Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

While preparing my fall garden, I started turning the soil, and as I find worms I just toss them into one of my grow beds, and I never see them again. Do they stay completely covered under the media are am I just feeding the birds?

You need red wrigglers or composting worms. Earthworms will probably die in the growbed


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earthworms dont die.

you just arent finding them again.

They'll probably work but they just leave if they don't like where you put them.

plus one: They'll probably work but they just leave if they don't like where you put them.

+1 to all above

However when they are there you never see them. This year I came across a few only after recent spring clean of the bed and some serious moving around the media doing a few mods. Wouldn't even know they are there otherwise. Unlike their mates the slugs...... note that they stay under water quite happily - flooding did not bring them out.

I have completely emptied the grow bed that I had the mint in, recouped all my hydroton media, and I did not see a single earth worm. These were the in ground type that I would throw into the grow bed. Just though I'd pass this along. I have disassembled my large grow bed and after reconfiguring the placement of all the parts I will try to make it a CHOP system. The only problem I have is being sure that gravity will work in providing water all around the system and empting into the sump tank. Any suggestions, thanks for all your advice, Gil

There's conflicting info about earth versus compost worms in the above posts from Yavimaya and Bender... both far more experienced than me.

But my understanding is that compost worms can live underwater (so happy in aquaponics) while ordinary earthworms can't - which would explain your findings. I put compost worms in my single growbed long ago and now regularly find them in all parts of my system including in small netpots suspended in my shallow DWC 100 mm pipe system - ie they, or their eggs, must have made it from the growbed via the sump tank.

I've heard that what we call nightcrawlers would not be good because they burrow much deeper than our grow beds. They come to the surface when it is damp or rainy but not because their burrows are filling and they are in danger of drowning - it is to feed.

OK, from what I've gathered I'll have to find composting worms to add to my grow beds, OK - No Problem

My next attempt at a swirl filter material will be unwound nylon rope. This will be layered about a foot thick, water and air will flow from the bottom up through a plastic perforated platform. Does anyone have any concerns or ideas that might help me get this right? Thanks for ALL your help, Gil

My Green House plan is about to take shape on the ground. I hope to have some pics. to share soon.

I'm not clear on how this is going to look but the plastic screen seems like it will clog to me . Might work better as a biofilter with the nylon fibers.

Not sure how the sold material will work in a swirl filter..
You might describe that better, but generally any such material will likely work as expected with bacteria colonization etc.
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And that was SOLID. material... ie would prevent swirling... surely
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I find normal worms in the gbs but only when I move a lot of media but not in the same density as the composters so I was thinking that composting worms don't mind high densities and common earthworms don't like them so populate accordingly.