Switching to Earthworms - Vermiculture Set-Up & Worm Feeding

[Tw1st3dR0s3]

Hey everyone. I am new to vermiculture, and I just received the European nightcrawlers that I will be culturing. I have been reading up on it vermiculturing, so I've got the basics down. However, there were some questions that I haven't found answers for yet.

1.) Would it be acceptable to recycle the old bedding from my tiger salamander tanks as substrate for the worms? I use coconut fiber, and I'm about to clean out my salamander tanks again.

2.) Is there anything in particular I should avoid feeding the worms if they are being used as salamander food? I don't want to feed them something that is ok as worm food but bad for the salamanders. Most of the articles I have seen are for vermiculturing in general. My plans right now are to feed them primarily vegetables and some fruits.

3.) I read that I could use tea bags for worm food, but what about the tea waste from flavored teas? I have a bunch of tea from Teavana that I enjoy (white-chocolate peppermint & sumarai chai).

4.) Does anyone have any strategies for getting my tiger to eat worms? I've been feeding her on crickets for the past 4.5 years, so this is a huge change. A few years ago, I fed her a red wriggler, and she ate it. She's also good about eating other feeders such as roaches (though I tried a silkworm once and she wouldn't touch it). However, she has been refusing earthworms now. She took one at first, shook her head quite a bit with it in her mouth, and after a while decided she didn't want it anymore. She won't even attempt to grab onto a worm anymore (I've tried the past two days), and she's usually good about lunging for anything that moves. My other tiger salamander took to the worms right away.

 

[willowcat]

Get a hold of Auntie Jude. She is the worm master. In fact we are trying to get her stuck with a Sticky. So stick around........
Also....where are you getting the coconut fiber may I ask?

 

[auntiejude]

WORMS! My specialist subject....
Here is the thread Willowcat is referring to: worm farming. Although it's in the axolotl section (because I keep axolotls) it's good stuff for any worm farm.

European nightcrawlers (Esenia hortensis) don't breed very quickly, so it's going to take some time to get your culture established, and you'll have to monitor your consumption vs offspring production carefully.

You can use coconut fibre in your worm farm - many worm starter packs use it.

Worms actually consume the bacteria and fungi that feed on the food as well as the food itself, but you can add almost all veg-based organic matter. Avoid too much fruit, especially banana skins (pesticides) and citrus, as this will make the whole culture acidic. No meat or dairy, as this will make a hell of a stink and encourage flies and maggots. You'll also need to add some 'browns' from time to time - shredded newspaper, egg shells, twigs, autumn leaves etc. Cooked veg is also fine, as long as it's not fried or roasted, or has too much salt.

Tea bags are absolutely fine - any kind will do, including herbal and flavoured teas. You can also add coffee grounds.

As with any animal your salamanders may be reluctant to try new foods at first, so you may need to persevere. You can try blanching a worm to start with - just dash a small amount of boiling water over the worm and then cool it immediately with cold - this kills the worm but keeps it fresh and raw. This prevents the worm from wriggling, and you'll just need to dangle it in front of your salamanders and try to temp them. Once they get the taste you can try them with live ones.

Hope that helps!

 

[Chinadog]

It can also help if the animal being offered the worm is very hungry, that way they will probably be in more of a mood to give something new a try

 

[Tw1st3dR0s3]

Thanks everyone! I'll keep trying with my tiger, and I'll blanch the next worm.

I had searched quite a few times for threads related to earthworms, and I had never seen the one on the axolotl page. :/ It was really helpful! I do have two juvenile axolotls, but I'm feeding them bloodworms for now while I get the worm farm going. I was only testing with my tiger salamanders to see if they would eat them. Crickets are super cheap around here, so it's not a problem to use them while my worm farm is getting established. I went with the European ones understanding that they are slow to breed.

I realize that coconut fiber is ok, but I was wondering if it was ok to recycle the old bedding from my salamander tanks as substrate.

I get my coconut fiber from a pet store.

 

[JoshBA]

Personally I've never gotten my tiger salamanders to eat E. hortensis. They'll grab the worms initially, but then spit them out and rub their faces in the dirt.

European night-crawlers do emit a bitter-tasting substance (which you can also smell), but that never seemed to phase my gold dust newts, who, ever since they were little juveniles, have been eating these guys as a staple. So i suppose the taste is detested by some caudates, but isn't in issue with others.

There shouldn't be a problem using recycled substrate, especially if its from the salamander you're going to feed the worms anyway. When using coconut fiber as a bedding be sure there is enough decomposing food in it before you add the worms. Plain coconut fiber has literally nothing in it for them to eat.

 

[willowcat]

I am wanting to know where to get the coconut fiber for shipping worms. Not food. Competitors wil not tell me. Probably right in front of me. But go ahead and throw me a bone.

 

[Sir Jagger]

Trace, I'm not positive but can't you get coconut fiber substrate at pretty much any pet store in the reptile supplies? Comes in big bags, and can be ordered online also. Or is this a different type of coco fiber?

 

[willowcat]

No just regular coir. I really haven't dug into it online. Looked at local stores. Fleet and Menards...etc. They look at me like I am crazy. They are justified. Thank you though. Where at in Minnesota?

 

[Chinadog]

Personally I've never gotten my tiger salamanders to eat E. hortensis. They'll grab the worms initially, but then spit them out and rub their faces in the dirt.

European night-crawlers do emit a bitter-tasting substance (which you can also smell), but that never seemed to phase my gold dust newts, who, ever since they were little juveniles, have been eating these guys as a staple. So i suppose the taste is detested by some caudates, but isn't in issue with others.QUOTE]

I've seen this with my C. pyrrho's, the WC adults will spit them and do the face rubbing thing, whereas all my CB babies and sub adults that were raised on E. hortensis love them more than the L. terrestris that the older adults favour.