Moon's Graden

A couple of months ago we discovered that our koi LOVE worms.  It
started. of course, by coming across a worm & tossing it in to see what
would happen.  Well, we've gotten them ***ed, I think.  We've
cleaned out our entire yard (approx. 1 acre) of all worms.  Can't find
anymore.  Even have gone so far as to buy fishing worms 2 or 3 times.

Problem:  we're out of worms.  I presume it's ok for them to eat them
most every day since that's one of the things they'd eat in a natural
area.  My question is, does anyone have any experience on growing a
worm farm?  We can't continue to pay $2.50 a day for about 12 worms.

How about other things?  My husband has suggested raw hamburger or
chicken...like just keep a little out from whatever we're making for
dinner that nite.  Kinda worries me tho, they won't find those things
in a natural pond, might not be good for them.  Ideas?

Linda

Hello!

Here's a few suggestions that may be better and cheaper than those meats:
 Even though koi are omnivorous, they do favor certain things.  Try leafy
green lettuce (Romaine), Lemons and oranges cut into wedges, shrimp or
krill (kind of expensive, tho), Cheerios (good cold weather food - high
in carbos - low in protein), raw spinach leaves (cut off the stems),
shredded raw zuccini, wheat bread, cooked white rice, cooked pasta, -
don't forget regular commercial koi pellets.

Some folks feed watermellon; but I have heard that it can cause some
gastro-intestinal problems.  A big favorite at our place is cooked barley.
  You might check with KOIUSA magazine - they sometimes publish recipes
for home-made koi-chow.

Bon apetite!

Koiboy

B&>A couple of months ago we discovered that our koi LOVE worms.  It
B&>started. of course, by coming across a worm & tossing it in to see
B&>what would happen.  Well, we've gotten them ***ed, I think.  We've
B&>cleaned out our entire yard (approx. 1 acre) of all worms.  Can't
B&>find anymore.  Even have gone so far as to buy fishing worms 2 or 3
B&>times.

B&>Problem:  we're out of worms.  I presume it's ok for them to eat them
B&>most every day since that's one of the things they'd eat in a natural
B&>area.  My question is, does anyone have any experience on growing a
B&>worm farm?  We can't continue to pay $2.50 a day for about 12 worms.

B&>How about other things?  My husband has suggested raw hamburger or
B&>chicken...like just keep a little out from whatever we're making for
B&>dinner that nite.  Kinda worries me tho, they won't find those things
B&>in a natural pond, might not be good for them.  Ideas?

Linda,

The alt.aquaria and rec.aquaria subgroups have a FAQ on live food that
you should check out.  It includes a piece on growing your own worms in
a box in the ba***t filled with peat moss and utilizing an occasional
sprinkling of water and of corn meal (worm food).   It is apparently
relatively easy to get a self-sustaining culture of red wrigglers going.

If you're not into culturing them, check the want ads in the back of
Organic Gardening magazine.  Red wrigglers are sold mail order in lots
of a thousand for around $20 as I recollect.  BUT I also recollect they
don't ship them in the summer.

Regards,
Bob D.
---
 CMPQwk #1.42 UNREGISTERED EVALUATION COPY

If you're more adventurous,when I was little,I'd go out to my uncles barn
and dig in the manure pile for fishing worms.Always in supply there. :-)

Here in Ga, we have a wkly pub called the farmers and comsumers market
bulletin.Its free from the state and has items grown in Ga for sale. Even
worms.Check with your state agriculture dept and see.

        Good luck!

                        Erik

Kellie

I don't think the statement "running out of worm in the yard"
is ever correct. It's like "getting rid of fire ant with
chemical". You can go as far as trashing your lawn, both of
those creature are still there. Unless you remove three
feet of soil all over your yard at once.

As far as feeding the fish. Cricket, roaches ... etc. Just
NOT the fire ant - they will kill your fish inside of them.

Paul

I just completed a course at the University of Georgia School of
Veterinary medicine entitled "Fish Health Management".  The instructor was
Dr. John Gratzek noted author and researcher.  Dr. Gratzek said that
Garden worms and raw meat contain parasites that can be transmitted to
your fish, therefore "DO NOT FEED WORMS TO FISH".  I have been feeding
worms to my fish & they love them but according to Dr. Gratzek it will
only be a matter of time until some parasites are transmitted.  I am not
going to feed worms any more.  If my fish do get parasites it will not be
from a food source that I can control.  Dr. Gratzek also recommended NOT
feeding tubifex worms (fresh of freeze dried) to tropical fish for the
same reason.  The worms come from polluted areas and also contain
parasites or their eggs.  The next time you have an opportunity to see
tubifex worms try smelling them.  They stink from all the decaying
material they grow in.

Good Luck
Bob

Jack Konrath

Actually, the good looking fishes have higher chance being screwed by
those artifitial food.

Of course, if you catch those earth worm arround your house where the
builder/pest control person layed tones of chemical to perform pest
and termite control. You can poison your fish to death.

Guess we should worry about those parasite more for ourselves before
worry for the fish, too.

In nature, fish only have to survive long enough to reproduce.  In my pond,
I want my fish to last as long as possible, through as many reproductive
cycles as possible. Survival is more important than size in the case of my
pond inhabitants.

Actually, most of the fish common to ponding are herbivors. One of the
things that makes them so hardy in our ponds is the high availability of
suitable plant material in the form of algae, floating and rooted water
plants. A pond can be balanced such that it requires no addition of food.
While plants are the staple food source, most pond fish also enjoy the
occasional insect, worm, larva, etc., but by far, most of their energy input
comes from plants. Just as cooking our fish reduces the threat of ingesting
some weird parasite, I contend that supplementary feeding of pelletized Koi
food reduces the threat of the same thing happening to our fish. I invite
any evidence to the contrary.

Jack Konrath