Nightcrawler colony questions

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I'm considering starting a Canadian nightcrawler colony for my pacman. He/she is currently eating 3 nightcrawlers a night. So at $3 a dozen I'm thinking I should just start my own colony. Plus, I plan on acquiring more frogs in the future. (There are several on my wishlist!) I want to make sure I understand everything about this little adventure before jumping in.

I plan on starting out with 250 worms in a rubbermaid type container. It's my understanding that these guys do best in cooler temps, which our basement will be perfect for. I have 3 guinea pigs and therefore have plenty of veggies on hand for our little worm friends. I worry about what's safe for them to eat since my frog will be eating them. Here are my questions:

Would chemical free peat soil be appropriate bedding or is there something better?
Can I throw in just any food stuffs? Like leftovers from dinner, including meat?
Would treated tap water be best for keeping them hydrated?
How often and how much should I feed them?

Thanks a bunch!

[Cap10Squirty]

Would chemical free peat soil be appropriate bedding or is there something better?
Can I throw in just any food stuffs? Like leftovers from dinner, including meat?
Would treated tap water be best for keeping them hydrated?
How often and how much should I feed them?

Thanks a bunch!

I think peat is slightly acidic? I use it in my worm bins but it is not the majority of the soil. I used about half peat and half shredded newspaper, cardboard, eggcrate, etc. to start off and then I started adding things like used coconut coir from my frog bins.

I would avoid the meat. It won't get eaten and will start to stink terribly. I would stick to veggies, but limit the starchy ones like potatoes. Also limit acidic fruits like oranges. The peels are fine.

I feed mine every 2 weeks but I only have 70 something worms in a tiny shoe box container in my fridge. I imagine with a large colony like the one you have you could feed weekly. Just dont over do it. If you see food starting to pile up then hold off for a week until its all gone.

Leaves, sticks, bark and other organic items are good to add, as well as grass clippings if you have them. I have also read that canadian nightcrawlers prefer food on top of the soil? That's different than the care for my red wigglers which I mix in with the soil. You should experiment and see where the worms tend to hang out more.

Lastly, it might be beneficial to blend the food items up into a slush and spread it across the top of the soil on one side. This helps the microorganisms that eat the food to have an easier job which in turn makes it easier for the worms to eat the microorganisms.

I need to check my bin for worm cocoons. That's what I've been trying to do. If they don't breed, in the least I have been able to take the "medium" sized ones that I bought from Walmart and grow them to "large" and much healthier looking worms than what they started out as in their cups.

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Thanks so much for responding, Garrett! And thanks for all the very helpful information. I was feeling a bit overwhelmed by this project but am feeling much better about it now. We get free newspapers (penny saver type things) that will be great for worm bedding.

We'll have plenty of grass clippings in the summer. Thanks for the tip. Yep, I've also read that Canadian nightcrawlers like their food on top. We shall see!

Good idea on blending the food up. I have a small blender that would be perfect for that.

I hope your guys do breed. Good luck! And you make a good point, I've gotten some pretty small nightcrawlers from Walmart that could've used some fattening up.

[Cap10Squirty]

Yeah I think worms have got to be the simplest critters to raise. Just give them dirt and a few scraps and thats it. No heat required, no light required, and in all honesty I check on mine sometimes every 3 weeks. I have a few colonies of various earthworms actually. A large composting bin that I use to collect worm poo for plant fertilizer in the spring, my Canadian tub which is doing a great job of keeping them alive at least and fattening them up. They have turned really nice and pink since I got them about 3 months ago and they seem to be thriving. Last I have a wild-caught nightcrawler bin with some GIANT nightcrawlers....I have no idea what kind they are as I caught them after a rain and set up a bucket for them...this was in the summer in the middle of Arkansas heat too...the worms are grayish/purplish...I'm guessing African or European nightcrawlers. Could be what's called "Alabama Jumpers" but I don't know.

Anyway, worms are super easy if you keep it super easy. Where are you planning on buying the nightcrawlers from? Unfortunately I don't think I could ever keep that many unless I set up a small fridge because it gets real hot here in the summer and if I try to expand my worm colony in my food fridge my Wife might kill me....and the worms.

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Wow, you're like the worm whisperer. LOL Ooh, worm poo would be great for our garden in the summer. Hadn't thought of doing that. The guinea pigs love fresh garden veggies. What do you feed those giant nightcrawlers to?

I'm planning on buying them from Speedyworms.com I've heard great things about them. Ha! My husband is used to us having more critter food in the fridge than human food.

[Cap10Squirty]

I feed the large ones to my african bullfrog. My monitor lizard is so big it would just ignor the worm. But you know how Pacman and Pyxie frogs are towards worms! Oh a layer of leaves on top that is kept drier than the substrate will help keep the worms from trying to escape as much. I don't have a problem with Canadians ever escaping but the other ones like to try.

worm whisperer haha! I've only been at it since this summer! With 250 Canadians, you'll have more than enough experience soon to enlighten the rest of us about how to best keep them.