Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

While weeding in the garden I managed to find a heap of native garden worms and I had the idea of introducing them into my growbeds to see whether they would survive and (perhaps) prosper. I put the garden worms into one bed and seeing as I have four beds I also got the rough equivalent amount of composting worms from my bin and placed them into another bed. I didn't add any to the other two beds, it will be interesting to see if they end up as "worm farms" as well.

I don't know the names of the worms, are the composting ones called Tigers? Here is a pic of them both, composting on the left and garden variety on the right.

simmo, i reckon they'll do fine. i have been meaning to do this test. They can survive indenfinatly in water if it is very high in DO.

think that is a red worm - tigers have very distinctive stripes (colour change)

I also think they will make light work of dead plant roots in the bed

some useless info for u Simmo:
Tiger worms (Eisenia fetida)
they are a rusty colour with a distinctive brownish tinge. Each segment is usually clearly defined by a yellow band. Tigers have an inbuilt defence mechanism: when they are threatened (used as fish bait) they exude a fetid, unpleasant-smelling yellow liquid.

Okay in grow beds - not okay for fish food.

Reds, blues and local earthworms - good fish tucker
Ell

Nice one Ell... Yep, I have fed both kinds to each of my goldies, yabbies and marron, the goldies are mad for them, especially if they are small enough to fit in their mouth whole. The ones I have put in with the yabs and marron I can only assume have been eaten, that or they have found really good hiding spots.

Steve, yep thats what I'm hoping that they will aid in reducing the amount of excess root material in the growbeds. Ideal scenario is that they multiply to the point where you could harvest your bed and leave the worms/bacteria to eat the leftover root material as it rots in the system.

They should survive just fine, the beds drain such that there is only 4-5cm of water sitting in the bottom of them, and the timer on the pump only runs for half an hour, for a maximum of 6 hours per day, so there will be plenty of opportunity to get air. I reckon they will be in heaven, as long as they don't mind the rough texture of the gravel.

I wonder if worms can get callouses, if so you might get some nice tough worms for your fish to chew on (BE AWESOME as bait if it did happen, as they would be nice and tough and stay on the hook

Think of how huge those suckers could get? After leaving them in there for 2 years haha no natural predators to get them.... could be the making of a guiness world record

I regularly feed my tilapia some reds ... mmmmmm

Guppies also like the reds, of course you have to chop them up a bit. My better half had fun doing that. I just wish I saw what knife she used!

Just asked my scientist fish farmer guy about worms...

He's one for brevity this man, and summed it as follows

Earthworms are great food.
Tiger worms from compost can be poisonous.
Flies and moths. Get one of those blue light bug traps and tip the collecting tray in every day or so.

Reds seem to be eaten by most fish if they are the right size as noted. You don't want to be cutting up tigers - eeew!

Isnt it great where aquaponics can lead!! I have now invested in 1200 red worms ( I dont know how long it took him to count them) to use to compost my kitchen scraps as well as being an alternative food source for my fish. My source says 400 worms to your average size foam veggie box is about the right ratio

Worms are counted by weight 4,000 normal size/kilo, they used to sell @ $35/kg - have no idea of the cost nowadays

Ell

about $50 a kilo in Tennison. I saw an Ad in the trading post. Just waiting to finish building my worm bed them I'm going to go see the guy.

I'm thinking of getting a worm farm to get rid of some of my food scraps etc because .... I don't have a compost heap in my new house (ducks for cover)...