WHITE WORM CULTURES!

[Elite Aquaria]

Thanks...I will keep you posted once the culture starts to thrive....

[alxjss]

[korbi_doc]

Ok, Mike, et al, my culture arrived with what looked like just a few alive...most were doa, so I packed'm up anyway, via your method & put'm in the fridge....should they stay there? ...gets pretty hot here...today, there are a few moving, so I put some food (corn meal, what I feed the red ones, lol) on top, misted & put'm on the air vent, cooler than the fishroom ...I'll keep a check on the food usage....

Dottie

[White Worm]

Glad to hear you at least have movement (alive ones). Yeah, any moist food will do. Give it a couple days in a cool dark place and then check. You will see them gathered up around the food. If the food molds, remove it and give them new stuff. They like it cool around 55-65f, dark and moist bedding. At 75f they will start to die off. Since you have alive ones, no worries, they produce rather quickly.

Anyone have any pics of how they are growing them???? What they are using for the culture??

[phidelt85]

Mine came in on Friday in the same condition as Dottie's. I had alot of DOAs but there was still some movement. I placed them in a sterilite shoe container (ssshhh don't tell my wife she's missing one ) in the fridge which is 38*C. I didn't have potting soil so I used some peat moss of which I have plenty. I just checked them and there were some on the surface but they weren't moving a whole lot. How active are these things? will they wiggle around much?

[White Worm]

Around 50-55f, they will be slow moving. As you get to 60-70f, they will be much more active. Glad to hear you also have movement which means some made it alive. 60-65f....is probably ideal.....maybe even up to 70f. If your containers are airtight like some tupperware, make sure you poke some breather holes around the top of the container.

[White Worm]

I'd say its about 70ish where I'm staying right now. I have Al's culture that I have been carrying around with me and they are enjoying a bread meal. It was the easiest thing to find since everything is packed. I'll put them in the fridge to keep them cool if it gets too hot. I keep ice packs with them in the sink to keep them cool right now.

DSC_0283.JPG

DSC_0279.JPG

DSC_0281.JPG
Mine is not the greatest example because it is way too wet. I've even added some plain dirt to dry it out a little because I threw out my potting soil
You should be able to make the soil into a ball with some crumbling (in your hand) but not be able to squeeze liquid out. It really is a science that just takes practice to see what works best for you. Cool, dark and moist is the best I can describe it.

[tedsdiscus]

holy cow Mike,

Are those pieces of bread in the pictures? Is that how much we should feed? I'm sorry to ask such dumb questions, I just haven't done these whiteworms before.

thank you,

Ted

[White Worm]

Yep, those pieces may mold before they completely finish them. If they do, I just remove the molded bread and replace with new. I just threw bread in because its what I had on hand. Otherwise, I would sprinkle maybe 4-5 good pinches of oats on the surface and they would finish that in a couple days. I'd start with a 1/4 piece of bread and see how they do.

[tedsdiscus]

thank you Mike,

I just assumed that you would give them a couple flakes of goldfish food each time. Shows how much I know.

Thanx again,

Ted

[White Worm]

No problem. Thats why I wanted to see some pictures of how everyone else is doing it. Better to feed too much than too little because they will go in search of food if hungry...which means try to escape from their container.

[White Worm]

Thanks for all of the feedback. I definately learned a little about shipping live food.

[brewmaster15]

Sucesss!!

This time Got them alive and well Mike ! Thanks a million!

-al

[White Worm]

Fantastic!!! Glad to hear they made it this time. You have a pretty large culture which should be producing very quickly. Maybe between you and Dan, we can get some more out to the few that did not receive theirs alive? I learned some valuable lessons this first time about shipping live foods. Maybe I will have them on a more regular basis for those who are interested after I get settled in Oregon/Washington.

[MostlyDiscus]

I use flake for my culture. They color up real nice.