Keeping california blackworms in boxes.

[RTR]

I was asked how I handle my California blackworms in their blue worm boxes (see: http://www.aquaticfoods.com/blackwormcare.html for a picture). I thought that it might be best answered in a thread of its own, so that others can contribute their techniques as well.

Please limit this thread to just care, not culture. If anybody wants to try culture, that should be a separate thread, as it is entirely different.

Requirements:
1, Refrigerator – much more efficient and effective, but not absolutely essential (more below on this)

2. California blackworms, live

3. Blackworm box –alternate technique are available, but this is what I use

4. Cool dechlorinated or dechloramined water. I age my chlorine-only water and store plastic jugs in the refrigerator.

5. Sink with running water.

Procedure:

1. If the blackworm box is new, rinse very well with tap water, then rinse in aged or dechlorinated water.

2. Open the bag of blackworms and pour it into the box. The box is listed as holding up to 6 ounces of live blackworms, a smaller loading is better IME. This you will have to judge for yourself.

3. Pour cool disinfectant-free water over the worms* sufficient to just cover the worms. Lift the screened top section out, allowing the water to drain. If worms are in the reservoir base of the box, pour the rinse water back through the worm mass to capture the escapees.

4. Repeat step 3 above until the water is clear, clean and does not smell. The number off rinses required is a function of the mass of worms housed in the box. If the mass is maximum or nearly so, you can substitute gently flow cool tap water for the early rinse to get the mass of waste out, the switch to the dechlorinated water for the last couple of rinses and to use for storing the worms. Do not use a forceful stream of water, it will fragment the worms.

5. Store the worm box (uncovered) in the refrigerator. If the mass is great, rinse fully (as above) daily. If the mass is small (one-two ounces in the box), alternate day rinsing is sufficient for me. If the worms are used for feeding daily, always rinse well before feeding (you do not want waste in your tank).

Catch 22: My dormitory-type fish room refrigerator over-heated the area more than I liked. When it died, I did not replace it. I keep my worms now in small quantities (one ounce per box or very slightly more) under the fish room sink (the coolest area of the room) which is also convenient to the sink. If you crow the worms more than I do at room temperature, they will die. daily rinses are required at these temperature, even at low worm mass.

Another Catch 22: as wonderful as I think the boxes are, the mesh inserts are not worm-tight. All of my boxes but one “leak� worms into the plenum space under the mesh. It is an annoyance, but I just pour those in the base of the box back into the mass at the start of the rinse.

Box cleaning: I am lazy. I clean my worm boxes once a month, alternating between two sets. As one set nears empty, it is consolidated down to one box, the other(s) from the set are rinsed well under the tap while brushing the hard plastic well and firmly with a dedicated toothbrush. The mesh is brushed gently with the toothbrush top and bottom, without pressing too hard. I dislodged one corner of mesh brushing too hard and it was a PITA to get back in the channel.


*Cool tap water may be substituted so long as the rinse process is not extended, and that the last two rinses are done with disinfectant-free water. Using cool disinfectant-free water is best.