Growing Microworms?

[redbetta]

hey everyone
I got my microworm culture today, and it's like a beige soup lol, I hope they are still alright, they've been in the mail for a while. I'm just wondering, do I just pour all of it in the soil in the tupperware? Will that last me for as long as the babies will need them? Or just I somehow save some of it and grow another one later? What's the best idea? And then how do I keep it going, with bread or just the soil? I tried to search it but I didn't really help me. Any advice asap would be greatly apprechiated thank!

redbetta

 

[Bloo]

Never done them myself, but this article might help you. Or this one or this one - just a few I found with google

 

[redbetta]

hey thanks bloozoo, I've googled too but it didn't help me so much lol.

 

[supersixone]

i raise my cultures in mixed grain baby cereal. i take a small plastic tub and mix the baby cereal with lukewarm water until it's fairly thick, and then sprinkle it liberally with yeast and mix in the starter culture. i split my starter between 2 cultures in case one crashed.

the culture should produce microworms in a couple days - you'll see tons of little wiggly shimmery things on the surface of the culture. it should keep producing for quite some time without any intervention from you. when you notice production falling off, you can always re-culture it using some material from your existing culture as the "starter." i've maintained 2 cultures continuously from the original starter that i purchased. it doesn't take much effort to maintain it, so i just keep them going at all times

i also have a culture of vinegar eels, which are extremely prolific and even easier to culture! if you need any let me know, i can send you a starter and instructions

 

[redbetta]

thanks so much supersix, I have grindals, springtails and micros, all thanks to wuv so I'm hoping they'll work out

 

[Mr.September15]

How would you grow microworms? You can GROW them! hmmm...Interesting

 

[Synirr]

Like supersixone, I use baby cereal and yeast. I've got two cultures going, both of which came from the same starter culture about 6 months ago. I use a good amount of yeast so my cultures sour less quickly; it usually takes a couple of months before I need to wash them out and start over. Whenever production slows I just add some more cereal and yeast

 

[redbetta]

Alright, I got normal regular oatmeal flakes and yeast. Hopefully this will do the trick for me! I'm sooo exccited LOL

 

[nashnut]

I've used a couple things.... but mainly use the quaker instant oats cooked following the instructions and then adding a pinch of yeast to the mixture. Pour your culture on top of that. I usually make up two or three containers and split the culture. It doesn't take much or take long. I just tossed out some older stuff and took some off the top to start a new culture a couple days ago.

You can also use whole wheat bread. Add some water, not too soggy but just so it's wet and then add the pinch of yeast to the top of that. Put the culture on that. I had more luck and better cultures from the quaker oats than the whole wheat bread.

Remember to punch some air holes in your containers. I use the plastic stuff - like zip lock containers - and put holes in the lids.

 

[supersixone]

linda olson told me she uses cornmeal and has found it superior to other media, but i simply havent gotten around to buying any to give it a try. the baby cereal works well enough but gets soupy after a while, and she says the cornmeal doesn't do that. does anyone here use it?

 

[redbetta]

LOL nashnut, I do have quakers oatmeal. I think I am well off with them, there climbing around and whatever. I didn't get many grindals so I'm crossing my fingers that they'll grow in there.

 

[WILDER]

http/www.skepticalaquarist.com/docs/feed...icroworms.shtml

 

[Synirr]

Just something I figured I'd throw out there: I tried making a culture with 4 different sections of media to see what the worms grew best on one time. I used regular oatmeal, wheat bread, baby cereal, and corn meal. It wasn't a very scientific experiment of course so my results probably wouldn't be the same for everyone, but I found they did about the same on oatmeal and corn meal, not as good on the bread, and the baby cereal was the best. The baby cereal does turn into a liquid soup very rapidly, but production was the best with it.

 

[redbetta]

Hey
thanks synirr, I actually hae wormies all over the walls already with the oatmeal I must be doing something right. But I'm worried, in your pm you mentioned bbs is best, but I don't have access to it now. I just took what wuv suggested and I'm so happy that she sent them to me. They should do ok with those 3 cultures shouldn't they?

 

[wuvmybetta]

BBS is best and very easy. You just need some eggs, salt water an aerator/tubing and a light. This is really where all of the "work" raising fry comes into play (aside from water changes) The MW's are another good staple and I use them as in between snacks. However, as much as I believe in BBS, it's not unheard of to raise fry on a MW only diet. I've read of several breeders doing it this way.