Can I use Africans-Eisenias-Red Wigglers in my Can-O-Worms?

Hello everyone, i just purchased my first worm farm (Can-O-Worms) and ordered a pound of Eisenias from Best Buy Worms. They replied saying that there's a backorder of 2-3 weeks and if I would consider getting the Garden Mix for the same price instead which consists of:

The Africans feed on top,
Eisenias feed in the middle and the
Red Wigglers burrrow deep.

Just wondering if anyone here knows if this substitution is ok? This is my first time worm farming so I'm a little worried, everywhere I've read is that you need Eisenias for the Can-O-Worms.

Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks

I can't fully answer your question, but I can tell you this: if you got that 'Africans on top etc.' description word for word from the Best Buy people, I'd be a little suspicious because that description is deceptive--IF that's exactly what they said.First, red wigglers ARE Eisenea. They are E. foetida (or fetida). There are other Eisenea and other compost worms out there though. But red wigglers are surface feeders NOT deep burrowers. They normally feed on manure and leaf mould on the surface of the ground. That's not to say that if you mixed those particular worms together that they might not stratify like that. I don't know. But it sounds misleading. The only earthworm that really burrows deep is one of the large ones like the nightcrawler we fish with and similar large, pale earthworms,and which doesn't care for food scraps or manure at all.

Anyway, in a worm bin, the only thing deep down is going to be the castings and no matter which worm it is it's going to mostly want to be where the food is, not in its own poo.

Why don't you tryAmazon.com? 'Swhere I got mine, only $29 for a pound. I was able to use a credit card, thus guaranteeing my ability to stop payment and get my complaints taken seriously in case anything went wrong--which it didn't, happily.--Melis

Hello Melis,

Thank you for replying, I ended up getting the Garden Mix as I already had the bin set up and waiting. They just arrived today. I added them to my bin and my fingers are crossed that they will be ok. I actually saw people here on Dave's recommending them, that's why I went to their website rather than Amazon, plus they are close by here in Florida so it was less travel for the worms. I think they looked ok, they certainly didn't look like the big fat worms I find in the garden that are greyish looking. They were more red. I ended up speaking to the lady at Best Buy Worms and she said that they would be fine in my worm bin and that most of them were Eisenias. anyway.

This is all still new to me, I'm sure I'll make a few mistakes on the way but I'm so happy to be finally able to have my little worm farm, much to my husband/neighbors/friends strange looks.
Thank you again

Well that's good. The ones you want *should* be red since they're close-to-the-surface kinda worms. I'm really relieved to hear folks on Dave's were recommending them. I reckon if there's a skunk in there anywhere this bunch will sniff 'em out! I hope you and the bin critters rise from one success after another.

Mighty happy to have been wrong!!!

Melis