White Worms Or Grindal Worms : Which is better : Care and feeding of both

How to care for and feed to your fish both white worms and grindal worms. Which is best? Do you need both? Do the fish eat them? Quick and easy comparison of both foods and the different fish and which ones eat which. You decide.

[@thekitchencoven8374]

Your doggy is like, "that smells good! Give me some!" 😂

[@Johny350JJ]

hello, i keep grindal worms on a wet sponge, i feed them with sponge biscuit, i soak it in water, then smush it, put in on a piece of glass, put the glass in the container. After a day, grindal worms are all over the piece of glass, i just dip in in aquarium, smushed biscuit usually stays sticked to the glass and grindals fall into water. Very easy, clean and not stinky process. I can do this every day until they eat all of the sponge biscuit, then i just put new biscuit and repeat every day.

[@hydrocooledcarrot]

Does the biscuit get smelly? My new colony is eating fish food pellets but it stinks

[@mokong4427]

Best feeding video ever!

[@mkuc6951]

Loved the feeding video David. 👌👌👌

[@SupremeGecko]

David, thank you so very much for sharing so much of your experience in fish keeping.

[@Silke8611]

Hello mr Ramsey. I believe it’s a known issue that mites arrive with dry dog and cat food/treats. It’s a contributing factor why it can be very difficult to treat mite allergies in dogs. Have a great day and keep doing what you’re doing!

[@k9thundra]

I have a dog with mite allergies we mirowave his food.

[@cathylocklin3215]

Very interesting! Beautiful fish.❤️

[@denisequinn976]

Awesome info! Ty...I have been struggling keeping white worms producing....I am excited to try your way. 😊

[@Eswarr]

Wonderful video

[@d.p.kfishaquariums8825]

Such beautiful fish these apistostruly enjoyed the video

[@mumbaibalconygardenerhobbies]

Thank you for this wonderful informative video 👌👍.

[@TheChefmike66]

Thanks for this content. I'm just reentering the hobby after about 30 years hiatus. I didn't do live foods too much in my youth, only a little brine shrimp, but I'm more interested in it now. I have a white worm culture and you have given me some good feedback as to why it's not producing. At least it's not dead. I'm going to look for grindal worms.

[@jamesrandall2595]

Thanks David

[@annettaravegum7258]

Thanks for the great info. I have a new Bailey too!

[@GrowAndEatThis]

What kind of Bailey do you have?

[@robdean1229]

Thank you!

[@coolfinsaquatics590]

Nice 👌

[@coolfinsaquatics590]

Seen u today thanks for the triple reds 🙏

[@williamsnyder1424]

I use Buss Bedding instead of potting soil, the stuff fishermen use to keep night crawlers in, not dirty at all. I feed mine a mix of fish flakes with added vitamins.

[@CrowntailHalfmoon]

Excellent information & video Sir.👏 Thank you for sharing. Which of 2 types of worms can you feed to bettas???

[@SupremeGecko]

David, if you keep the grindal worms over diotamatious (sp.) earth, would that help on the mite issue?

[@adelaidetaylor7820]

Hi, thanks for the awesome video. Can anyone recommend where to buy grindal worm starter?

[@jamiem5364]

Thanks for the video I will try and find grindal worms here in Australia, I would say the mites come from the cat food. Try freezing the food as a couple of weeks in there kills grain mites which is what I do with bran for mealworms to avoid grain mites :)

[@djrramsey]

I have just had the first container get mites. Tons of them. I have been keeping the food in the freezer. So frustrating.

[@jamiem5364]

@@djrramsey oh wow that's extremely frustrating, have u tried using scarcer pads instead of soil?

[@djrramsey]

@@jamiem5364 Never got enough worms to grow to be able to feed anything with the pads.

[@AlexM-sg8fn]

What a great channel! Inspired to start another white worm culture after watching some of David’s vids! One question - can anyone explain to me the purpose of the plastic mesh in the white worm tubs, many thanks!

[@GrowAndEatThis]

When you get enough worms, they will collect on top of the mesh and can be cleanly scraped off for feeding. Place the mesh on top of the food.

[@AlexM-sg8fn]

@@GrowAndEatThis thanks, seems obvious now but really appreciate the explanation!

[@stephen-truthseeker]

The mites must come in on the compost. Microwave your compost before using in.

[@vb2377]

Daphnia for the win! Much easier to feed on a consistent basis. Worms can be too fatty for certain fish.

[@SupremeGecko]

VB, do you have a link that shows this?

[@vb2377]

@@SupremeGecko No i do not but it is well known. You can google it. Worms are known to have a lot of fats which is great for growth and spawning but it is not something you want to feed in excess amounts.

[@SupremeGecko]

@@vb2377 Yes, I've googles but as you know, there is soooo much on FB, etc. Without actual documented results, anyone can say anything, right? :)

[@TerraMagnus]

Have you tried adding spirulina powder to the white worm recipe? A little bit goes a long way. But it's chock full of nutritional value for the fish who eat the live food who eat the spirulina.

[@GrowAndEatThis]

Spirulina powder is a great additive. I feed when I think to sprinkle it on. It used to be one of the things that was always spread on the yogurt. Then I moved to the brewers yeast.

[@johnalbernaz8960]

Great video Dave, question do you ship fish ? And I grow grindle worms like you but I used coconut fiber and never had mites. Thanks John

[@djrramsey]

I usually ship in the spring and fall when the temperatures are more reasonable. We are back in the 90Fs so I think the fish would be dead before they got from the post office to the airport. Just too hot right now.

[@johnalbernaz8960]

@@djrramsey thanks for the response maybe I check in during the fall season

[@twilightgardenspresentatio6384]

I raise white worms on soil and rinse them off before feeding to my dragonets and seahorses. When I’m gonna be gone for a week I feed them heavily knowing enchytraeus albidus can live for a week in saltwater I’ll leave a second cluster in a cup of distilled water with an aerator. When my neighbor comes over on day four she dumps each cup into the tank it in front of and adds the water set out by the food I mostly feed them cooked vegetables. They love tofu for a population boom. They also like a slow chew on a bit of jerky. That’s my vacation feed for my white worms, beef jerky. Getting the tiniest white worms while rinsing them has made them my second and staple food for seahorse fry. First it’s newborn copepods from my tigriopus cultures then it’s newly hatched enchytraeus from there on out.

[@GrowAndEatThis]

I will have to try some of those foods. Different than I have heard being fed.

[@susanagween432]

I keep isopods. Stopped using dog food for them because it caused mites. The nutritional yeast and fiah flakes doesn't cause them.

[@jmsilhy]

Thanks for the awesome videos David! I have a question for you, I have a culture of white worms and recently placed it in a used mini-fridge. I think the worms look a lot less active now and except on one of the containers where I see a lot of very small dots moving below the bread, I don't see the population exploding like yours. I'm still changing the bread with yoghurt and flakes constantly, but is this normal? Could it be too cold for them since they were used to room temperature?

[@djrramsey]

Most refrigerators will not set high enough temp wise for white worms. The worms are looking for the mid 50Fs. The normal fridge will not set that high. Food would spoil quickly. So try a thermometer and see how cold the mini fridge is keeping it. If it is in the high 30Fs or 40Fs then too cold for the worms. You might can get a exterior thermostat that can be set higher and plug the mini fridge into that to cut off the power when the temp gets to 53F. www.amazon.com/Century-Thermostat-Controller-Germination-40-108%C3%82%C2%B0F/dp/B01I15S6OM/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=seed+start+thermostat&qid=1627507669&sr=8-5 BN-LINK Digital Heat Mat Thermostat Controller for Seed Germination, Reptiles and Brewing Breeding Incubation Greenhouse, 40-108°F, 8.3A 1000W ETL Listed says it will do the range you need. Has a probe that would go into the mini fridge.

[@jmsilhy]

@@djrramsey Thank you so much, super helpful!!

[@jmsilhy]

@@djrramsey David I got one of the cultures out for a few mins and got this video, since I’m new at this I’m not sure if these are mites or actual newborn worms. Would you be so kind to take a look? kzbin.infoLqDcJcjxcOs?feature=share

[@djrramsey]

@@jmsilhy Sorry, they are mites. Try starting a new culture. Put the worms in water and rinse them really well several times. Looks like the media is too wet. Try for dryer media.

[@jmsilhy]

@@djrramsey ok will do all of these tips, thanks a lot. I checked the mini fridge under lowest setting and it’s right above 60* - that should be fine for them, right?

[@brianturpitt4716]

Where do you get the plastic grating?? Awesome video thanks

[@GrowAndEatThis]

The plastic grating can be found in Walmart or other hobby shop type area. It will be near the rolls of yarn. Couple of sheets in a package for $3-4. Comes in a small hole and a large hole. If you have a choice get the ones with the larger holes.

[@denislacasse5514]

Great video, how long will a grind all culture last before crashing?

[@djrramsey]

As it ages I will feed on one side until they shift. Then dig out and put fresh soil in. This it lasts for me until the mites get it.

[@twilightgardenspresentatio6384]

I definitely see my cultures eating bread. They eat from where it gets damp first

[@Koko-co6dz]

Hi! I was watching your video on the longlife breather bags (sorry I'm posting the question here because I didn't think you'd see it on an old video) and I read in the comments that the bags tend to leak on airplanes. My fish will be in my bag in my seat, so do you have any recommendations for keeping a fish alive during a flight? I wanted to use a breather bag because the ones you fill with air take up much more space. thanks!

[@djrramsey]

Kordon brand is the bags that have always worked for me. I am told that the newer Longlife bags work well. I just have not tried them. Try wrapping a paper towel around your bag and putting it into a regular bag.Leave a little room for air but very little. That should protect both ways.

[@Crittery]

Can you treat them for mites with wood ash? We give our chickens ash to dust in for mites. Also, I'm trying to figure out which is best for bettas.

[@GrowAndEatThis]

Give it a try and let us all know. I don't have any wood ash to try myself.

[@gustavogarcia1948]

Great video!! Question though. What is the difference between a white worm, a blood worm, and an earthworm in terms of the proteins and vitamins that they provide to the fish eating them? Also, can white worms carry parasites. I have read that Grindal worms do not carry parasites, but have never been able to read or find any information about white worms. I know that I could just freeze them for three days to be safe, but if they could be fed live without any issues, that would be great.

[@GrowAndEatThis]

I don't know of any parasites that are 'earthy' that can transfer to 'water'. I have fed white worms nearly every day for 20 years and have never had a problem. Just rinse them to get the goobery dirt off of them. I have seen where all three have roughly the same fat and protein levels. I have never seen a big breakdown of the nutritional values. I would guess (guess!) that earthworms would have more iron. Just because of the color.

[@gustavogarcia1948]

@@GrowAndEatThis Thank you for your feedback/insight!!

[@paulpearson9748]

David, can you comment on the down side of worms as food? I have successfully used your methods, but I suspect I overfed some Keyhole cichlids. They became bloated and eventually died. Were they constipated? What about the risk of hexamita or other parasites from live food? Do you use worms exclusively when you are trying to induce spawning? Any other variety of food as well?

[@GrowAndEatThis]

I feed worms only in the morning. I do not want the fish to stuff on worms and then go to sleep all night. At night they get flake, pellet or some frozen brine shrimp. I want roughage in them at night. And the night feedings are around 5:00 pm, so the lights are still on for several more hours. I find worms to do a great job of getting the fish spawning.

[@caroldragon7545]

David, I don't understand why you use bread and then discard it. Why not feed them just the yogurt and yeast? For grindals, I use kitten chow, no mites so far- very inexpensive. I use coir for their bedding, but I will try out the seed starting mix to compare results. By the way, are you still available as a speaker, either in person or by streaming?

[@djrramsey]

Once the bacteria builds up enough the bread will get devoured. And the worm population will explode. At the moment I will do talks that I can drive to. No flying yet for me. Getting old for flying and the incredible hassle of the Atlanta airport and driving through town to get to the airport. I will look for some kitten chow. Used to be you could buy this stuff in a 2 lb box and then store in freezer, but I don't see those anymore. Maybe the dollar store will have something like that.

[@shakeval]

@djrramsey Do the grindal worms perform poorly with the bread, i would have thought it would be about the same for feeding both types of worms. And for the mites, how long can the mites survive underwater, i would wonder if setting the worms in a bath for a couple hours would remove the mites prior to starting a fresh culture

[@GrowAndEatThis]

I have never tried grindals on just bread so I do not know. The belief that the mites always float so that is a way to get rid of them is false to me. I have tested it many times and the mites seem to be able to hold their breath as long as the worms can.

[@shakeval]

@@GrowAndEatThis bummer, I doubt there are any anti mite meds that wouldn't negatively affect the worms too

[@GrowAndEatThis]

The mosquito bits (or pieces of a mosquito dunk) do the job very well. Just a couple of grains in the grindal culture for a couple of days. The mites are really knocked back and the grindals are fine.@@shakeval

[@kkutube1972]

The grindle worm does not do good feeding them the bread and yogurt? Thanks.

[@djrramsey]

I would think the yogurt would spoil with grindal worms at room temp.

[@lisamitchell3280]

What is the material you put on top of the bread?

[@GrowAndEatThis]

the material is the plastic stitching material. Comes in green or white in 2 different whole sizes. Does not matter. Find it in Walmart sewing/hobby area or any craft store. Less than $5 should get 3-4 sheets. Will last for years.

[@rookiehooksetslt3352]

Can you cut white worms into smaller pieces for small fish with scissors?

[@GrowAndEatThis]

I cut them up all the time for smaller fish.

[@DEXTER-TV-series]

Hey. In nature fish eat water worms, not earth worms. So why do you have business with white and grindal worms, not with black worms, tubifex, blood worms etc.?

[@Suryaanshaquaculture94]

your video are so much helping me thanks a lot @davidramsey