culturing white worms my way

[abraham]

Hi
So far the most convenient medium for me was just  "palm peat"  or "coco peat" mixed with some crushed egg shells. (eggs shells are a good source of CaCO3 (calcium carbonate to keep the pH constant (slightly alkaline.)
The medium that worked the best for me was a mix of palm peat and some compost made of leaves mixed with some crushed egg shells.

It seems like little difference between the two, but the worms take to the second mix much better than the plain palm peat.

I have tried several other mixes but its an effort to find material that is a good consistency.

Using true peat or canadian peat is a schlep. Its is difficult to get it wet and then its stays too wet too easily.

Just a hint on "expanding" the palm peat - if you use boiling water it swells up immediately. and you use less water. If you then just leave it to cool off, it is not too wet for the worms and other applications like growing seedlings etc. Using cold water it can take a day for a brick to expand to its "fluffed up" state.

Back to keeping the worms cool.

I have tried keeping them in a cold environment  - like on a cold floor yes they do survive. I have had some cultures survive at around 25C but they definitely do better when kept cold. (South African Standards) around 10 - 12C
This I manage by keeping a few 2l bottles with water in the freezer.  The worms are kept in ice cream tubs in a Styrofoam box, with the water/ice bottles between them.  The water bottles are then changed every day to keep the box cold.

[darryn]

The palm peat that you are referring to, is it palm peat fibre?  I know there is a brand called Kompel. Is that the right one to use?
The compost that you use, do you make it yourself or do you buy it somewhere?
Thanks for all the help.

[abraham]

One of the companies that sell palm peat is Kompel - they also sell other agricultural products like fertilisers.
Starke ayres is another one.  It is made from the coconut husk fibre.
Sometimes you can get it with no label on.
It is usually shaped more or less like a brick. It is highly compressed. One brick will expand to about 8liters of loose fibre.
I have bought it at Macro, Pick n Pay (mostly the Hyper) and Builders warehouse - you can also get it at most nurseries usually at a higher price.
True peat (originating from decomposed moss) cannot be compressed and is always sold "loose"  - meaning it does not expand when you work with it or add water. True peat is mostly from colder climates. this you usually can only get at nurseries.

I have used Earth to Earth's compost , and potting soil in my tanks and for white worms. I also make my own compost. Earth to earth = Braaks.

[tyronegenade]

Hello,

I have been using this method with excellent results: http://www.aquaticquotient.com/forum/showthread.php?t=58028

I have found the worms far more productive than using the various "peat" out there.

I also feed pronutro. I had tried several methods of feeding and this is the best. Using the above method I don't wet the pronutro. I simply place a half a tea spoon in the center of the scrubbing mat and cover with a piece of glass or something. The worms consume it in about 12 hours.

tt

[Slagter]

Hey Tyrone...

That link you supplied is fantastic. Maybe I'm a bit doff, but it's not really clear exactly how that little setup works? So the sponges sit on the bottom of the tray with a little water. Then you place a small plastic lid type thing on the sponge and you feed the worms in there? Or do you feed the worms on the sponge?

I'm not entirely sure how this all works? If you could put a better explanation up, that would be very cool... If you have the time?

[Norio De Sousa]

Slagter, I also didn't get it so went searching around. I found this which explained it in a bit more detail:
http://www.ehow.com/how_4560263_grindal-worm-culture-poly-pads.html

[Slagter]

Brilliant, thanks dude.

[Norio De Sousa]

No problem Let us know how it goes if you try this. I've been wanting to grow my own food for my fish for a while and this seems like a nice non-smelly way to do it!

[Slagter]

I'm going to get the stuff for this today hopefully. I'll take pics and all that jazz when I set it up...

Need to PM Abraham about a starter culture first...

[boebie]

I'm currently growing a culture in some peat moss and the worms are breeding like rabbits!
I have noticed recently that there are some tiny insects crawling around as well. Looks like mites, are they harmfull to the worms and how does one get rid of them?

[tyronegenade]

I'm currently growing a culture in some peat moss and the worms are breeding like rabbits!
I have noticed recently that there are some tiny insects crawling around as well. Looks like mites, are they harmfull to the worms and how does one get rid of them?

Yes, the mites can cause trouble. It is possible to separate the worms form the mite by submerging the culture. The mites will float and can be discarded. You will need to find a way to drain to your medium though... This is the perfect time, however, to switch over to scrubbing pads. The mites can't cross the watery moat around the pads. 

[darryn]

Hi Tyrone.
Thanks for the great link.
What scrubbing pads are you using?
Will this work by putting the pads in a 2L ice cream bakkie, putting the lid on and making a hole in the lid?  Possibly put some filter floss in the hole to keep out the nasties?
TIA

[tyronegenade]

I by my scrubbing pads from Pick 'n Pay. No particularly brands. Just give it a rinse. Your plan sounds fine. To avoid adding nasties to your new culture, collect the worms and submerge them in water and then siphon them off with a pipette or syringe and then put them onto the scrubbing mats.

tt4n