White worms are another great food and can be obtained cheaply and then cultured to provide a never ending supply of free live food for your fish. The larger worms can be harvested for your adult fish and the smaller ones can be used to feed your growing fry from around a centimetre.Once you have obained a culture place some peat free soil or compost in a plastic container ( i use microwave containers and put some small air holes in the lid.The soil must be damp but not wet. Start off by feeding the culture on a small amount of porridge oats mixed with water and then increase it as the culture grows. I tend to feed them every few days but as you become more experienced you will gauge how much you have to feed them. After about 5-6 weeks the soil will be teaming with worms which will range in size from 3-4 milimetres up to 3 centimetres. To harvest them use a cotton bud to wipe those that have climbed the side of the container and just place the bud in your tank. On the lid of the container you will find small worms which you can feed to your younger fish. I start my fish on the worms once they have reached around a centimetre ( the fish not the worms) Adult fish take the worms eagerly and once you have established a culture then providing you look after it it will last forever. If the culture becomes overcrowded then just take some of the worms out and start a new culture. In fact its a good idea to have a second culture running so that you have a spare in case something happens to one of them. If your worms do not climb the sides of the container then you can lift up the porrideg and remove them from underneath with a pair of tweezers. You may wish to wash them in water if you use this methed. If you have bought a culture from me and you require any extra info please e-mail me.

steve@bettasplendens.co.uk

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