Walter worms (Panagrellus silusioides) are the perfect live food for many types of nano fish, baby axolotls, and fish fry. They are the intermediate size of the Panagrellus species in the trade. They're actually not a worm, but rather a harmless nematode!

When added to water, Walter worms sink to the bottom and can survive for up to 24 hours, making them ideal for bottom feeders, such as Corydoras catfish. They are also very easy to culture and maintain, so long as one remembers to re-culture them every few weeks. The culture you receive will be in a 16 oz. deli cup and will be at least a week old.

How to Use: To culture walter worms, all that is required is a starter culture, instant mashed potatoes or quick oats, yeast, and a container (tupperware or deli cups work well). Simply add a couple inches of quick oats or potato flakes to the container, add water (just enough to soak but not flood), and pop in the microwave for two minutes. Let this cool for up to a half an hour, then take a spoonful of an established Walter worm culture and place on top of the oats or potato. Then sprinkle the culture with yeast and cover it. Poke small holes in the cover to ventilate.

After about a week, you should see the worms climbing the sides of the container—this is when you can harvest them. All you have to do is wipe the sides of the container with your finger or a clean paintbrush and dunk into the aquarium you are feeding!

How to Store/Maintain: Sprinkle active dry yeast on the culture once a week to keep it productive and climbing.

It's usually best to start a new culture every 2-4 weeks to keep maximum production. Cultures will usually crash at the one-month mark.

For storing, keep in a cool, dry room. They do not need to be kept dark to thrive.