Diatomaceous Earth
- Bill (Bill Hunter)
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My problem is, my Whiteworm cultures are full of mites. I've never had this before as I sterilise my soil before using it. Anyone know it it's safe for Whiteworms?
Bill
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- Bill (Bill Hunter)
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I know that Diatomaceous Earth (D.E.) is deadly to slugs, snails, mites, greenfly etc. but absolutely safe for all types of garden worm. D.E. is used as a wormer for poultry, dogs and cats; also humans. I suppose it will depend on whether the Whiteworms are closer to garden worms or intestinal worms what the result would be. I'm positive they are closely related to garden worms.
I've taken a batch of Whiteworms complete with mites and set them in a container. I'll use the D.E. on them and watch the results over the next 10 days. Mites etc. should be eliminated within 48hrs so I'll give the culture the rest of the time to see how the worms fare, although they should also be dead within the 48hrs as well if it's not good for them.
Any input in the meantime will be gratefully received.
Bill
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- JohnH (John)
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I have tried several methods down the years including Moth Balls with varied results.
The most callous mite eradication ploy I used was to play a flame gun's flames across the medium momentarily. This will also have effectively killed some worms but I hit on the idea of firstly shining a light over the culture which caused most of the worms to move away from the light (after, of course, removing the feed and glass cover).
This did not eradicate them but it was a little while before they built up numbers again - only to be roasted yet again.
Eventually, though,I found the best way to keep them down was by regularly starting new cultures and chucking out the mite-infested ones.
John
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We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl - year after year.
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- Bill (Bill Hunter)
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I would like to say for anyone worried about these mites; they aren't harmful, nor do I think they compete for food or anything with the worms, but opening your box of worms to feed and see the surface covered by these mites and clouds of fruit flies and moss flies pouring out can be a bit annoying.
Whoever thought that algae fossils would become so helpful!
Bill
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- Bill (Bill Hunter)
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Bill
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- Bill (Bill Hunter)
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- JohnH (John)
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I must order some, although I think both my White and Grindal worm cultures are now well past their best.
John
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We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl - year after year.
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- Bill (Bill Hunter)
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I'll keep a close eye on the worms over the next few days, just to make sure they are OK.
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- fishmad1234 (Craig Coyle)
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dont have the need for any cultures of live food at the moment.
but a great read and very interesting
regards
craig
at the end of the day it becomes nite
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- JohnH (John)
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Back then I could never afford one but they were highly recommended by the people in the know).
I don't know if they're still available - it might be worth checking out.
John
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We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl - year after year.
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- igmillichip (ian millichip)
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If you didn't mind cleaning your filter every day (well..... not quite, but close) then the old Vortex Diatom filters were great.
They looked like something from an 19th Century chemists shop ..... or maybe a old James Whale Boris Karloff film !!
But........... if you remember the old external air-driven hang-over filters, JohnH, and trying to get them to start, then anything seemed like magic.
ian
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- igmillichip (ian millichip)
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- JohnH (John)
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Were they as effective at disease control as was claimed?
John
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We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl - year after year.
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- Bill (Bill Hunter)
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As for curing most illnesses, when buying the DE you have to be careful. It appears to be a big money-spinner these days with food grade DE for human consumption costing around £9.00 or £10.00 for 500g and animal food grade costing around £16.00 for 6Kg.
The Whiteworms appear to still be alive and well.
Bill
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- igmillichip (ian millichip)
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But these filter media are fluid....and so it would be more like impeding the flow of organisms through the filter media rather than blocking them.
Now, I have filters for filtering out bacteria (much better than a Hepa Filter).......... I would have used them when preparing degased purified water.
Those filters would filter any disease causing organism..... like if you put the water through RO.
But.....always a "but"......... you don't get something for nothing.
The high pressure required is not suitable for fishkeeping; and if it you could use it on a practical basis then it would clog pretty quickly.
I would say that the old Vortex would reduce the continuation of such things as white spot .......... part being due to the fine filter media, but also (I would say) part due to the fact that a decent power filter was pushing water around a tank and there may have been better biological filter things going on than a tank with no filter.
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