# Raising own bloodworms



## byron (Apr 23, 2010)

Hey guys, I got a question. Is there away to raise your own bloodworms. Do they lay eggs or something and you just hatch them yourselves. If os what to you need to raise them?


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## rescuepenguin (Apr 21, 2010)

They are mosquito larva. It would require you to breed mosquitos and them harvest their larva. Breeding mosquitos is easy, an open and still source of water outside will do it. Personally, i'll stick to buying it frozen.

Steve


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## plantedinvertz (Apr 21, 2010)

x2 you would need the bloodworms to turn into mosquitoes to reproduce.


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## Colin475 (Apr 21, 2010)

They're actually the larval form of a chironomid. Too hard to raise easily


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## hp10BII (Apr 23, 2010)

Bloodworms that you buy like from Hikari are actually larvae from midge flies - chironomids.

http://aqualandpetsplus.com/Live Food, Blood Worms.htm


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## tony1928 (Apr 22, 2010)

Doesn't sound like a great idea to me considering the issues you would have by purposely breeding mosquitoes in your home. Even if you could contain it somehow. Seems iffy to me especially since frozen bloodworms are readily available and have been processed to rid it of any pathogens. The Hikari ones are even fortified with vitamins.


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## eternity302 (Apr 22, 2010)

O.O I would not do it for a million dollars! LOL! The thought of having them escape in my house!


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## Death's Sting (Apr 21, 2010)

breed red wigglers, much easier and more nutritious. frozen blood worms are mostly made up of moisture(water) and have very little protein. if u don't believe me read the guaranteed analysis on the packaging.


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

Just buy live California blackworms, cleaner and more nutritious for the fish. If your fish are big enough and you feed lots of live food, then I would agree, get a worm composter and breed your own red wrigglers. I'm thinking about doing that later this year.


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## Hammer (Apr 22, 2010)

ditto on the "just buy them". In nature, Bloodworms like at the bottom of lakes and rivers in the mud. I'm not sure how they raise them commercially, but it involves mud, adult flying chironomids, and some kind of sifting process. Not a "DIY" in the garage. I think the idea of raising worms is good and eco-friendly.

my 2cents


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## tony1928 (Apr 22, 2010)

I think if somebody was able to do this in their garage, this would be something I'd like to see. LOL. That would be a heck of a DIY.


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## rescuepenguin (Apr 21, 2010)

Colin475 said:


> They're actually the larval form of a chironomid. Too hard to raise easily


And all this time I thought I was getting even with all those lady mosquitos who helped themselves to my blood without asking.

Steve


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## fisherman (Apr 22, 2010)

wow i have some mosquitoes larvaes sitting outside in a bucket lol.. soo gross.. i was going to dump them out of the water but maybe i should feed em to my fish.. wonder if their safe enough.. who knows how long this bucket has been sitting there. i geuss its all rain water thats been sitting there for some time. then some how some mosquitoes came and laid their eggs in the bucket?


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## Scholz (Apr 21, 2010)

White Worms!

Super easy to keep...


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## byron (Apr 23, 2010)

OK thanks for the advice. Also can the earthworms found in the mud of your backyard be fed to cichlids? Would it be the same as feeding blood worms or any other worms? I just have to much to ask but another question would be what would be something easy to raise to feed your cichlids? because I simply like doing these kind of projects. =)


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## April (Apr 21, 2010)

if you look in a bucket or puddle sitting in your yard for a long time..you can see some. sticking up out of the mud. they arent mosqitoes..they are midge fly larvae. 
no reason to raise..bloodworms are available. hikari ones are the best..triple sterilized and vitamins added. 
but yes red wigglers are the best..but too big for alot of fish. you need to chop them all up..


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## ~Lynae (Apr 21, 2010)

Do not feed earthworms from mud, to your fishies!! 
To raise bloodworms suitable for fish to eat.. set out a bucket or bowl of water, let it get a bit green and stagnant and the mosquitoes will come and do their thing. You will see tiny egg rafts, that look like a chip of a leaf floating on the water, but if you look closely, they're all lined up like little soldiers!! They will hatch, and you'll have little wigglers swimming in 'S' shapes. 
When you give them to your fish, make sure most of them are eatten, or actually net them out of your aquarium, after a few days, before they get too big. You do not want mosquitos hatching in the house...
I was thinking of actually doing it myself, as I just inspected my gross pond and they're everywhere... it is that time of year... I guess..


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## darb (Apr 21, 2010)

those from above ^, are actually mosquito larva.

most people actually have soil in their back yards, not mud. But since you are in Richmond, mud is a possibility, maybe the dike in your area is leaking ...

but, yes red wriggles from the soil are a good food for fish. you can find them easily in areas with lots of decomposing organics like compost piles. otherwise leave them in a container with damp paper towel overnight so that all of the soil that is inside of them passes.

another feeder project that you may want to consider is marbled crayfish. they reproduce readily and are not a lot of work.



byron said:


> OK thanks for the advice. Also can the earthworms found in the mud of your backyard be fed to cichlids? Would it be the same as feeding blood worms or any other worms? I just have to much to ask but another question would be what would be something easy to raise to feed your cichlids? because I simply like doing these kind of projects. =)


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## gimlid (Apr 23, 2010)

Death's Sting said:


> breed red wigglers, much easier and more nutritious. frozen blood worms are mostly made up of moisture(water) and have very little protein. if u don't believe me read the guaranteed analysis on the packaging.


Ditto on the red wigglers. I have a really nice colony and the juvenile worms are easy for almost any size fish to eat.
Good way to get rid of household waste

www.cityfarmer.org/wormcomp61.html

One of many websites available on how to get started.

If you decide to use earthworms (from the garden or wiggler colony) ditto on the paper towel trick. This is supposed to reduce the risk of parasites.


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

The city of Burnaby even has a composting demo garden that you can go and check out and ask questions. That's the way to go. I'm planning on attending this year. 

http://www.city.burnaby.bc.ca/__shared/assets/Sanitation_-_Composting_Brochure4384.pdf


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## April (Apr 21, 2010)

yes city farmers have a little worms eat my garbage workshop..and they have the supplies. composters..that dont smell at all if you do it right..and a book, show you how to set it up etc. did it years ago with my daughter. of course..me for a reason other than composting. but they can eat a pound of veggie scraps a week. gotta add eggshells or something..as same as the fish tanks..th e ph falls and the worms disappear. also a bit of sand for their digestion..and shredded newspaper and either coconut condensed fiber or peat cube that grows. rotats your corners you put the scraps in. 
the worms eat my garbage book is a great book. if you got from your garden..you need to be sure there were no pesticides used..and most are the night crawlers. big and ugly. 
your not meant to have standing water or encourage mosquito larvae..as there is the mosquito disease..
white worms are another option.


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