# Other Aquarium Forums > Freshwater Fauna >  Breeding Blood Worms?

## s050399b

Hi,

Has anyone breed blood worms sucessfully? Thanks!  :Smile: 



Blood Worms 
By Jim E. Quarles.
Few people really know that what is referred to, as bloodworms are really not 
worms at all. They are from the family Chironomidae, in the order Diptera. Class Insecta. 
The are larvae of the non-biting midges. In Singapore over fifty species have 
been recorded. Not all the chironomid larvae are red in color. The surface types 
are greenish others are white, only those that contain hemoglobin are red this 
is where they get their name bloodworms.
The chiromid larvae and pupae are highly nutritious and nourishing and are one 
of the staple food items in the ration of many fishes in the natural 
environment. The importance of chironomid larvae as live food for tropical fish 
culture is well known in Asia. All carnivorous fishes, such as Oscars, discus, 
Siamese fighting fish and most all the cichlids will greedily devour them when 
they are offered as part of their diet.
In studies done by hatcheries in Asia discus have been shown to grow
Faster and spawn earlier when fed with bloodworms. With bloodworms as a 
supplementary food they gain better weight and the growth rate is more uniform.
The supplies of chironomid larvae are mainly imported and this is partially true 
for the United States. The natural breeding sites for chironmid midges are 
diminishing due to the rapid urbanization and modernization of wetlands. Also it 
should be noted that supplies of bloodworms have at times been unreliable and 
seasonal as the larvae are subjected to the fluctuation of the populations. 
CULTURING CHIRONOMID LARVAE
As long as a half-century ago attempts to propagate the bloodworm under 
laboratory conditions have been carried out in many countries. The chief 
difficulty is the inability to induce swarming and mating of the chironomid 
midges in captivity.
The life history of bloodworms involves four stages: Egg, larva, pupa, and the 
adult midge. The eggs are laid in amass which is enveloped by transparent 
mucilage. Each egg mass contains between fifty and seven hundred eggs.
Under tropical conditions incubations periods varies from 24 to 48 hours. The 
newly hatched larvae are not more then 1mm long but they measure up to 10-=16 mm 
when they reach the last stage of the larva period. They molt four times before 
it reaches the pupae stage. Then after two days it comes to the surface of the 
water and emerges as an adult.
As adults they live only three to five days and mating and oviposition takes 
during this period.
The Nutritive Value.
The nutritional value of bloodworms is considered to be very good. Chemical 
analysis shows that bloodworms contain about 9% dry matter and of this about 65% 
is crude protein, ten percent is crude fat and about 10 percent is ash. They 
contain 15. % Nitrogen free extract. They are also a good source of iron for 
fish since they contain hemoglobin in their blood.
Culturing Blood Worms 
In Hong Kong, chironomid larvae are grown on chicken manure. But to produce 
blood worms in large quantities the cost must be taken into consideration. Such 
a project is not practical on a limited scale and most hobbyist would find it 
far cheaper to by the frozen product.
Are They Safe For Discus?
The answer seems to be yes frozen, but it is not recommend that live bloodworms 
be fed if you are not sure of the media on which they were cultured.

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## Nicky

Interesting article. I have only comment for the last part.

Quote'
The answer seems to be yes frozen, but it is not recommend that live bloodworms 
be fed if you are not sure of the media on which they were cultured.
Unquote.

So is it implied that undesirable stuff (disease, dirt, etc) are destroyed with the freezing process? I read that good quality frozen blood worm actually has their internal organs clean out before they are frozen.

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## s050399b

I'm with this brand, not sure the name, which cost $0.70 per slab (32x). Or $6 for 12 slabs.

Another is Hikari, which is $1.40 per slab. twice as expensive!!

what r u using?

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## 15 Sierra

well, i did found a lot of bloodworms in one of my tanks housing wild guppies one day. i do believe it was because i didn't really change the water, etc... so i can't attribute what was the cause of the bloodworms being inside. but it was just an one-off affair.

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