3 replies to this topic

[plsharevme]

1st of all, Thank Gerald & Matt DeLaVega to encourage me to start a new thread about how to culture grindal worm due to my pure English.

 

As we know substrate for grindal worm can use

1. potting soils
2. peat moss
3. coconut fiber
4. peat & compost
5. scouring pad

I highly recommend only use SCOURING PAD as a substrate, The reason is all above 1~4 substrate if infected by mite the hope for recovery almost impossible and waste time. And the mite is growing so fast at these substrates. Until now there is no efficient way to prevent mite in grindal worms. That why a lot of people fail to keep grindal worm culture.

 

I tested all the solution how to clean the infected mite at the grindal worm, All fail until I use the scouring pad method.

 

HOW TO CULTURE GRINDAL WORMS

 

item to prepaid: cheap container, 4 scouring pad (hard), bottle spray, plastics cover cd or container cover, pure oat

 

Cut on top of containers make sure it enough big for air flow, cover it with the coffee filter or cotton to prevent other insects. If later see grindal worm all move very near these holes it means not enough oxygen.

 

Put 4 scouring pad inside the container and fill with water, Water level 25% of total scouring pad. spray surface of scouring pad and put some oat at the top. advise use pure oat. Spray little water on the food and now can put the grindal worm on the oat.

 

The time for well establish worms depends on how many worms you put in the container If you already have other good containers with a lot of grindal after you feed your fish just keep 50% worm and put to new containers and only 3 days need for grindal to make a new colony. just put the worm on food.

 

You can know how well the new colony by their consume food and put the cut plastics cover cd or cover container on the food to harvest the worm.

 

EFFICIENT WAY TO HANDLE MITE (100% WORKING ON SCOURING PAD)

 

How to get rid of mites in a Grindal Worm culture:  If your base material is synthetic fiber scouring pads (rather than soil), it is much easier to eliminate mites.  Fill the container full of water above the top pad, let the mites float to the top And wait for 20 seconds then just pour the water slowly away, and repeat this step few times.  This method can reduce 80% of mite.

 

After that put unfinished feeding grindal worm to the area mite to compete for food. 

 

These 2 methods are a very efficient way, and the mites will disappear or can ignore the amount.

 

Why I only recommend scouring pad is if you use moss or coconut fiber you cannot use method 1 fill the containers with water will destroy the substrate. Even you put unfinished grindal worm to compete for the food but the mites can move away. And these substrates easy become acid and need change instead of scouring pad just fill water can remove the acid and mites.

Edited by plsharevme, 23 October 2018 - 09:50 AM.

[littlen]

Nice write up.  Are you able to provide any pictures to go along with the set up?  Thanks.

[gerald]

Would it be helpful to put a spoonful of aragonite gravel or oyster shell under the pads to keep the pH from getting too acidic?

[plsharevme]

Would it be helpful to put a spoonful of aragonite gravel or oyster shell under the pads to keep the pH from getting too acidic?

No need use normal drinking water or filter water will do.

After you keep it some time, when you find out surface some messy just fill it full of water and pouring out to avoid too acid.