How to Grow Bloodworms for a Fish Tank

Bloodworms are a common, nutritious and harmless live food that can be given to many aquarium fish. They are very common in lakes and ponds and can be easily captured or obtained live from aquarium suppliers and bait shops. Captive bloodworms require very little maintenance and feeding and can be grown indoors or outdoors in simple covered containers. Great quantities of bloodworms can be grown from a single batch of eggs and multiple batches can be grown concurrently with little extra difficulty.

Things You'll Need

  • Waterproof container
  • Dark cloth
  • Microfood or chicken/horse manure
  • Fine net skimmer
  • Filter or sieve
Show More

Instructions

  1. Keeping Bloodworms Indoors

    • 1

      Search for bloodworm eggs in stagnant bodies of water -- they are greenish blobs of slime with dozens to hundreds of small dot-like eggs. Check submerged portions of grasses or branches in shallow water for egg blobs.

    • 2

      Transfer egg blobs into a waterproof container such as a plastic shoe box or a small fish tank. Fill the container with water and cover it with a lid or dark cloth -- bloodworms thrive in darkness. Allow the eggs two to four days to hatch.

    • 3

      Provide small amounts of micro food (for freshwater organisms) or chicken or horse manure -- 3 grams of food for every 1,000 eggs is the ideal. Feed the bloodworms every two to six days and track their size during feedings.

    • 4

      Perform weekly water changes to maintain water quality by replacing 10 to 20 percent of the container's volume. Store the replacement water in open containers one or two days prior to the water change -- this allows trapped chlorine in the water to naturally dissipate.

    • 5

      Harvest bloodworms when they reach a length of approximately 1 inch. Use a fine net to skim bloodworms from the water at night when they are the most active. Feed them to fish live or freeze them for long-term storage.

    • 6

      Use or freeze all hatched bloodworms within two weeks if they are kept indoors -- they will begin to pupate at this age and will eventually emerge as adult midges (flying insects). Remove any pupa that are found in the container and dispose of them outdoors.

    Attracting and Keeping Bloodworms Outdoors

    • 7

      Bury an open waterproof container (such as a plastic bowl) up to its rim near a shading tree. Fill the container with water and place fallen leaves inside of it.

    • 8

      Allow the container time to attract bloodworms or place eggs or live bloodworms directly into the container. Replace evaporated water regularly. Perform weekly water changes and replace 10 to 20 percent of the container's volume with dechlorinated water.

    • 9

      Check the water container daily and remove any mosquito larva with a fine net skimmer -- mosquito larva float while bloodworm larva sink.

    • 10

      Harvest the bloodworms by scooping the sunken leaves onto a filter or sieve. Hold the filter or sieve against the surface of the water and allow the leaves to slowly dry -- the bloodworms will try to get into the water, but will be trapped by the filter. Remove the leaves and use or freeze the bloodworms.