Cultures in Breather Bags

[whuntley]

Ron's mention in the Grindal thread about sending a starter made me think. Has anyone experimented with sending mostly terrestrial cultures in breather bags?

I just ordered a heat sealer from ebay, and one of the first things I plan to do with it is experiment with how best to pack Grindals for long-distance shipping. With and without peat/sand medium, and various amounts of wetness should be tested by just sealing them and storing where temperature varies a lot (as if in shipping).

If someone has already worked this out, please head me off, so I don't waste the time and precious bags.

Microworms should be next, but they tolerate more liquid environment so may be easier.

Daphnia and other submersed critters are a no-brainer, I think. Kordon sells a lot of live Tubifex, glass worms, blood worms, etc. in the small breather sachets. [They use additives, I believe. Don't know what, tho.]

Fruit flys are better in solid containers, in my opinion.

Black worms need to surface their tail to breathe in crowded conditions, so may not work so well. They have way less hemoglobin than Tubifex, so suffocate easier.

Wright

[Blessedsilence]

Wright,

I have sent white worms, grindals and vinegar eels in breather bags. I use a heat sealer when sending cultures, but not with sending live fish, I am too punchy about then getting stuck in the corners. I belive I set mine for a little under 2 seconds time for sealing the breathers.

As for the moisture for grindals and white worms, I just send them as they are, they don't seem to loose any moisture on the trip, have had grindals take 5 days to get to someone and they turned out fine. White worms didn't fair too good that time, it got a little to warm for their liking.

Forgot to mention that I culture mine in coconut fiber, it has worked great for me so far.

As for packaging I just put packing peanuts in a box to help with some insulation.

[RonWill]

Wright,
In one of your response at the breather-bag-order thread, you said, "They are also nice for sending live food cultures, etc.". That alone got me thinking, so I'll take a shot at your questions;

...how best to pack Grindals for long-distance shipping. With and without peat/sand medium, and various amounts of wetness should be tested by just sealing them and storing where temperature varies a lot (as if in shipping)

Dampness as in your present culture, scoop up an amount up to one inch deep. Pack insulated as you would for fish.

Microworms should be next, but they tolerate more liquid environment so may be easier

A small amount is all that's needed to sub-culture but pack with lots of air. To dense a shipping population will suffocate.

Fruit flys are better in solid containers, in my opinion

Vestigial drosophila starters intended for shipping best cultured in cylindrical tubes with a stiff mix of media at the bottom, a cardboard insert and opening stuffed with filter wool. Adult drosophila won't make the trip but the eggs and larva will.

For Daphnia, perhaps the ephippium (winter eggs) is more shipping-friendly (BTW, I did tried these but nothing hatched).

Hope this helps.

[keehoe]

In China, they have been sending microworm with bread. I tried sending Walter worm to Selena and seems arive without much problem.

Putting the worm in environment that make them not reproducing fast helps a lot. I have had Walter worm in container sealed for a week without a problem except slow down in production.