Starting a Black Worm Culture - The Basics

[@pauledwards5607]

I breed mine in a large cement mixing tub, with gravel (should always go with white so you can see and keep track of your colony) and an airstone. I keep them in the high 70's and found they don't do all that well at the colder temps and they don't breed as well either. They do produce waste so you have to keep them like fish and do water changes. I throw anything in there and they eat anything...wafers, dead fish, veggies, flake, Rapashy. If you put food in and they swarm it immediantly, they are not fed enough. I really like Greg Jones set up.

[@AKNorthernAquariums]

@@pauledwards5607 agree to all, although my experience with the water temp varies a bit from yours. I found mine didn't do too well with warmer temps so I don't run a heater at all, my ambient garage temperature fluctuates depending on weather and season, anywhere from 67-75, and with the complete removal of a heater I feel mine do very well with just ambient temp and 2 air stones, (I use 2 stones cause the tub is long, so 1 at each end, no reason really, just cause). And YES!!! Fully agree, they need constant water changes, 1-2 a week, my colonies are healthy because of it and also agree, they eat everything and anything, just keep food in there at all times, just be cautious you don't add TOO much at any one time.

[@HunterS.Catson]

How do you extract them for feeding? I have a little 1 gallon acrylic holding tank thing setup with a corner box filter and a thin layer of white gravel on the bottom. I find it extremely hard to grab enough out at a time with my forceps. It's been frustrating. I also have a problem with churning them up to naturally segment them. I find that when I stir it, they all go floating around and some get into the damn box filter through the top slits.

[@condesdelicafe5982]

I just subscribed. Great video I always wanted to Start my own colony because of my discus. So I started with a 5 gallon tank. Keep up the good work. Thanks again

[@MalawisLilleKanal]

I think you should have gone trough smaller clumps in a wide tray or simmilar, and checked or unwanted passengers before adding them.

[@NaturebyGus]

And the large spider at 0:33 🤣 🕷

[@shaunneal9981]

I have a very similar setup for my black worm culture. I have a shallow tub on top of a larger tub and the water recirculates from the big tub at the bottom through the shallow tub. Greg Jones has a similar set up but in a larger scale. I can power feed the worms with 8-10 algae waffers every 2-3 days but they do produce a lot of ammonia so frequent wayer changes are needed. Once a fortnight or so I collect a bunch, put them in a specimen container and chop them with scissors. I find this easier than stirring up the gunk in the tub to get them segmented. If they start climbing the walls of the container it means your water parameters are bad and a water change is needed. Also fun fact, they actually breath through their anus and that is what they are sticking up in the water with their head down in the gravel eating.

[@pauledwards5607]

Really? Are you sure about eth anus thing? Interesting.

[@BrianClarkston-j3u]

Hey, Good video. My wife works at a pet store in Tennessee. We ordered a 1/4 pound of black worms from sun pets for $10 store price. Retail price would probably be about double that, but good quality & quantity w/ few leeches. Thnx .....

[@spacefish4220]

Your Java moss is converting to the aquatic version. Give it time and it will start showing green growth again.

[@InfamousTanks]

How hardy are they, and what tank parameters can they tolerate?

[@AKNorthernAquariums]

@@InfamousTanks very hardy, I have them in the tub with just hard well water, no heater as they like the water cold. As long as you keep giving them food, they're happy

[@kinglyzard]

What happens if you miss a leech?? I shudder at the thought of a leech in my tanks!!

[@AKNorthernAquariums]

@@kinglyzard you will almost always miss a leech or 2, I comb over my worms for hours, but in my experience, they don't cause harm, more of a nuisance, like a bladder/pest snail, just another thing eating your food and getting in the way with no benefit

[@kinglyzard]

@@AKNorthernAquariums As long as they don't do the vampire number on my fish! That's my main concern. GROSS!

[@pil0tfisch439]

Nice video

[@Mae-nr7wr]

nice plan, but how did it turn out?

[@salvatory-tilapia8725]

Thank you 🙏🙏

What's with the 🙏🤣

[@shaunneal9981]

It's interesting how people use this as a praying emoji, or in this case a respect gesture from Indian culture, when in fact this emoji was actually a high five.

[@kinglyzard]

Question: Can Blackworms be incorporated as a permanent part of a Walstadt tank??

[@AKNorthernAquariums]

@@kinglyzard black worms can live happily in a tank with enough substrate, preferably a gravel based substrate or like a bag of crushed coral or something. Your fish will constantly feed on them until their population is 0, or if you have more worms then fish.. it could sustain itself as long as you keep them fed.

[@kimberlykamizato1014]

hi awesome vid. hey, where did you get your black worms and how much did you pay for them?

[@AKNorthernAquariums]

@@kimberlykamizato1014 there's a company called 'eastern aquatics' located in Florida, the worms were not too terribly much, something like 0.5 lbs for $75 or so... But it's the next-day shipping that kills you on it. Depending your location of course

[@kimberlykamizato1014]

@@AKNorthernAquariums Thanks, we're in Western Canada, so that might be a problem. Will check into it.

[@AKNorthernAquariums]

@@kimberlykamizato1014 I got some starter black worms from a local hobbyist, but in bulk I got them from an online store in Florida called 'Eastern Aquatics'. As far as I know they're the only wholesale black worms seller in the US. I don't remember the price exactly... Something like $120 per pound.. but their next day shipping costs is what kills you the farther away you live from Florida!!! Also pro tip: if you buy from them, their worms come with a lot of leeches, and although the leeches themselves are not harmful, they're not pleasant to have either... So you really gotta spend your time slowly coming through your worms when you first get them and pick the little leeches out before you add them to your culture!

[@WiseFishKeeping]

New subscriber here. I’m looking to get me a black worn culture. That’s how I came across this. Thanks for the info. Does the lady you order from still sell them and will she ship?

[@AKNorthernAquariums]

@@WiseFishKeeping not anymore, but the place I plan to get more from when I need them and build more of these cultures is a place I. Florida called 'Eastern Aquatics'. The further away you are from the Florida, the more you pay in shipping and it gets quite expensive but, it's one of the only places you can reliably get black worms. They also come with some leeches from that place so it's recommended to take the time to slowly pick through your order with a pair of tweasers and remove all the leeches

[@WiseFishKeeping]

@@AKNorthernAquariums gotcha. The shipping costs are crazy. But I understand your shipping live animals so you have to pay it. Thanks

[@Mae-nr7wr]

nvm i see they still work for you, i tried a tub outside but i mine did not survive

[@paulwilkinson3555]

in my black worm culture i find a build up of gunk and find it hard to separate the worms from this, any tips any one has i would be great full

[@AKNorthernAquariums]

@@paulwilkinson3555 I can never quite get all the gunk but I have had some success with the water change method I use.... I take a siphon and a really fine mesh net to stick over the siphon. I drain the water through the mesh net siphon and find the worms get stuck on it, but some/most of the nasty gunk goes through. When I'm done siphoning, I'll spray the mesh just a little back into the culture so the stuck works come off, then clean the rest of the mesh in the sink. Still working on a better way but this isn't bad :P

[@paulwilkinson3555]

@@AKNorthernAquariums thank you for you help

[@Bodangers]

Use only a one layer of gravel and shake the tub around as you wash them

[@ChristopherMcguire-gz1ql]

How is this set up working today

[@AKNorthernAquariums]

@@ChristopherMcguire-gz1ql still working great and still using it! I've noticed that fishing out larger quantities of worms is a bit tedious but... I did a 2nd tub and took my time sifting out all the little tiny gravel bits so when I suck up the worms with a turkey baster as I push it through the gravel, I don't get little rocks anymore, just worms and poop, give them a good wash and they're good to go!

[@ChristopherMcguire-gz1ql]

@AKNorthernAquariums I've been doing the gravel method for 6 months now. I took about half my population and moved them to a 75 gal shrimp tank and still have about what I initially started with. I do not stir up or force fragmentation. I just changed up my black worm set up to test a theory. And noticed almost equal amount of full grown and 1/4 worms. I feel with the white gravel and way over feeding my population doubles every 3/4 months. I'm hoping to get closer to 3 to 4 week. One thing I learned recently is if you shine a light on them and one half is dark and one half is sort of transparent , the batch is under fed. If they all were eating enough they would all be a solid color from head to tail.

[@AKNorthernAquariums]

@@ChristopherMcguire-gz1ql i make sure there is always some kind of food for them to eat, whether its a frozen shrimp, zucchini/green beans, even fish food like pellets and bottom wafers, they are always munching on something. I cant say for sure but i'd say my worms grow and reproduce pretty well with this method. I do harvest them for baby axolotls and the occasional fish room feed and i never seem to run out, or even see dwindling population results. i am going to be making 3 more tubs like this in the near future.

[@kinglyzard]

@8:40 Blackworms matter!!😅