Vinegar Eel

Vinegar eels are actually named turbatrix aceti and belong to the phyla nematoda (nematodes). They are free-living, non-parasitic unsegmented roundworms and were discovered by Borellus in 1656. They eat bacteria and fungi that grows in unpasteurized vinegar solutions.

Vinegar eels live an average of 10 months, giving birth to as many as 45 young every 8 to 10 days. A healthy culture can experience a 20-times increase in its population in only 8 days. They thrive over a wide range of temperature from 60 to 90 degrees. In pure liquid cultures, such as a mixture of apple cider vinegar and apple juice, 90 percent of the worms will inhabit the top 1/4 inch of the liquid to be as close to oxygen-rich surface as possible.