Grindal Worms!

[Bybloz]

Sorry, I haven't come to this forum for a long while now due to work... but I come with "good news of great tidings"... I have Grindal worms here in Singapore! Not only that, you might be surprised with what I've done with it...

I have devised a hassle-free, no-peat, and productive way of culturing them, all in little disposable food boxes. No mess, no smell, and a perpetual supply of clean live food for my fish fry and adults alike. It really is the best thing that has happened for me in years of fishkeeping!



These are the quick facts...

• I use dish-washing pads for media.
• Cut a hole in the lid of the food-box and stuff with filter-wool - for breathing yet keep out pests.
• for easy checking on the yield as well as collecting the worms, I place a common transparent plastic lid of name card boxes over the media.
• I 'invented' my own potent cereal mix in granular form which I sprinkle on the media using a 'herb-shaker' maybe twice a week. And it gives me very high yields!
• I have replicated several boxes like this just in case any crashes, but guess what? I have never had one crash in the last 1.5 years since I did it this way.

And this is a happy beneficiary of the Grindal worms (my latest spawn of Fp. nigerianus Innidere)...


* Due to frequent travels because of work, there are stretches of time that I don't come online nor be able to indulge in this hobby. Apologies in advance if I cannot respond to comments and enquiries in a timely fashion.

Warm regards to all,
Kai

[TyroneGenade]

Cool Kai!

Do you put a little water in the bottom for the worms or do you run the culture dry?

Thanks for sharing, I'm going to give this a try.

[Bybloz]

Cool Kai!

Do you put a little water in the bottom for the worms or do you run the culture dry?

Thanks for sharing, I'm going to give this a try.

Yes, I add a little water only enough to keep the pads moist, but not visible outside it.

Somehow I can't PM you Tyrone. I've always wanted to thank you for all your writings on your website (http://tgenade.freeshell.org/sitemap.htm), and I mean all, about killies and otherwise.

Would appreciate to have your email address.

[TyroneGenade]

Hello,

Started my dish-washing pad culture yesterday. So far so good. The worms were alive this morning AND had been eating their food like good little worms.

I added a layer of paper toweling to the bottom which I wet to ensure there is a high enough humidity.

Your dish-washing pads, did you soak them or just pour a little water through them?

Thanks

[Bybloz]

Hello,

Started my dish-washing pad culture yesterday. So far so good. The worms were alive this morning AND had been eating their food like good little worms.

I added a layer of paper toweling to the bottom which I wet to ensure there is a high enough humidity.

Your dish-washing pads, did you soak them or just pour a little water through them?

Thanks

I pour in water till it almost "bleed" out of the pad. But this has also got to do with how dense/porous your pads are. The denser the more water it holds. Better to determine what is optimal by observing the transparent hard plastic you place over the food on the pad. Too wet and the worms look soaked in water under the plastic. Too dry the worms just feed and hide back in the pad and you can't harvest any. Hope this helps.

Try it and you will know what I mean.

[TyroneGenade]

Hi Kai,

My culture is doing very well but I'm having trouble harvesting the worms. They don't retreat back into the wet pads but I can't pick them off either. How do you harvest the worms from your culture?

Thanks

[RonWill]

Tyrone,
Take the top pad and shake/rinse it in a small container. A fair count of grindals will just fall off and then watch your killies enjoy the treat.

[exotic_idiot]

Don't you have to wash them before feeding?

[RonWill]

well... I did say shake/rinse

The pad is full of gunk and will turn the water slightly murky. Rinse till clear, then feed. I'd pour this water into my green-water/ramhorn culture to feed the micro-organisms. Your preference can vary but that's what I used to do anyway.

[exotic_idiot]

well... I did say shake/rinse

The pad is full of gunk and will turn the water slightly murky. Rinse till clear, then feed. I'd pour this water into my green-water/ramhorn culture to feed the micro-organisms. Your preference can vary but that's what I used to do anyway.

Thanks & sorry for my mistake.. Didn't read properly Haha
So it's your culture stable now? Any to spare/sell me?

[RonWill]

I received and briefly maintained the grindals received from Mosiah. When it was stable, I passed it to my killie-backup and he recently re-subbed the culture. Don't think there's enough to spread around yet but I'll check with another friend who has thriving cultures and see if he's willing to sell (even though he dreads selling to local hobbyists for obvious reasons)

[exotic_idiot]

I received and briefly maintained the grindals received from Mosiah. When it was stable, I passed it to my killie-backup and he recently re-subbed the culture. Don't think there's enough to spread around yet but I'll check with another friend who has thriving cultures and see if he's willing to sell (even though he dreads selling to local hobbyists for obvious reasons)

Yup, i understand and i knew who.. Because i ask him before too.. No need to feel dreads dude... Some good, some bad.. But all is equal.
Let me know if you have some to spare, i'll wait...

[TyroneGenade]

Thanks for the advice. I will give it a go and see....

Any idea on the rebound time before the culture can be harvested again?

Thanks

[Bybloz]

Hi Kai,

My culture is doing very well but I'm having trouble harvesting the worms. They don't retreat back into the wet pads but I can't pick them off either. How do you harvest the worms from your culture?

Thanks

Hi Tyrone,
Sorry for the late reply as I was away, and will be traveling again in 2 days time (that means limited net access).

If you look at my pic of the Grindal culture, I place a clear plastic cover over the feed on the pad. The worms will naturally gather on it while feeding. I simply lift up the cover and scrape off the required amount for feeding. I don't rinse the pad as I find that the tap water (probably the chlorine) retards the Grindal worms from repopulating.

Regards,
Kai

[gentle]

interesting - where can i get some of these worms and start my own culture?

[mozaqua]

I received and briefly maintained the grindals received from Mosiah. When it was stable, I passed it to my killie-backup and he recently re-subbed the culture. Don't think there's enough to spread around yet but I'll check with another friend who has thriving cultures and see if he's willing to sell (even though he dreads selling to local hobbyists for obvious reasons)

Ron,

Seems you guys are still in a worm crunch (short on worms)
Hey I can send a few cultures out to some members if you can't sub them fast enough. Just don't hold me to it as a permanent job, as I also do other things

Regards

[exotic_idiot]

Hi Mo, i'm keen to try. If possible i would like to keep it as a everlasting culture.
Thanks.

Cheers,
Ben

[Zeth]

how can i separate grindal worms from acari?

[exotic_idiot]

Acari? Meaning a mite?

[ikarsai]

Yes mites Acari would not be a problem, fish will eat them. If you need clean worms to start new culture wash the mites out, they have different speed of sinking. If you meant agar (the culture medium) then I suggest to keep them in dark (the culture posted above have transparent box and worms generally do not like light). In dark they are more brave to come out and you will find some on the surface. Best Steve