Re:Culturing blackworms

[Paul Krombholz <krombhol at teclink_net>]

I found the following statement on culture methods for blackworms taken from:
	AN INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF FRESHWATER OLIGOCHAETES©
	Laboratory Exercises for ES 300, Biodiversity
	2mar2000
	Copyright 2000 by
	Richard Fox
	Lander University







>Culture Methods
>
>It is nearly impossible to be unsuccessful in culturing these worms 
>and colonies can be maintained indefinitely with very little effort. 
>Use a shallow, wide dish such as an 8" Carolina culture dish the 
>equivalent or an enamel or plastic pan. Add about 2-3 cm of 
>non-chlorinated water to the dish. Use lake, pond, or spring water 
>if available or, if necessary, tap water that has been exposed to 
>the air for a week or so. Cut up white or brown institutional paper 
>towels into strips about 1 cm wide and add some to the water to 
>provide a decomposable organic substratum for the worms. Add worms 
>(which are available from Carolina Biological Supply Co.) to the 
>dish. Feed the worms compressed shrimp pellets ("sinking fish food") 
>available at pet stores. Do not provide more food at one time than 
>the worms can eat in a day. Overfeeding can kill the colony. Replace 
>the water when it becomes anoxic (or not. When the water is anoxic 
>the worms will exhibit their characteristic respiratory posture with 
>the posterior end flat under the water surface.)
>
>The worms are very tolerant of stagnant conditions with low 
>dissolved oxygen and can subsist without food for long periods. 
>Replace water as it evaporates and don't let the dish dry out 
>completely. They cannot tolerate desiccation. You can make 
>subcultures at will following the above procedure. The worms will 
>reproduce by fragmentation under these conditions. If you wish to 
>hurry the propagation process, you can cut the worms into pieces and 
>each piece will regenerate the missing parts to become a complete 
>worm.

-- 
Paul Krombholz in soggy-as-ever central Mississippi, where we had 
over 7 inches of rain in October.