# Cornmeal vs. grindal worms



## earthfrog (May 18, 2008)

I had a spring culture majorly infested with grindal worms. I put some enriched cornmeal on there and I didn't see any the next day. Could it be something in the cornmeal killed them? The springs are fine.


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

People use cornmeal as a food to culture grindle worms... I suspect a lot of what people call grindle worms are misidentifications. 


Ed


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## earthfrog (May 18, 2008)

Well on the other hand, I don't understand why they would have died off and left the springtails there. Oh well, guess it'll remain a mystery.
I was using _enriched_ cornmeal if that makes a difference.


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## tim13 (Feb 1, 2011)

Why culture grindal worms? What eats them?


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

Most commonly they are cultured to feed small fish and fish fry, however some people also use them to feed newts and I've spoken to a couple of people who tried them on tadpoles. 

Ed


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

earthfrog said:


> Well on the other hand, I don't understand why they would have died off and left the springtails there. Oh well, guess it'll remain a mystery.
> I was using _enriched_ cornmeal if that makes a difference.


How about a change in CO2 levels or biofilm from the corn meal? They may actually still be in the culture but just down in the substrate. 

Enriched typically means that it has had several B complex vitamins and iron added to it.


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## earthfrog (May 18, 2008)

Ed said:


> How about a change in CO2 levels or biofilm from the corn meal? They may actually still be in the culture but just down in the substrate.
> 
> Enriched typically means that it has had several B complex vitamins and iron added to it.


Maybe a change in the biofilm--it can't have been the CO2 level b/c they're more resistant to low oxygen levels than the springtails---I've watched them revive in seconds while it takes the springtails over an hour. 

There were hundreds and then the next day...none. Maybe they died and got eaten by the springs.
Or maybe I left the lid off too long and they burrowed into cracks in the charcoal.


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## bristles (Jan 19, 2011)

Ed said:


> Most commonly they are cultured to feed small fish and fish fry, however some people also use them to feed newts and I've spoken to a couple of people who tried them on tadpoles.
> 
> Ed


I use them as Ed stated, for fish food & sometimes for tads they are quite small so not to hard for tads to eat


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