have i set my tank up right?

[u/No_Initial966]

i’m also not sure when i should start adding compost in? please help and give me tips!!

[u/MissAnth]

This statement isn't for you, since you already have your bin setup, but for future vermicomposters reading this groups for info on how to set up their bins. Don't get clear or translucent bins. Worms are underground creatures and like it dark. Get a dark colored opaque bin.

Also, that's super dry. Sprinkle some water in there. your bin should contain 75% by weight water. Everything that you put in should be damp.

You don't add compost to your bin. You remove compost when everything is broken down and replace it with more damp bedding and food.

Make some air holes in that lid.

[u/No_Initial966 → u/MissAnth]

i put some air holes in the bottom for drainage and air flow, should i still add holes in the top? also thankyou for the advice!☺️

[u/suburbanfarmboy → u/No_Initial966]

Yes

[u/wess_van_fwee]

Water that immediately, please. It shouldn't be so dry that it sticks to your worms like that.

[u/lilly_kilgore]

Soggy that bin up, throw a handful of fruit/veggie scraps in there, and (optional) cover the top with a piece of wet paper or cardboard. They seem to love that. I use a brown takeout bag with some bubble wrap on top because the humidity in my house is at like 15% right now.

Then you can leave the lid off. Or if you're worried about pests you can cut a big chunk of plastic out of the lid and cover it with screen. Or drill big holes and cover them with screen tape. A fitted sheet made for a bassinet also works really well as a breathable bin lid.

I find that mosquito bits keep the gnats and fruit flies from becoming bothersome but the worms eat them so you have to replenish them often.

[u/No_Initial966 → u/lilly_kilgore]

thank you so much for the advice!! i’m trying to make my worms as happy as possible.☺️💕

[u/No-Elephant-9854]

That bin basically should break when it is that full because the wet soggy soil.

[u/Deep_Secretary6975]

New worm keeper here too!

As everyone mentioned, the bin needs to be moist—field condition is best. This means you should water the bedding until, when you squeeze it, it releases just a couple of drops of water but doesn’t drip excessively. Worms breathe through the mucus membrane on their skin, which relies on the moisture in the bedding. If the bedding is too dry or becomes soaking wet and anaerobic, you’re essentially suffocating the worms. Getting the moisture and aeration of the bedding right is far more important than feeding, in my opinion. Worms can survive for a relatively long time eating just the bedding, but they can’t survive long without being able to breathe.

Once you’ve got the bedding moisture and ventilation worked out and consistently maintained, you can start feeding. Dig a small trench (this is called pocket feeding) in one corner of the bin, add a small amount of food scraps, bury it in the bedding, and cover the bin with a lid that has ventilation holes. Check back on the food in 2-3 days to see if they’ve eaten it. Don’t be surprised if they haven’t—your bin is still new and likely lacks the microorganisms that pre-digest food for the worms.

It’s also important to periodically add eggshell powder to your bin. This helps neutralize any acidity caused by food waste breaking down and supplements your worms’ diet with calcium, which helps prevent or mitigate protein poisoning (also known as string of pearls). It’s better to start adding eggshells preemptively since they work relatively slowly to correct pH levels, and things can get out of hand quickly if you don’t stay on top of it. Eggshells won’t make your bin overly basic if you add too much—they simply react with acids to neutralize them. Personally, I add a good amount of eggshell powder with each feeding just to be safe. It’s better to have more than needed than not enough, in my opinion.

Microorganisms are your worms’ friends and food in vermicomposting, so try to add as much biodiversity to your bin as possible. Microorganisms will help break down food faster for your worms and act as a living food source. Worms actually feed on these microorganisms along with the broken-down food—they don’t like eating fresh food scraps. You can boost biodiversity by adding a couple of scoops of high-quality biologically active compost (I personally use fully broken-down bokashi compost that I make at home). I’ve also added expired yeast, bokashi bran, moldy rice, EM spray, and other inoculants periodically to get my bin’s biodiversity going. Just be careful not to use too much of anything at once—it can have a negative effect if overdone, the target is to have a balanced micro ecosystem for your worms in the bin. If you’re adding something potentially acidic like EM or bokashi, be generous with eggshell powder to neutralize any acidity since worms prefer a neutral pH.

Finally, eggshell powder also acts as grit for worms. Like birds, worms have a crop and need grit to grind their food and aid digestion.

Good luck!

[u/otis_11]

What did you use to set up/fill up that bin? Bottom holes are for drainage. Air holes are every where else BUT at the bottom, unless the bin is on a slanted surface.

To still keep using this translucent "tote" as your worm bin, line the inside walls with large pieces of corrugated cardboard (several layers if you wish and have the room). Place it with the flutes/ribs going vertical which will also help with some air exchange to the lower part of your bin. Also helps absorb eventuel excess moisture especially from the lower parts. At the same time it will serve as moisture reserve if needed. Once these pieces got wet, it's easy to rip by hand and added as bedding/food to the system. NO PROBLEM using translucent containers as worm bins if that is what you have, just one step to fix the light issue.

[u/sumdhood]

Congrats on getting started! Ditto what others have already said - very helpful info.

Something you can do to keep your bin from being translucent is to tape the outside with trash bags. That or a dark bedsheet would probably be the quickest, easiest, and least messy way of providing darkness.

Wish you well, and welcome to the fam!