Hi, maybe you can start by sharing how you build it and how it works? and is that an Ikea utensils holder at the top of the set up?
Hi I am new to this forum, and I had setup a tubifex worm culture - DIY. I am happy to share this.
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Please give me comments...Cheers!
Hi, maybe you can start by sharing how you build it and how it works? and is that an Ikea utensils holder at the top of the set up?
The idea is to have a system to provide mechanical and biological filtration while providing circulation and make easy to harvest the worms.
The way it works is to re-circulate filtered water to a tray containing the worms. The tray provides for barriers (Bulkheads) to keep most of the worms from draining. The water is drained back to a section of the aquarium with some big size gravels. The big size gravels help prevent the worms floating out while at the same time are easier to clean than say, sand. The worms are further separated from the filtration system by have a overflow box - microwave container from kitchen.
The filtration system consists of: a submersible air power mini spong filter to provide for mechanical. A micron bag full of porous bio-media for added on biological filtration.
The items used can be found at any LFS or Pet store and hardware store.
1. Aquarium: SGD7.50 Tank
2. Tray: I found the tray at the kitchen section in hardware store only SGD1.90, it is supposed to be used as an organizer for cutlery for small drawer.
3. Filter: Air powered Spong filter
4. Powerhead: Evo ...the smallest
5. A micron bag used for chemical media
6. Microwave container
7. Gravels
8. Tube for overflow, which I drilled a hole in the Tray at the most isolated section of the Tray.
9. Tubing and Spray bar (DIY from plastic tube bought from LFS)
I have yet to make adjustment to regulate the flow, so I added wire mesh to put on top of the spray bar to make the flow from spray to ebb.
Lots of DIY and lots of fun.
Will post pics of the components, when I have time.....Cheers!
Enjoy!
Interesting, how long the culture has been going. And how do you cope with the smell of the worms?
Thank you for posting this nice setup.
LIFE IS UNBEARABLE WITHOUT A FISH TANK!!!
It's been going for close to 3 months... Change water about every 2 weeks.
The active carbon I added in the micron bag help.
Awesome setup... Thanks for sharing. Mind sharing how do you feed them? XD Any secret recipe?
I've fed rotted leaves and flakes.....Secret recipe... Maybe occasional dead fish..
Thats an interesting design... sort of like an aquaponic style sump setup for the tubifex.
I'm also curious about the smell generated from such cultures, especially with the generous amount of tubifex in the tray... i guess your activated carbon and ketapang leaves do help to minimize it.
Yes....ketapang leaves does and carbon helps.
Yes, the high frequency cycling is the trick to increase aeration and probably reduce the smell. I was thinking of pandan leaves (Pandanus amaryllifolius), which I smell very nice fragrance from a pond near Sakura restaurant in Admiralty Park Singapore. I had also added that to the water.
I actually found out from another forum they are feeding fish poop to these worms.
Let update with better explanation.
The design is to have shallow water to ensure tubi do not get drown.
The idea is to have a system to provide mechanical and biological filtration while providing circulation and make easy to harvest the worms.
The way it works is to re-circulate filtered water to a tray containing the worms. The tray provides for barriers (Bulkheads) to keep most of the worms from draining. The water is drained back to a section of the aquarium with some big size gravels. The big size gravels help prevent the worms floating out while at the same time are easier to clean than say, sand. The worms are further separated from the filtration system by have an overflow box - microwave container from kitchen.
The filtration system consists of: a submersible air power mini sponge filter to provide for mechanical. A micron bag full of porous bio-media for added on biological filtration.
The items used can be found at any LFS or Pet store and hardware store.
1. Aquarium: SGD7.50 Tank
2. Tray: I found the tray at the kitchen section in hardware store only SGD1.90, it is supposed to be used as an organizer for cutlery for small drawer.
3. Filter: Air powered Sponge filter
4. Powerhead: Evo ...the smallest
5. A micron bag used for biological media
6. Microwave container as separator
7. Gravels
8. Tube for overflow, which I drilled a hole in the Tray at the most isolated section of the Tray.
9. Tubing and Spray bar (DIY from plastic tube bought from LFS)
I have yet to make adjustment to regulate the flow, so I added wire mesh to put on top of the spray bar to make the flow from spray to ebb.
Lots of DIY and lots of fun.
Hope this explanation is clear enough
i am looking at making this into a bigger production for all my fishes.
My Tubifex Worms Culture.jpg
I tried culture tubi but almost faint due to the smell and daily WC. Not sure what the tubi farm feed their tubi that cause such intense stinky smell.
You got a awesome setup to solve this issue. How often do you do WC?? I think after a while of culturing, your tubi will be cleaner & healthier than those from the farm.
That's a very nice design! Bookmarked for future reference - though I'm not in need of tubifex right now. Thanks for updating!
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