Microworms

MICROWORMS CULTURE

Microworms thought to be Panagrellus redivivus are part of an important live food inventory for fish breeders as it is an important food source for raising tiny fish fries such as wild betta(s). Much have been written on this subject and on our initial trials, found that many of them are not suitable for us as they were written by and for the hobbyist with a small number of tanks.

With more than one hundred and seventy tanks to upkeep, we eventually come to a conclusion that a consistent principle, K.I.S.S. (Keep It Straight and Simple) is good practice as it eliminates waste, unnecessary work and save us time and effort.

After several trials, I use this simple in-house recipe in our breeding facility because the ingredients are available almost any time, anywhere and inexpensive. These are found in most bakery supply shops, supermarkets and the grocery shop.

They are;

1. 200g ordinary bread (high-protein) or plain flour; bread flour give a slight better result in yields. Avoid refined or expired flours.
2. Baker’s yeast or instant yeast (Standard 11g packet).
3. And 100g boiling water.

For your equipment, you may need the following;

Note: All food-contact equipment used for micro-worm production should not be used for human and other pet (cat, dog, bird etc) food production. 

1. A weighing machine (We use a Tanita KD160 digital scale with a tare function. This machine is affordable and importantly, reliable. Newer models have replaced this range)
2. Four clear, clean plastic containers with tight lids. Capacity is 400ml with a wall height of 60mm. A wall too shallow do not contain the nematodes properly when they crawl up the sides
3. New dish-washer sponges
4. A heat-resistant soup dish or bowl
5. A metal dinner spoon
6. Pastry brush
7. Dish of clean water
8. A starter culture
9. A water spray bottle, set to ‘fine mist’

The thumb of measurement is 1:½ meaning for every part of flour, half part of water In Weight, NOT Volume applies. With this ratio, one can use it regardless of either metric or imperial measurement. Example; if you use 160g of flour, add 80g of water. If you use one pound of flour, you add eight ounces of water.

Firstly, make a hole in the middle of the container’s lid. Cut the sponge to a cube size and make side slits to allow the cubes to fit snugly into the hole(s) and they will not slip out. Set aside.

Place the dish or bowl on the weighing machine and press the tare button. It will calibrate the weighting machine by bring the scale reading back to Zero. Weigh out the flour into the dish or bowl. When you are done, continue by pressing the tare button on the weighing machine again to reset it. Make a well in the center of the flour; pour boiling water straight from the stove into the well until it reads 100g. The hot water basically cooks the flour, and breaks down the starches.

Use the metal spoon to mash in the flour to make a stiff dough. Do this while the dough is hot. Once the dough cools down sufficient to be handled, knead the dough by hand until the dough is smooth. It should not stick to the sides of the bowl or your hands or fingers. If it is too sticky, add a little flour. If it is too dry, add a little water until you obtain the right consistency. That’s why I love the digital machine. It takes the guesswork out and delivers consistent results.

Divide the dough into 4 equal parts and form them into ball-shape dough. Flatten the dough into a thin disc to fit neatly into the base of the containers. At this stage, before I place the dough into the container, I will coat them with a wet brush to make the surface moist on both sides. Once the dough is inside the containers, sprinkle the yeast very lightly on the surface. Imagine that you are shaking salt on that favorite ribeye steak you are going to chow on.

Before you introduce your micro-worm culture, ensure that the dough is at 30˚C or room temperature. A lump the size of half a green pea is sufficient. Cover securely with the lid and place in a well-ventilated location that is not exposed to the sun. Make sure the location is free of ants and mites. You also might want to consider the location as it does generate a faint aroma which may be a turn-off to others.

By the second day, you should be able to harvest your first microworms. The surface of the dough should be dry by now. Apply a fine mist of water into the container after you have harvested the worms. The mist should only moisten the surface, not flood it. Several hours, you will be able to harvest another crop of micro-worms, and again, and again for up to six days. The image below shows a culture on its sixth day.

Some writers have expressed that after a week, you can add new food and yeast into the cultures and they can be recycled for a few more times. We find that microworm production is greatly reduced after eight days when the dough breaks down, gets polluted with waste products and have a funky smell. It's really more logical to harvest them all out and start a new batch. Quality matters and your cultures will not crash.