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On a recent visit to one of the many fish auctions I attend over the year, an aquarist next to me asked what Microworms were and their use. I was quite surprised and had obviously assumed that use of Microworms was common knowledge. Recently a fellow aquarist told me about Walter worms and brought me a culture to start me off. I thought I might as well share this with any aquarist not aware of these cultures, who maybe has small fry to cope with. Where do I get a starter culture? I find that fellow aquarists will often give you a starter culture or failing that, they are often for sale at auctions usually for 50p or £1. If you read other reports, there may be some slight variations (as always!) but my basic procedure is the same for all the following three cultures;- Microworm;- I use a small margarine tub with some air holes punched in the lid. Fill up to a depth of about 1 cm with some Porridge Oats. I then add some aquarium water and mix until it is a sticky moist paste. Now add some of your Microworm culture to the surface. I usually spoon up some of the shimmering substance from the top of the mix. Keep it damp and at room temperature and within days you will see them climbing up the side of the tub. Use a paint brush to wipe some off the sides and swish them into the aquarium.  As the "gunge" thickens up around the sides of the tub (and begins to smell a bit!) I make a new mix. In all these three cultures, I make it a rule to always have 2 cultures on the go. Banana Worm;- Exactly the same as above except that after you have made your mix, add a sprinkle of dried yeast over the surface. Now add some scoops of your culture to the surface of the mix. Afew days later and they will be on the sides of the tub. *I use a different paint brush for each culture, as the general opinion seems to be that a mix of cultures can cause problems! Walter worms;- Exactly the same process for Walter worms as they also need a sprinkle of dried yeast. These worms have a big advantage as they will live in the water for 24 hours. Also they are half the size of Microworms. Again use a different brush to feed them to your fry Other cultures.... Other cultures to consider are White worm, Grindal worm and Vinegar Eels, but as I haven't personally tried them yet, I won't include them in this article. The three which I have detailed are certainly reliable and an invaluable source of live food for tiny fry. Text and photo; Ivor Hilton. |