E. hortensis newbie question (mold)

[GussieFinknottl]

I'm a newbie at worm farming, so this may be a very "newbie" question.

I set up some E hortensis with a substrate of coco coir, and I gave them some damp organic chick mash. The chick mash molded up really fast, and I'm wondering: Is it okay to feed the worms to newts if the worms have just been feeding on the moldy chick mash?

I once had some newts die from eating white worms from a culture that had substrate that started to foul, so I'm a little apprehensive of feeding newts live items that have been in foul substrate or feeding on foul foods.

Thanks!

--Andy

 

[AdvythAF]

I think the first step would be to find the source of the mold. First: How big is the worm container?

I have found that smaller container = more mold

Larger container = less mold

This might have to do with aeration. Mold may prefer areas with less ventilation, so perhaps make sure there is sufficient ventilation? Burying the worm food in the substrate deeper might help prevent mold growth as well.

I would be careful feeding worms to newts that were in a moldy environment, but I've done it a few times in the past with no problems. Just be careful. It is always better to have a mold-less worm culture though xD


One last thing, mold takes over some foods faster than others. You might want to try vegetable peels and experiment with other types of feed to prevent the culture from fouling.

Good luck with your worms!
--Advyth