Nightcrawler Culturing?

[pacman90]

Ok, so since nightcrawlers are 5$ for 12 here, i have decide to try and culture them. Need info tho, i have them in about 3-5 gallon plastic tank thing that you would put hermit crabs and such in, put some leftover Eco Earth in the bottom about an inch deep and some left over collard green scraps from feeding my iguanas. Now what else is there to do? The substrate is damp and the collards are somewhat buried, and some on top, i bought 2 boxes of 12 ct. NC's so i can feed 1 box to my Pacman and Toad (<-he loves em!) so i can use the other 12ct. for culturing, I read up on culturing them but havent got much info other than what i just worte above. So any help will be much appreciated. Thanks

[Pluke]

Here I found this article for ya, I was actually considering doing this myself in the future when I have more frogs, seeing as the frogs I have now prefer nightcrawlers over anything else I offer. I imagine you have to start with more than twelve worms too.. the more the better to get a good culture started.

Canadian nightcrawler experiment: great castings, slow reproduction: You tell me: success? or not? - vermicomposters.com

Hope this helps and please let us know of any success.

[pacman90]

ok thanks ill see how many are alive when i goto buy more and pretty much just add to em with another box.

[pacman90]

thing is i dont know which kind mine are, Euro or Canadian because they didnt mark em at PetSmart, i heard Cans. are larger and mine are PRETTY juicy and about 6-8" long stretched out. That might help with the culturing info also.

[Pluke]

Yeah, I get canadians and some of them are huge. I got some at petsmart once and they are a ripoff compared to the other ones I get. I just get a tub labeled "24 Canadian Crawlers". You know you can order worms online, too. Just do a google search and you can find some sites that sell them. I just did a seach and found this site, Buy Canadian Nightcrawlers from The Reel Thing Bait & Tackle looks pretty legit. I'd ask whoever you buy worms from if they use chemicals or dyes in their worms before ordering.. You don't want your frogs ingesting that. Obviously you don't want to buy the green ones.

Edit: This site actually looks better. http://www.knutsonlivebait.com/night_crawlers.html

[pacman90]

sweet i'll check em out. Is there anything i shouldnt feed the worms that could potentionally harm my frogs?

[Pluke]

I wouldn't throw anything in with worms that isn't something you would feed crickets, roaches or any other feeder. Things like Greens, lettuce, spinach, fruits like strawberries, oranges, carrots, stuff like that. I also try to buy organic. That's all I feed my roaches/crickets with a side of Purina Cat Chow as dry food. I really don't know too much about worms, I'm just stating what I normally feed feeders.

[pacman90]

OK just making sure or getting an idea.