Grindal Worm Culture - Preventing MITES!

[@MarkSmith-mb6ge]

A great way to keep mites from reaching your cultures later is to "moat" the cultures. Get a shallow tray (disposable aluminum cooking pan's work great) and place your cultures inside making sure they don't touch the sides or each other. Then pour some water with a few drops of dish soap in the tray. Mites can't cross the water and the soap forces any insects that come in contact with the water to sink. Just add a little water every few days to compensate for evaporation and change water as necessary. I've done this for years with fruitfly and other cultures. It works great.

[@SimplyBetta]

Oh yes, I've tried it! It kept evaporating really quickly though so i gave up. I really should try that again

[@jamesbryan1285]

When you talked about making the really big mother culture there was a mad scientist gleam in your eye! Thanks for making your videos. Informative and entertaining.

[@klcpca]

I would have no problems with your recycled containers... kudos to you!!! I admire your dedication to doing the best for your fish!! 💖

[@xTechDecayx]

When you're drilling plastic, especially thin plastic, the best practise is to use very minimal pressure, basically just the weight of the drill, and run the drill as fast as it will go. Heavy pressure and slow speed is prone to cranking and busting as you've experienced here. Hope that helps. :)

[@SimplyBetta]

Thanks! :)

[@aquadelray5577]

@@SimplyBetta If you put down a piece of scrap wood and then drill into the plastic you'll eliminate the pressure on the lid entirely. I got this tip back in the day from an old Joey Mullen video. It's works for drilling plastic, plexy, and glass

[@alexandeurross4169]

With thin plastic like that, drill in reverse. The drill bit will melt it's way through instead of cutting.

[@22ajudd]

@@alexandeurross4169 yup reverse spin is best :)

[@JimMeeker]

Fantastic Beasts: The Cultures of Grindleworms.

[@myhomeaquarium98]

Jim Meeker 😂😂😂😂 I’m dying 😂😂😂😂

[@ChadwickHorn]

You can use Diatomaceous Earth as something to place the culture containers on to prevent mite spread. You can buy it at any big box mart in the gardening section.

[@dalejones4186]

Love your videos Taylor. I’m retired now but when I was just married 35 years ago I also raised betta’s. I fondly remember my melano bettas and a beautiful deep grass green betta. Since then I have never seen them. Are they still around? So many beautiful colors were lost to the trade. Thank you for sharing. Your videos bring back fond memories for me. Also thank you for your hard work.

[@SimplyBetta]

You can find melano! As for green, there are metallic green bettas. There are many people who claim that non-metallic greens existed but if so, they have been lost. Another variety that is pretty much lost is true cambodians,. Thanks for commenting!

[@SpencerJ289]

Just got my first culture of grindal worms from my local fish store. And boy oh boy do my fish love them! Mine came in an old Betty Crocker Tupperware

[@davedoolittle6284]

Have you successfully eliminated the mites? It's been almost a year and I'm curious. Thanks!

[@61mab]

Those razor blades can really slip and slice one up even if the lid is on a board. Center drill hole saw is the way to go (also on a flat board nat.) and two year later, you know all of that. My white worm was left to die after losing interest but with a happy pea puffer couple I want to expand my feed and ordered Grindal today after seeing the simplicity of care and temp variability needs. Fed my white worm containers to see if I can resurrect them after no return from my bread/yogurt/yeast attempt failed. So fun experiment stuff anyway!. I'll certainly be on a serious mite watch when I receive my culture and definitely float them off before... planting. I'll use my regular fish floss to filter holes and the coconut coir I already use for my exotic plants nuked and cooled.

[@twunderaquatics1770]

I am so confident in your videos I hit the like button before I even watch. Keep it up!

[@SimplyBetta]

haha thank you

[@DebiSunset]

Hold the lid over a candle flame for a clean hole with smooth edges

[@moistmedic]

I love these types of informational videos, you should definitely do some more like this!

[@SimplyBetta]

Thank you! :)

[@parrotbill9072]

When using a hole saw to cut holes in delicate plastic. Lay it on a 2 X 4 so the plastic lid has support while you drill, and drill slowly to let the saw do the work. Just drilled out some Betta Cups and had the same problem.

[@SimplyBetta]

That makes sense!

[@snoopylyn9065]

I have night crawlers and I also have problems with mites I trapped them with avocado 🥑 and pot worms also there multiplying really fast and that pot worms looks similar like your worms and I didn’t know people like that worms! Thanks for the video 👍🏼

[@SimplyBetta]

You trapped them with avocado? How so?

[@snoopylyn9065]

Simply Betta just leave half of the avocado upside down you can see them inside they are so tiny , use flashlight and make sure no baby worms inside there before you throw in the trash can or you can risne the avocado with water ! You have to keep repeating it I have been doing this so many times !

[@snoopylyn9065]

Simply Betta another thing don’t keep avocado when your worms in the bin I think they would love to eat that too so just remove the worms first 👍🏼 here the example kzbin.info/www/bejne/mqCQl56sbt-Yl6s

[@williamamely7038]

Fantastic Live Foods, and where to find them!! Thanks for sharing. Easy on the Microwaves. Dirt can be so sensitive! Happy Betta Keeping.

[@SimplyBetta]

Thanks! :)

[@mossbergmaniac1947]

Hollow punches are your friend when making clean holes in thin plastic.

[@lakshp87]

I didn't even know that those white specks were mites. Thanks for making this video now I can try and make a mite free culture.

[@leolubert6738]

Its original to recycle ur containers...I for sure wouldnt mind it!

[@katcaballero7414]

Hi! Thank you for your videos! I wanted to better my betta's and guppy's diet by introducing grindal worms too. Would you be able to tell me how many worms I should feed a single betta fish per feeding, and a single guppy? Also, if I'm feeding pellets and grindal worms, and the occasional frozen blood worm, how do you recommend I should rotate the different foods? Is it better to have more days of grindal worms, or to alternate the foods everyday? Hope you can shed some light on the better feeding practice. Thank you! 😊

[@callenclarke371]

Why are mites bad exactly? Couldn't you feed them to your fish as well?

[@OmarTheAtheistAziz]

i was laughing so hard when you were tryna drill the lids without annihilating it btw this video introduced me to this Grindal worm..thanx

[@degu44]

Interesting video. When cutting or drilling plastic it is easier to have a waste piece of wood behind it support it. I also microwave solid before making white worm and grindal wrm cultures but even then some do survive.

[@SimplyBetta]

Thanks! I'll be doing that next time I try to go through plastic. You mean pests survive? I don't think anything survived me nuking the damp dirt for 5-10 minutes, it was like lava dirt

[@rajiv9819]

Can't we feed mites and gnats also to fish? Do you see any negative effects of feeding those.

[@allenjones1947]

Hi Taylor! My first crested gecko baby hatched last night :) super excited

[@SimplyBetta]

Oh cooooool!

[@ronaldfernandezjr9513]

What’s the update with your culture? Is it now free of mites?

[@stiltegeluid3271]

are the mites in a wormculture harmfull to the fish?

[@wiirrro3108]

are u using cocopeat or soil?.thanks

[@dougs3955]

Taylor, I think that mountain lion would think twice if he watched you with that knife, love your vids & your so cute too,

[@CARZEL12]

Hi, thanks for your videos, can you please tell if we can get some cultures from you? I need Grindal and micro worms!

[@--Paws--]

At the beginning I thought the mites weren't doing anything yet they are out competing the worms with the food given and spread quickly if the worms crash. Sometimes it is the mites that crash and the worms live on after. Yet for some reason no matter how I start my cultures carefully, the mites keep appearing. I think they come from the substrate itself (the coco coir). I think the mites may have already been inside the substrate and just hatch afterwards.

[@SimplyBetta]

Yes! That's why I started nuking my damp dirt in the microwave before making new cultures, I've noticed a big difference. I also nuke the food before I feed it. You can keep a culture with mites, of course, but I hate the things.

[@RescueDogTreats]

You can freeze substrate to make sure mites aren’t in it also...

[@SimplyBetta]

Yeah! I should have thought about that like last week :)

[@pamelafox5882]

Do you have any grindleworm culture 's for sale? the only ones that I've found, will not arrive until December, if I order now.

[@myhomeaquarium98]

Remind me to never go over to Taylor’s for a home cooked meal ;) great video lol!

[@SimplyBetta]

lolololol

[@SaarAquatics]

You should take another substrate for example expanded clay or seramis. Oatmeal is very good food. Put a small piece of glass over the food, from which the worms can be collected easily and very cleanly.

[@SimplyBetta]

Oh yes I'll get myself some little covers. You use expanded clay? like hydroton?

[@SaarAquatics]

​@@SimplyBetta Yes, I do, but Seramis is better, I do not know if that's available in the US.

[@rinrin7839]

My betta fish just died a few weeks ago, and I don't know what happened. He was very active and heathy, until I realized that he wasn't swimming, and then he started not to move a lot at all, ten he died the next day. All of this happening in 3 days. There was no pineconing, or obvious signs of illness. Does anyone have a good idea or reason for his death.

[@SimplyBetta]

Aww, sorry, Gosh who knows. If he was having issues and couldn't swim, he could have drowned. Or maybe old age?

[@rinrin7839]

@@SimplyBetta Thank you, didn't think about drowning. I sadly didn't know his age I got him from a chain pet store which made me think possibly parasites. I only had him maybe 5 months but I grew to love him its always sad when you lose a pet.

[@red_hobbit3323]

This is a really interesting video - even though my skin is crawling!😅

[@abigailkerr3354]

A soldering iron is great to use to poke holes in plastic containers.

[@abigailkerr3354]

Also dirt for dinner 😂😂😂 definitely something my parents told me when I was little to mess with me

[@SimplyBetta]

Yes! I grabbed one :)

[@mysticmorgan8688]

Microwaved dirt a vacuum cleaners most favorite meal. (Yeah I know this joke was stupid but I just had to do it)

[@SimplyBetta]

Would you like to buy my old vacuum cleaner? It's just collecting dust. (lol!)

[@mysticmorgan8688]

@@SimplyBetta no I already got a kick ass Electrolux epic series 3500 SR, but thanks anyway Taylor. 😉

[@SimplyBetta]

@@mysticmorgan8688 my dad just told me this one - how did the robot vacuum the house? Roomba room! Ok that’s actually a good one

[@mysticmorgan8688]

@@SimplyBetta 😆👍.

[@JimHanleyfishing]

Love those harbor freight bags!

[@mariocomeau4844]

I'm new to Grindal worms, Thanks for the good explanation. As for the mites, I've been breeding Mealworms and super worms for years, never got mites but always have Organic Green Split peas on hand. Grinded into powder, they are a good way of killing mites in mealworms from what i've seen to other insect farmers. I don't know if they would harm the worms, but that could me a good way for your to be sure they mites are gone. I'm going to ask other grindle worm farmers to see if they know if it's harmful to the worms. If i get a confirmation i'll send you a message.

[@wunkah]

can you use cotton instead of mesh for the ventilation holes?

[@jojomuji8337]

Can’t wait to purchase grindleworm from you

[@pauljarvis7856]

Are you selling mite free worm cultures now?

[@heaven7360]

you can heat the box cutter blade.

[@StarlightBettas]

Hey Taylor, i was curious how well did the very large worm culture work out? I think it was this video where you said you'd try to make one really big one instead of a bunch of little ones. I was wondering how successful it was for you. would probably be a lot easier to take care of, and if it works, i'd love to try it myself haha.

[@kerrypitt9789]

Taylor that drill bit in your hole saw is replaceable. You lose off a screw, the broken piece falls out and you put a new bit in.

[@SimplyBetta]

Oh I'll have to check it out! I blame myself for buying the cheapest hole saws I could find at my hardware store (at the time). Time to invest in some niceer ones anyways

[@Deb1Gilmore]

Hi Taylor..I love that you have your own tools:)

[@SimplyBetta]

Thanks! My collection is growing :)

[@denislacasse5514]

How about feeding the mites to your fish?

[@petezilahy4462]

Will fish eat the mites? Like Bettas or Rams. Will they eat mites too?

[@SimplyBetta]

Yeah little fish will eat the mites, but the cultures can suffer and become less productive if there is a lot of competition with mites

[@xxkidinventorxx]

@@SimplyBetta are these mites harmful to humans ? Or cause any harm ?

[@davedoolittle6284]

@@SimplyBetta I believe the mites kill/eat the young grindal worms. Despite there being plenty of unmoldy food present, the grindal worms produce far fewer worms when the mites hit a certain point...at least in mine.

[@silverkiss37]

Have you ever tried using DE to get rid of the mites? It works well and you don't have to go through all those annoying steps! But if you don't prefer this method, how come?

[@SimplyBetta]

I have not - have you?

[@robertfong-mow7235]

What is DE ?

[@silverkiss37]

@@robertfong-mow7235 diatomaceous earth

[@jabedkhan6675]

I do not understand where medram kit comes from

[@mylife4109]

To drill thin soft or brittle plastic, put a piece of wood under the plastic. Make sure the piece of plastic your drilling a hole into is flat on the. Wood. Let the bit do the work and just add a little down pressure

[@SimplyBetta]

Thanks! noted.

[@mariajensen2981]

A Wooden board behind lit Will do the trick. No air between the plastic and Wood. The plastic just need a good support 👍😊

[@SimplyBetta]

I'll remember that!

[@dragonspirit1185]

well you shouldn't have touched the old culture and touched the new ones. Also another good way to keep away mites is to get a traya nd put down diatomaceous earth and sit the container down on the power gently. Don't breath it in. I would pour the DE into the tray or container outside. I use this method for my fruit flies and they are mite free. However I also use 6 inch plant saucers to sit the cups into so I don't have the DE sticking to the cups. I have a video about this on my channel, somewhere

[@davedoolittle6284]

I've liberally sprinkled my grindal worm cultures with DE and it doesn't seem to affect either the mites or the worms...at least not the particular mites I'm fighting.

[@dragonspirit1185]

@@davedoolittle6284 I was talking about setting the container on DE not sprinkling DE inside the culture

[@alvhonnjaerhendelltorres3999]

Just wondering, can i start a grindal worm culture without starter? Like on micro worm using potato to produce micro worm starter

[@SimplyBetta]

No, not that I know of. You'll need some kind of starter culture

[@rajiv9819]

Microworms are nematodes (found in soil) and not a worm actually so you could try using potato which is stored in soil for couple of days so as to decay and use it as starter culture. Thing is, If your soil has grindal worms then the above culture will hold good for them also.

[@turtleplates]

you could get a saulder iron from walmart or any local little hardware store for like 8$ will work better than the hole-saw

[@SimplyBetta]

Thanks! I got one ^^

[@davidgraczkowski5391]

Hot dirt ..cool info

[@seanpatrick1243]

You could just heat a needle and make a bunch of holes that are too small to let mites in.

[@jims6101]

I’m curious if the fish or fry would eat the mites.

[@antonkeller5456]

yes, they love them

[@AdanDT04]

Gracias por compartir, yo estoy iniciando como criador de Bettas

[@professorm4171]

When my whiteworm culture is mite infested, I stop feeding. The mites will climb all over the lid to find food. Wash off the mites every few days. It might take up to a month. The mites will die off before the worms. The worms will die back a little but a viable population will remain.

[@SimplyBetta]

Interesting!

[@slimpkns7864]

“Im not gunna put a lot of pressure on it” Proceeds to puts her weight into the drill. Lol. Let the tool do the work taylor!

[@SimplyBetta]

I guess I don't know my own strength! ^^ lol

[@MarkSmith-mb6ge]

Place the lids flat on a piece of scrap 2x4 then drill through until the plastic is cut. You're cracking the thin plastic because there's no support underneath. Otherwise, nice video.

[@SimplyBetta]

Haha thank you

[@pocholocrisostomo876]

Just get a pin, heat it up with a candle and poke holes on the lid

[@brettkreider18]

No matter what I do I always have mites I’ve tried everything under the sun. I hate them so much. They stink and when they get to a bigger size they jump. They’re gross! But my fish love the worms. Ughh

[@SimplyBetta]

Haha, well my method works! Nuke the substrate, make sure you have a mite-proof ventilation over holes in the lid (like coffee filter paper glued over the holes), and nuke or freeze any food before giving it to your worms! I messed up ONE TIME and gave my grindals old fish food that I forgot to nuke in the microwave. Mites almost immediately.

[@brettkreider18]

Awesome I will try !!! I’ve used coffee filters with tape, and filter floss! I’ve nuked substrate, but never the food! I’ve always thought that they were coming from the dog food!!! So I will start doing that. I’ve been drawling them too the top then picking them up in a cup of water with a tooth pick one by one! But yeah I’ll let you know if that changes anything by nuking it! Tyia! 💕

[@Sam-dw2bg]

I use push pins to poke holes in my worm culture containers! And my new grindal worm culture came with mites too. I wonder if it's the same seller. :T

[@SimplyBetta]

Lol, well now you know how to make a clean culture from the dirty one!

[@dilekk7758]

Can't you just heat up an old knife on the stove or with a lighter and use that to cut through plastic?

[@SimplyBetta]

That's an idea! My knives are so nice though :/

[@ESF19791111]

GOOD VIDEO :) THANK YOU FOR SHARING :) THANK YOU FROM ISRAEL :)

[@CuriousCreatures]

I have no experience culturing grindal worms specifically, but I have had to deal with grain mite infestations. Wherever there is a combination of moisture and grain-based food present (like that wet bread), the mites will find it and quickly explode in population. If there is a different food you can use to feed the worms, that might help. You can also get yourself some diatomaceous earth. This is an excellent non-toxic, pet-safe mite killer. Definitely don't put it in the cultures because it will probably kill the worms as well. Instead sprinkle some into a tray and keep your cultures on the tray. The DTE will kill any mites that try to get into the cultures, and will also kill mites that try to leave the older cultures.

[@SimplyBetta]

That is a great idea! I've heard of some people using pans of soapy water too. Hmm, all good things to think about

[@davedoolittle6284]

I've liberally sprinkled my grindal worm cultures with DE and it doesn't seem to affect either the mites or the worms...at least not the particular mites I'm fighting. My understanding it that DE is only lethal to insects with exoskeletons, and worms don't have exoskeletons.

[@islamabdelmoumen7645]

تحياتي واحترامي من الجزائر 🇩🇿🇩🇿🇩🇿

[@brucewayne245]

use toothpick in getting them 1 by 1 ....20 pcs will do as starter

[@HntrSvrsn]

You need to have the drill going fast and very little pressure to drill through something like that

[@SimplyBetta]

thanks!

[@RockStar-cm3yd]

Pro tip : Microwave Cocopeat for 3 minutes before starting culture to avoid mites

[@debbieswan1213]

Where are they stored? Are they dry stored or refrigerated?

[@SimplyBetta]

Room temperature!

[@El_compa.jesus18]

Won’t the fishnet the miets

[@AgitatedGhost]

Once your black worm culture gets big enough you should add them to the website I’m trying to convince my mom to let me get some of your things on your website.

[@SimplyBetta]

I'm hoping they do well for me!``

[@AgitatedGhost]

Simply Betta me too! Good luck!

[@VStag]

S.B. Has made February great again Awesome Video Thanks for sharing FishFam NJAE19

[@shipwreck5421]

anyone tried rice hulls?

[@roxisone]

Would live to buy some from you!

[@SimplyBetta]

I hope to have some nice clean cultures soon :)

[@yanjijay6752]

Use a needle or something but might not work bcuz ur hand.

[@juniorhayashida781]

👏👏👏👏

[@mandylynn5278]

WEEEEERRRRRRRMMMMSSSSS

[@SimplyBetta]

wormth wormth

[@cjma482]

Did I grab a dul blade lol

[@nomdeplume7671]

Power tools in shaky hands gives me anxiety! (no offense -_- )

[@SimplyBetta]

I still gots all my fingers :)

[@juliescesar]

Run the drill backwards and let its weight do the job. Great information!

[@SimplyBetta]

Thanks!

[@DanThanDone]

You really like your worms.

[@SimplyBetta]

Yup!

[@bimsiluhasen]

Ela. Bro. Superi. Pata. Pajatai. Bali. Ayu. Video. Dana. Apa. To

[@shesellsfish]

💝☺💝

[@fischliebe2170]

🧜🏼‍♀️💕💕💕💕💕💕

[@mattfisher401]

Those are springtails. They're not mites. Mites are round, brown and sink. Springtails are harmless. And I think mites are too, but I hate them lol. Both probably have eggs that survive in your substrate. Sorry to be a downer-I fight them too. I hate them.

[@fatrat6929]

10 % of useful informations and the rest is a beat around the bush just to make this video longer .