Description

Condition: New

Panagrellus redivivus microworms are a live starter culture for establishing your own supply of live food for fish.

Microworms are tiny nematodes commonly used as live food for fish fry and other small-mouthed juvenile fish. Their small size and constant movement make them easy for young fish to detect and consume.

This product contains an active starter culture intended for further propagation at home.

Starter portion: approximately 10 ml of active culture.

How to start a microworm culture

You will need:

• a clean, shallow plastic container with a lid
• rolled oats
• water
• a small amount of baker’s yeast

1. Prepare a clean, shallow plastic container.
2. Add a layer of culture medium approximately 1 to 4 cm deep.
3. Mix rolled oats with water until you achieve a thick, moist, paste-like consistency.
4. The medium should be moist but not watery.
5. Add a small amount of baker’s yeast and mix.
6. Transfer the entire starter culture onto the prepared medium.
7. Cover the container with a loosely fitting lid or provide small ventilation holes to allow air exchange.

Do not seal the container completely airtight.

Culture temperature

The recommended temperature range is approximately 21 to 27°C.

At lower temperatures, the culture develops more slowly but generally remains productive for longer.

At higher temperatures, microworms reproduce more quickly, but the culture may need to be renewed more frequently.

When to start harvesting

A newly established culture usually takes approximately one week to become productive.

As the population increases, microworms will begin to crawl up the sides of the container above the surface of the culture medium.

This is the best area from which to harvest them.

How to harvest microworms

Microworms can be collected from the sides of the container using:

• a clean spatula
• a plastic card
• another clean, flat tool

Scrape the microworms from the side of the container and feed them directly to the fish.

Try to avoid collecting the culture medium together with the worms.

How to maintain the culture

• keep the culture medium moist and paste-like
• ensure moderate air exchange
• do not keep the container completely airtight
• avoid allowing the medium to become excessively watery
• start a fresh culture when the medium begins to liquefy, darken or deteriorate

To maintain a continuous supply of microworms, it is recommended to start a new culture using part of an active culture before the older one begins to decline.

Important information

Microworms are suitable as live food for many species of fish fry and juvenile fish.

They are not a nutritionally complete diet for every fish species and are best used as part of a varied feeding programme.

Product details

Species: Panagrellus redivivus
Product type: Live starter culture
Portion size: Approximately 10 ml
Intended use: Starting and maintaining a home microworm culture