Grindal worm cultures

[RonWill]

Hello Andrew and we're glad that you found something useful in making your fish-keeping days a little easier.

FWIW, synthetic cultures can become infested with mites if there are mite-plagued cultures around... mine did. So start a new culture and store it somewhere else and make sure it's well sealed except for the ventilation 'window'. This window should also have a fine barrier to keep out mites. Coffee filters, empty tea bags, handkerchief, stockings (without the garter! :wink: ), breathable bandaid and even tissue paper comes to mind.

The 'Synthetic culture' article is fine-tuned by RJ, originally for white worms, so you can safely apply the method to your culture.

Glad to be of help, but please keep us updated... I would appreciate that.

Good luck and have fun!

[Pulcher]

I will first try the coffee filter trick to keep the mites out so I can grow enough 'critical mass' of worms to start a new culture.

[jkillis]

Ron, how do the mite looks like? I do have funny creeping insects in my container although it is fully air tight. Those insects even swims in water.

[RonWill]

hey Jennifer... long time no news! Glad you're still with us.

These mites are what I know as 'spider mites' which competes for food with the grindals or whiteworms. They're either white or brown (could be another species), and being very light, they can walk, hop and float on water... not swim! :wink:

They are a real nuisance and tough to get rid of, since they can hide inside the media, even you try to drown them.

For a severely infested culture, I'd strongly recommend re-starting with cleanly collected worms. To play safe, while the worms are at the bottom of the collecting container and the mites float, BURN OR TORCH THEM!!! Show no mercy!

[stormhawk]

Hello Ronnie,

Just an update on the scrubber pad / coarse filter pad combo GWC that you passed to me a few weeks back. The worms have multiplied in small numbers but it seems that the cover isn't retaining enough moisture to make it easy for the worms to move around. They're feeding well on a daily sprinkling of crushed Quaker's oatmeal.

Another thing that I found really odd, there's several grindals that have decided to take a swim and drown in the water bath. Is there any explanation for this behaviour?

[RonWill]

Jian Yang,

There is a fine line between retaining moisture and providing adequate gaseous exchange.

As you have found out, too little moisture, and the worms don't 'travel' as much. Not enough oxygen, and you'll find them migrating into the water bath. Personally, I'll say that oxygen takes priority over moisture.

Increase the air exchange by opening up more ventilation holes but don't forget to have a 'pest barrier' over it.

Let me know what happens after that.

[kc]

Ronnie,

My friend saw the picture of your GW and said that it looks like those worms passed from his stools when he was a kid.

[RonWill]

oh... but if he's still having worms, I think he better do something about it. Otherwise, I might use him as a culture host and forget about my synthetic ones!

KC, it isn't surprising that most kids in those good old days have worms, when 'night-soil' were removed manually. Thank gawd that isn't the case now!

FWIW, update me on your progress with the GWC.

[kc]

FWIW, update me on your progress with the GWC.

Will try to keep you posted. Actually, I've been trying very hard to check their population but everytime I started counting, I fell asleep mid way.

[kc]

Update 1

The colour of the cheap scrubber wool that I bought, runs. I don't know whether the red die will affect the GW, but to be safe, I changed the water. Luckily, the red piece is in-between the 4-layers bedding.


Slight increase in GW. They seem to spread themselves out.

[RonWill]

Update 1The colour of the cheap scrubber wool that I bought, runs...

Red? Are you using pads or 'wool'? The method on the page is based on the density properties of a scrubber pad! (yeah I know, it's unbelievable... but it works!) I've tried coarse filter wool but not 'scrubbing wool'. YMMV, but tell me anyway.

Prior to use, instructions call for soaking to rid any 'cleaning enhancers' embedded in or within the material. I hope you started off similarly.

KC, You said "4-layers bedding", besides the red, what else do you have in there?

For those following the 'synthetic technique', do try to replicate most, if not all of the steps, so you get comparable reults. From there, you can experiment further, so we can collect broader feedbacks/suggestions.

[kc]

Are you using pads or 'wool'?

Should be pads. It looks exactly like what you are using except that they are multi coloured, yellow, red, blue and green(I hope my memory is ok, my go back and check). The red colour runs.

BTW: what is YMMV?

[RonWill]

BTW: what is YMMV?

Synonym or abbreviated from "Your Mileage May Vary"... literally meaning; achieving different results or effectiveness.

HTH (Hope That Helps)

TT4N (Ta Ta/Bye bye For Now)... and I better stop here! :wink:

[kc]

Ronnie,

Here is the 2nd update.

The GW are doing fine. Wow! They are big eaters. I started with tiny sprinkle of flakes, like what you advised and slowing keep increasing the amount daily. Nothing is left the next day.

This is what I found (you may have already discovered it too):
The GW only come out for food. If there is no food, they wouldn't come out. To catch them in 'action', place the food on the pad and wait for 2-3 hrs! I think I can start harvesting next week.

I hope they don't bankrupt me. Got to get cheaper flakes.

[RonWill]

The GW are doing fine. Wow! They are big eaters. I started with tiny sprinkle of flakes, like what you advised and slowing keep increasing the amount daily. Nothing is left the next day.

Thanks KC for the update. No remaining food is a good sign. Avoid overfeeding in the initial stage and build up the bacterial colony slowly.

If the air is 'dry', they'd prefer to stay in the moist pads but if they're feeding, I guess your worm box is exchanging gases adequately.

For harvesting, a flat piece of container lid or plastic spoon will allow the grindals to climb onto it... making harvesting easier and cleaner.

Affordable flakes? Before you file for bankruptcy, look for a 'packed in China' oatmeal... it's much cheaper than Quaker Oats. (I know... I bought 10 packets of those and cleared the shelf! )

Let me dig around for a pic of that packaging...

[RonWill]

KC and fellow 'worm-people' :wink:,

Here's the packing for the lowest cost oatmeal that I can find.


Click the links for a pic of the back and local distributor label.

Last I heard, they're pulling the product off the shelves because of low turnover but I find these best... it's good, affordable and leaves the least residue. Grab 'em while you can!

[jkillis]

can i use the oats for hamsters?

[RonWill]

Hi Jennifer, long time not see! Glad you're still with us but it seems like you're now more into hamsters than killies!

Hamsters are omnivorous, meaning they'll take both animal/insect and vegetable foods... and to expand on that further; they'll eat worms, grasshoppers, grains (and that include oats) and your scrap veggies! Occasionally, a little meat is even good for them.

As if they'll die tomorrow, they eat and stuff up the pouches located at their cheeks! So yes, hamsters eat oats as does my dwarf chickens!

Now... back on topic... how are your grindal cultures doing?? :wink:

[zmzfam]

can i use the oats for hamsters?

Didn't she meant to ask whether the oats for hamsters can be used for the grindals as well?
I might be wrong though, in which case Ronnie answered perfectly.

[RonWill]

Zul,
Whether it's hamster oats for grindals, grindal oats for hamsters or hamsters cooked in oats, I think we humans will consume it in this not so perfect world! :wink:

Which reminds me... how are your cultures doing? Those fishes I gave to your kids... are they still alive??