One of the most common types of fish food that provides high-quality protein for anyone who likes to keep an aquarium has to be the bloodworm.
It may sound gross, but the term broadly applies to some different types of worms. Two are the most popular in the hobby, and strangely enough, one type isn’t even a worm at all!
Most belong to the Chironomidae family and are actually tiny red larvae from midge flies.
The other one is an actual marine worm of the Glycera genus that can provide a nasty venomous bite. They are from a group of bristle worms that can get quite large.
The bottom line is that if you’re planning on having healthy fish, flaked and pellet foods are not usually going to be enough to give them the optimum nutrition they need.
So like a fisherman with his rod and reel, get ready to deal with some worms. They may be frozen, freeze-dried, or live, but whichever you choose, it will be worth it to your fish. If you can mix up the types so that occasionally you offer some live ones for better quality feeds every so often.
Let’s take a look at how you feed these worms, how you can breed them if you have numerous tanks and need a large supply, and everything else you need to know to get your wriggle on.
Appearance Of Popular Bloodworms
The larvae of midge flies are the type that are not actually a real worm at all. But they do squirm and wiggle like a worm does, which is why they get called the blanket term.
They are easily the most popular, despite the misnomer. You would be hard-pressed not to find this type of food in any pet store or aquarist hobby shop.
Bright red in color, they appear segmented and are normally less than an inch in length when they are picked for aquarium use.
On the other end of the scale, we have that Bristle Worm that is found in marine habitats on the seafloor.
They are a subtle pink color, have bristles that reach out on each side of the body along the entire length, and can reach a whopping 2 feet long! Some Bristle Worms in this family have a venomous bite. Slightly terrifying when you now think about walking on the ocean floor, no?
So now we arrive at the ways to feed these proteins to your fish.
Three Ways To Feed Bloodworms
Frozen
Frozen is the most typical way you’ll see worms available in your local stockist.
You can find them in sheets or block-like cubes that allow you to prepare as much as needed as and when. The bonus is that this means you can keep them for months at a time and always have protein to hand.
Here comes the less fun part. In order to feed your fish, you need to defrost them. So you’ll need to cut whatever amount you need from the sheet or detach a cube and start thawing.
It’s hard to say what is less appealing, having live ones or ones that are thawing (and where do you find a dedicated spot to do that?).
It’s important to note that you need to drain the excess liquid from your thawed mass of worms/larvae. It’s not going to feed your fish and will only foul the water, making changing the water necessary more frequently.
The upside is that having been frozen, they won’t harbor any harmful bacteria, parasites, or other diseases.
Being frozen, you’ll also clearly not see any predatory behavior on the part of your fish as they just float within whatever device you choose to feed them with.
It’s really important to remove any uneaten worms as they will otherwise contribute to decaying matter in the tank. Keep an eye on where the worms are placed, and particularly those that sink. A suction vacuum can help with cleanup to avoid your water fouling too frequently.
Some people with true hunters for species in their community will likely prefer live worms/larvae for this reason as it allows the fish to act as nature intended.
Freeze-Dried
These types of worms/larvae are dried and preserved. This means they can be kept in their tub or container and don’t require much thought when it comes to planning your tank’s next meal.
It’s the least nutritional variety of worms to buy, and even then, they are graded A or B.
Grade A worms are high quality, and Grade B is lower because they contain other elements which are not bloodworm. Don’t ask us what they are, though!
Even freeze-dried types do require some preparation. You need to soak them as your fish will not eat them as shriveled up tough little leathery bits if you just sprinkle them into the tank, just like flakes of food.
No, you need to soak them for on average 5 minutes for them to float and be softened, and you’ll need 10 minutes if you want to soften them sufficiently to sink to feed your bottom-feeders.
These are not the greatest quality, even the Grade A types, so consider frozen if you can’t handle growing your own worms. And let’s be honest, not everyone is cut out for worm farming!
There is another concern for fish who get fed freeze-dried. If you rush the job of soaking them and don’t ensure they are soft enough, they will expand in your fish’s stomach, which can cause distress and discomfort.
Live Worms/Larvae
Even though these are the best to feed your fish, they are harder to come by.
You’ll need to feed them soon after purchasing, too, unless you want an army of non-biting midges. After all, larvae will continue to grow and are only actually in the larval stage for about 10 days.
If you buy them live, they have to stay refrigerated. We suspect most hobbyists have a separate fridge in the basement or the garage to accomplish this.
While seriously more nutritious, the disadvantage of live worms is that they may well be carrying infections, parasites, or disease into your tank.
You have to weigh up the pros and cons.
Another pro is that they are usually used to condition fish for breeding, and it brings out their active side thanks to the nutrition boost.
If they’re an occasional treat, go for it. But ensure you know how to rinse the worms properly, don’t mind handling them, and use them in a timely manner to avoid disaster. Probably best left for those with more experience.
Which Fish/Species Like Eating Bloodworms?
The answer to that is 99.9% of all freshwater and saltwater fish will consume bloodworms happily. Although they are not a complete food and should be considered supplementary, they are a rich source of protein that is unbeatable for every tank setup.
Some fish species who happen to particularly love bloodworms include:
- Eels
- Bettas
- Discus
- Loaches
- Mollies
- Guppies
- Most Livebearers
- Cichlids
- Angelfish
- Gouramis
- Catfish
- Butterfly fish
- Shrimp
- Snails
- Frogs
- Salamanders
- Crabs
Taking Care Not To Overfeed
You’ll need to take into account the size of the fish you’re feeding and how often they eat. A few bloodworms may fill up the belly of a Guppy, but it will take rather a few more than that for an average-sized Cichlid.
Try to see how much they eat in a three-minute period to determine how many is a good baseline to go off of.
If you see their tummies bulge, you’ve overfed and need to rein it in!
Remember that they should not be exclusively fed these worms, or they won’t get the variation in their diet that they require.
Plant-based foods like blanched veggies or algae wafers should provide some additional nutrition along with other meat sources to give them the right balance of amino acids they need.
Bloodworm Life Cycle
There are four stages to the life cycle of the main midge larvae type of bloodworm.
Egg
The adult lays a mass of eggs on water surfaces which sinks to the water floor and stays for a week.
Larvae
This is the part of the cycle when the eggs hatch that the trade harvests in order to supply these bloodworms to the aquarist hobby. Larvae detach from the egg and often go into the mud and feed on organic matter. They can attach to tube-like structures and will even feed off sewage.
They develop their red coloring from hemoglobin in their blood which allows for survival in low oxygen environments.
Pupae
Larvae then transform into the pupa stage, after which it swims to the top of the water and the adult fly emerges.
Adult Fly
Interestingly these flies mate in a swarm as soon as they emerge from the pupa. And they only live for 3 – 5 days. It sounds like a lot of work for such a little bit of adulthood!
Growing And Breeding Bloodworms
This is something many people think is quite easy to do, but it’s actually quite difficult and best for the most experienced people in the hobby.
If you think managing flies in order to see larvae through their entire life-cycle in order to harvest the worms is straightforward, think again!
The ideal conditions to get these flies to mate are quite specific, and it’s difficult to keep them from escaping once they have wings.
It’s much simpler to purchase them and leave the hassle to someone else.
While Bloodworms don’t exactly sound like the most appetizing gift you can provide your fish, rest assured it will be the gift that keeps on giving.
Fish adore eating them in any format, but for a special treat, live has to be the best. If you can try to provide them with some live ones occasionally, your fish will thank you.
Try to get the best quality worms you can, and even if frozen is the best you can do, do so often as they don’t take up fridge space and can be kept in compact, cubed packaging that will not impact anything else in your freezer.
Are Bloodworms A Good Idea For Your Fish Tank Community?
They are indeed. Just don’t get hung up on the concept of them writhing on you. Froze or freeze-dried will do the trick if you’re squeamish!
