Many will have seen my long running post on breeding pods outdoors in summer which got lots of views and questions.
I thought I would turn my attention onto how I breed and feed white worms.
White worms are one of the best foods you can feed your fish and few fish will turn their noses up at being offered them.
White worm cultures to get you started are cheap and available to buy here in the UK and US. I used one of if not the best suppliers of white worms I have found mail order in the UK.
I currently have 4 sandwich boxes on the go breeding white worms. They are are cheap to buy measuring around 10" X 7". To each sealed top I drill about 12 small.holes to add air to the culture. Hole size about 1 to 2 millimeters is all.you need, in fact you could just pierce the lid with a sharp instrument like a bradal.
You could just use a small nail or panel pin and hammer to make the holes. Be sure to put a block of wood under the lid when making your holes or you might split it.
For media you can use well rotted garden compost, compost or manure from a garden centre. Well rotted manure does not smell as you may expect and is the best media but any of the above will do.
Here's how I set a culture up.
Purchase a bag for each culture you wish to start. I recommend at least 3 so you can rotate feeding from each. Much depends on how often you want to feed and how many tanks you have.
After drilling the holes in the lid add your compost and spread it out to around 2" thick. The compost needs to be moist but not soaking wet. I use a small handheld spray bottle. Rainwater is better than tap.water to use for thus.
Open your newly purchased culture and spread it it on top of the compost.
If you wish you can add pieces of nylon net I use some had left over from my ATS. The next is 7 point screen as used in embroidery. You lay this on top of the culture. Worms will gather on it and its a simple task to dip them into the DT to feed.
The worms will fall off immediately they are submerged in the water. Be sure to rinse the screen in tap water to remove the salt from it. You can put worms in fresh water to keep for a few days should you wish. I don't tend to rinse my worms in water before feeding but some do. A little bit of compost off the worms won't do any harm in the DT
To feed the worms you can feed many things from small pieces of bread to oats plain Greek style yogurt. I have used brewers years flakes recently which the worms like. It will take you a little while to establish how much to feed and how often.
If you feed too much then food may go moldy. If so just remove it and add fresh feed. In the beginning check your cultures every day and at least every other day once established, every day being preferable.
After sometime you may find the culture not doing so well or you have so many worms you may want to start a fresh culture. One way of telling to to smell the culture, it shouldn't smell much at all. Any bad smell then replace much of the compost with fresh. Collect as many worms as possible, many gather around the edge and on the top.
Be sure to split them before they crash. Knowing when to so a plut and start a new culture will come to you in time. Remember the smell test above. All you need to do is split the culture into 2 or 3 portions and add as per starting from new above.
Keep your cultures in a cool dark place away from any heat. Ideal temperature is around 16C.to 18C if you can provide it.
Here are a few photo's and a video to help illustrate the above.
