HOW TO BREED YOUR OWN BLOODWORMS

Bloodworms, the bright red larvae of the Chironomus midge, are the favored food for many different
varieties of fish and all sorts of aquatic pets. These non-biting bugs that resemble a mosquito are high in
protein, which make it very good in keeping your fish happy and healthy. They can be bought frozen,
dried or in live forms. Some prefer to buy the frozen ones because live bloodworms have the tendency
to easily pollute the water on the aquarium tank. Cultivating your own bloodworms will not really save
you a great deal of money, which is why most hobbyist would recommend buying versus raising them on
your own. Unless, of course, you would like to raise them in order to sell to others for profit. If you are a
dedicated hobbyist or would just want to try, here are the steps to guide you in breeding your own
bloodworms:

Step 1:
Collect your midge eggs, which you’ll probably do by yourself. These eggs will be in clear, jelly-like clumps
you can find just below the surface of the pond and lake water. They are attached to plants or other
vegetation from the water of a lake or pond. Increase your chances of finding these eggs by looking at
stagnant water areas with high insect population.

Step 2:
Prepare six 10-gallon aquarium tanks. This is a good number to start with, but you can start with less if
you prefer. You can also use other plastic or glass containers as long as they are leak-proof. Fill them with
tap water, placed away from sunlight or in a dark area. Bloodworms when placed in dark, well-ventilated
area will grow faster. Also, furnish the tank with plants and mud or compost in order to help create a
good ecosystem.

Step 3:
Remove chlorine from the water by leaving the water in your aquariums or containers overnight. If you
want to dechlorinate water quicker, there are commercial dechlorinators that can be bought from pet
supply stores. Generally, you only need one to three drops for each tank.

Step 4
Install pump filters in each of the tank, or you may choose to periodically change the water every couple
of weeks to keep it fresh and clean. You can even add snails to help clean up leftover food and waste.

Step 5
Set up the eggs in your tanks. Try to put the eggs in varying number for each container. Bloodworms eat
tiny particles of dead plants and animals. If you have managed to recreate an ecosystem with plants and
mud (or compost), this should be enough to feed them. You can feed manure to your bloodworms, or
buy micro-foods available commercially. Keep track of how much food you are giving to your
bloodworms so you’ll be able to determine which food works best.

Step 6
Eggs begin hatching in two to four days. Harvest them after they pupate and grow to about one inch in
length. The bloodworms’ complete life cycle is from ten to twelve days. Put them in a covered container
and store in a refrigerator after harvesting. If you happen to have a freeze-drying machine, you can
freeze-dry them as well. Lay them on trays, insert those trays in the machine and remove the moisture
from the worms. Make sure to leave some of the larvae in each of your containers in order for them to
pupate and lay another batch of eggs.

SOURCE:
http://www.ehow.com/how_5138734_raise-bloodworms.html
http://smallbusiness.chron.com/make-blood-worm-farm-15649.html