Culturing whiteworms

What substrate are you using to keep your whiteworms in? I have just got a culture from fellow forum member and want to make sure that I give them a good 'home'.
TIA

 

We used good ol' Jungle Oats - worked great!

 

Thanks for the reply Vee.
I remember you telling me about Jungle Oats for food. By the way, did you just add water like you were making it for breakfast? Did you cook it are just add water and put it in?
What medium did you keep them in? I have heard of people using potting soil, peat, etc.
TIA

 

Oops stop the bus :s: - I read micro-worms for some reason........we DIDN'T use J.Oats for the WHITEWORMS :embarassed:. For them we used peat

 

LOL. No probs.
I don't know much about peat. What type of peat did you use?

 

We used the aquarium peat as far as I know - Gav dealt with all of that in. I'll check with him though.

 

Cool, thanks Vee.

 

I have just put food in for the worms (I saw an article that advised to use some cooked rice to rapidly expand the population). I noticed that in the medium that are some small white 'critters' that move very rapidly when exposed to light. I don't think that these can be worms, they seem to move too fast.
Could these be mites or some other nasties?
If so, how do I go about saving the culture? Do I go through the medium and remove just the worms and add them to a new medium?
Any advice would be appreciated as this is the first time I have kept whiteworms.
TIA

 

Bump.

I really want to save this culture if I can.
Any help would be appreciated.

TIA.

 

Some quick advice:

I culture mine in palm fiber peat (Oh no, not again!), but in this instance one must buffer it against pH drops. For this reason I add a heaped tablespoon of agricultural lime to the water (it does not dissolve and only forms a suspension) before adding the palm fiber brick so that it draws up the water. In this way the medium is mildly alkaline, but importantly buffered against pH drops.

If you suspect mites or flies in the medium you must carefully go through the colony and perhaps use a tweezers to separate the worms from everything else.

I only use pronutro to feed my worms. I argue that what goes into the worms is what you feed to the fish and Pronutro has a good balance of carbohydrates and vitamins.

I grow my worms in ice cream bakkies with their lids closed. The medium must be moist but not wet. Most importantly the worms must be kept cool, I keep the tubs on the cold floor of my garage. Once the culture starts growing you can harvest them by putting a small piece of glass on the medium and the worms will collect underneath the glass.

Kind regards,

Dirk

 

Thanks Dirk.
It looks like I will have keep a stock of palm fiber peat on hand for the all the 'projects'.
Is the agricultural lime a 'generic' product? Do I just get any type?
Do you make any holes for ventilation in the ice cream bakkies, or just as they are?
Thanks once again for your patience will all my questions.

 

Yes, Palm fibre peat is certainly versatile...

Agricultural lime is a generic product, you can buy a 5 kg plastic bag from your local garden shop.

No holes for ventilation as the medium will dry out too fast. You aerate when you inspect the worms ever so often.

Kind regards,

Dirk

 

Dirk, you will make a decent fishkeeper of me yet .... LOL
Will try and get some palm fibre peat and lime tomorrow.
I suppose I should be able to get both at Stodels?
I think that is the biggest garden shop in the Durbanville area (where I work).
Thanks.

Oops, nearly forgot. How much water per brick? Do you use 5L water the same as in the substrate? I am sure that 1 brick would be way more than what is needed to start with. I assume half the brick, half the water and half the lime?
TIA

 

Stodels yes, and re water read instructions on package, if all else fails, they say....

Kind regards,

Dirk

 

Hi Dirk
Is this the correct palm peat?




And the correct lime?



TIA

 

Yes, all of those are correct...

Kind regards,

Dirk

 

Great. Thanks Dirk

 

OK, I have mixed the agricultural lime with water and added the palm peat brick.
The brick REALLY expands.
Will start transplanting the worms tomorrow night.

Dirk: How full do you make the ice cream bakkies, ie. how much space must I leave open between the medium and the top of the bakkie?
When you feed them Pronutro, how do you prepare it, and how much of it do you think I should start feeding?
TIA

 

Hi Darryn,

After receiving 250 kg of imported frozen and dried tropical fish foods from Germany this afternoon, your question is a light one...

3 cms of peat in the bakkies is fine.

Do you know the Free State method of making moer koffie? You put a teaspoon of instant coffee in a bug and then you moer in the boiling water....

You use much the same procedure for the Pronutro to feed the white worms. Sprinkle some dry Pronutro on the top of the peat, just like the sugar on your Pronutro for breakfast.... Feed about two teaspoons for starters and then check how fast they eat it. DO not add more before all is gone or else it goes sour and funguses.

Kind regards,

Dirk

 

3cm deep they will be then ....
So you don't wet the Pronutro at all?