White Worms. Enchytraea. White worms are a very useful food for those animals small enough to find them nourishing. They are found in the wild amongst decaying vegetation, but can be obtained very easily as a pure culture from most good tropical fish shops. They will probably be supplied to you in a plastic box with close fitting lid, and may be maintained like this for many months before they will need to be sub-cultured. They are kept in a soil-based compost, either John Innes No. 1, or a mixture of good garden loam; sand and granulated peat in fairly equal quantities. They should be kept quite cool, around 15°C. I find tropical fish food (flake type) to be an ideal food, and I also soak the flakes in a vitamin supplement such as Abidec after scattering them on the surface of the compost. I cover the food with either a small piece of glass or a flat piece of slate, and in a day or two there are usually masses of the 2cm worms busily eating away at the food. I find it best not to overfeed, as the food very quickly goes mouldy if it is not eaten straight away, so a little but often is the rule. Providing that they are fed regularly, kept damp (but not wet) and at the correct temperature, very little will affect them, excepting mites, to which the cultures seem quite prone. I would imagine that these come out of the soil, if this has not been sterilised, and once they get a hold are difficult to remove, and usually means the end of the culture. It is widely held by the tropical fish breeding fraternity that white worms are a very fattening food, and should be used sparingly. I cannot comment on this except to say that I haven't put on an ounce.