Breeding Bloodworms

[Toyman321]

I've been trying to find infomration about breeding bloodworms. I read somewhere (maybe on this forum) about someone to had bloodworms survivng and breeding in thier tank.

Does anyone know about breeding bloodworms or even what kind of conditions they would need to survive for the long term??

 

[Fruitbat]

Bloodworms are the larvae of a small Chironomid fly called a 'midge'. They are found in practically any body of water with a muddy bottom. Unless you have a facility where you can raise the larvae into adults (they go through complete metamorphosis), then provide a place for the adults to fly and swarm, and then lay their eggs you won't be able to breed them.

I think an earlier post discussed the fact that Tubifex worms, especially the 'red tubifex' are often mistakenly called bloodworms. Tubifex worms are true worms and will take up residence in your aquarium substrate if they aren't eaten. However, breeding them in large enough quantity to serve as fishfood isn't really practical.

In both cases (true blood'worms' and tubifex worms) it is much cheaper to go out and buy them from your local fish store.

 

[theeyrietrainer]

what?! i thought bloodworms were a certain species of mosquito larvae! well, i think that thee mosquito larvae would be easier. afterall you just take a bucket of grass clippings + water, place it outside, and wait for the mosquitos to reproduce!

 

[catfishmike]

no contrary to common thinking bloodworms aren't mosquito but midge larve as said above.if they were mosquito larve we would all have stagnat pools of water in the backyard to collect fish food(which is a bad idea btw,can you say disease outbreak)glassworms aka white bloodworms are mosquito larve.

 

[PreciousGems]

I have had glassworms before. They are a great food. You can feed them when they are larvea or you can feed them when they turn into mosquitos- both of which are great to feed fish.

 

[Iggy]

In the spirit of this thread... what is the best 'live' food to breed and feed adult fish?

 

[Toyman321]

Well I guess Im going to have to go with tubefex worms, I wanted something I could throw in my tank and would survive so my puffers would have something to eat between feedings... but now Im having trouble finding live tubefex worms, Im finding frozen everywhere but noone seems to carry live ones

 

[bobrob]

Haven't tried it myself but brineshrimp seem's quite popular or daphnia (can you breed that)?

 

[theeyrietrainer]

hrmm try the common run-off-the-mill gammarus. its an amphipod that can be found in the pond. a nice hard shrimp relative, tasty, easy to breed. so if you keep some in your tank (cleaned of course) that arent eaten will breed well. i think. never had gammarus myself, but they breed well supposedly. im pretty sure puffers will eat em...

 

[victimizati0n]

the bloodworms in my newt tank have been breeding for years. (I havent put any bloodworms in there for at least 5 years)

 

[catfishmike]

then they aren't bloodworms but but red tubifex worms.

 

[victimizati0n]

Originally posted by catfishmike
then they aren't bloodworms but but red tubifex worms.

What's the difference? I assume tubifex worms are acually worms, and not larve?

 

[theeyrietrainer]

well, tubifex worms are kinda like worms. they are not larvae of anything. normally larvae that are water livers then convert to flyers float at the surface of the water. the tubifex variety sink, unless im mistaken...

another good yummy thing would be black worms, breeds steadily, yet yummy, dont know if puffers go for them though..

 

[catfishmike]

tubifex worms are true worms unlike the "bloodworm"which is really a midge larva.same for glassworms which are mosquito larva.

 

[Lotus]

I have a couple of grindal worm cultures going, and my fish seem to really like them. They are smaller than bloodworms, but really easy to culture. My angels, loaches and pretty much all the smaller fish seem to love them.