the compest and add them to it or ????

bikiegirl

You really don't need more than an inch or two of compost, I don't think more will hurt though. Just dump them on top, they'll sort themselves out.

I feed mine baby cereal. Seems to work well.

once your culture is thriving the worms should form clumps on the surface where the food is and you can just scrape them off.

As for feeding them out - I'll normally dig/scrape out the pile that accumulates where the food is/was. I don't worry about cleaning them (that's why I end up with a little bit of compost making it into the tank). As for feeding out it depends on which fish I'm trying to feed. If it's discus (or other cichlids) I'll put the white worms into one of those worm feeder things (a perforated cone, the worms make their way out the holes and the fish pick them off); if I'm mainly trying to give the catfish a treat then I'll dump in the ball of worms as is - some will get intercepted by the other fish but the catfish then get to ferret around in the gravel getting most of them.

Sounds like an idea!

I have a worm compost fill of earth worms that devour our food scraps, then in turn the fish get to devour the earth worms, they love them. Would white worms survive with the earth worms or should you have them seperate? and where do you get ahold of these white worms?

The white worms would survive in a compost bin environment (they are considered to be a type of compost worm) - I'm just not sure about competition between the earthworms and white worms - hopefully it would n't be too much to worry about.

As for where you can get them from - first port of call would be your local fish shop (I know mine as them out the back - so there's no evidence of them in the shop but when you ask at the counter it's "sure, I can do you a white worm culture". Alternatively you can get them from Biosuppliers in Auckland here's the web address.

Cheers Rob 8)

I'll look into it and see how I get on. The fish get more variety in thier diet than i do! :-?

I've read suggestions that you throw a few earthworms in with your whiteworm culture. It keeps the media stirred up and helps stop it from going bad. I don't think you'd have much problem with both together. The whiteworms, if you're feeding them constantly, tend to stay on the surface, I'd think the earthworms would tend to stay a bit deeper?

Ira said...

> I've read suggestions that you throw a few earthworms in

> with your whiteworm culture. It keeps the media stirred up

> and helps stop it from going bad...

I do that. Can't say if it actually helps or not. Doesn't seem to hurt.

I still reckon it's important to have a bit of glass sitting on top of the

medium, covering the food and at least some of the rest of the

surface. Helps with keeping things damp near the food, I reckon.

Andrew.

when I purchased my culture it contained earthworms. They have stayed in with the whiteworms ever since and have not been a problem. I too would suggest the use of a piece of glass over the top of the culture.