Microworms, Banana Worms or Walter Worms are all very similar (to me anyway) and can be cultured in more or less the same way. I currently have both Microworms and Banana Worm cultures going.
I like to feed my young fry on a mixture of newly hatched brine shrimp and microworms. The fry seems to grow better on this selection than solely on one type.
To culture Microworms is very easy, as you only need a starter culture, some cooked oats (porridge) and a ventilated container and the worms will do the rest.
I like to use small plastic food take-away dishes for the container, with small holes burnt in the lid for ventilation. I like to make the holes with a soldering iron, even though it can be a bit smelly, so is done in the garage though drilling is another option but the plastic may crack if too much pressure is applied. I have started to glue some plastic fly screen onto the tops of my lids, as fruit flies love to find their way into these containers. Do not put any holes in the sides as the worms will escape and cover the outside of the container.
The oats are cooked with a small amount of water. On cooling this is placed into the container and I like to add a sprinkle of yeast, as this speeds things up, but is not necessary. Recently I have been using Ready Brek, rather than cooked oats, as it is much easier to prepare (just add water to a thick paste consistency) but still does a very good job.
The starter culture, can be from an old culture, or from anyone who has one and most enthusiasts are normally very happy to share to get you going.
After a few days, when you view the surface of the culture you will see it "shimmer", and this is the moving worms. Before long the worms will start to climb the walls of the container and you can start feeding your young fry. You can use your finger to collect the worms, by sliding it along the inside wall of the container, or my preference is a small child's paintbrush, then transfer the worms to the fry containers.
I like to feed my young fry on a mixture of newly hatched brine shrimp and microworms. The fry seems to grow better on this selection than solely on one type.
To culture Microworms is very easy, as you only need a starter culture, some cooked oats (porridge) and a ventilated container and the worms will do the rest.
I like to use small plastic food take-away dishes for the container, with small holes burnt in the lid for ventilation. I like to make the holes with a soldering iron, even though it can be a bit smelly, so is done in the garage though drilling is another option but the plastic may crack if too much pressure is applied. I have started to glue some plastic fly screen onto the tops of my lids, as fruit flies love to find their way into these containers. Do not put any holes in the sides as the worms will escape and cover the outside of the container.
The oats are cooked with a small amount of water. On cooling this is placed into the container and I like to add a sprinkle of yeast, as this speeds things up, but is not necessary. Recently I have been using Ready Brek, rather than cooked oats, as it is much easier to prepare (just add water to a thick paste consistency) but still does a very good job.
The starter culture, can be from an old culture, or from anyone who has one and most enthusiasts are normally very happy to share to get you going.
After a few days, when you view the surface of the culture you will see it "shimmer", and this is the moving worms. Before long the worms will start to climb the walls of the container and you can start feeding your young fry. You can use your finger to collect the worms, by sliding it along the inside wall of the container, or my preference is a small child's paintbrush, then transfer the worms to the fry containers.