Can Goldfish eat Bloodworms? Are they safe to eat!

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goldfish eating bloodworms

Yes! If you are looking to supply your goldfish with a little variety in their diet, bloodworms are an excellent choice. Though many flaked and pelleted fish feeds are nutritionally balanced, supplementing the diet with a range of foods will enhance the growth and color of your goldfish.

We hope this short article will familiarise you with everything you need to know to make a success of feeding your goldfish bloodworms.

In a hurry to find a good alternative food for your Goldfish? See below:

What are bloodworms?

Firstly it’s important to know that the name bloodworm covers a range of organisms. Here are the two that you are most likely to feed to a goldfish

  1. Glycera is a family of marine bristle worms that are commonly harvested from shallow marine waters for use as fishing bait and a nutritious delicacy for aquarium fish. They vary in size and are named because their translucent skin allows the red hemoglobin-rich bodily fluids within the worm to show through. They vary in size between a few millimeters to over 30 centimeters. These worms are themselves carnivorous and if not preyed upon by marine creatures, will eat their prey using venom delivered by a projection with multiple sets of jaws!
  2. Midge Fly red larvae are commonly fed to aquarium fish as Bloodworms. They earn the name due to their vivid red hue which comes from oxygen-carrying proteins in their bodily tissues. Blood midges are a nutritious treat for all kinds of fish and are popular with anglers as bait.

The benefits of feeding bloodworms to your goldfish

Bloodworms deliver some great nutritional benefits to your goldfish, who will also be advantaged by being able to eat a food that is more natural and palatable and provides opportunities to exhibit hunting behaviors and forage for scraps too.

bloodworms
Live bloodworms for goldfish

They are very nutritious and are high in protein and iron, due to their haem-rich flesh. If you have a community tank, feed away, as all your fish should enjoy bloodworms. Though they are good for your goldfish, Bloodworms cannot provide all the nutrients your goldfish need and should only be used to supplement a balanced diet.

Bloodworms can be provided in a variety of ways

These worms come in a range of preparations. You can choose:

  1. Live bloodworms which are supplied alive, wriggling and writhing.
  2. Frozen bloodworms that come in small frozen blocks. These are easy to store and can be defrosted for feeding to your goldfish.
  3. Dried Bloodworms also are convenient and can be reconstituted in aquarium water prior to feeding. 

How to feed your goldfish bloodworms

Depending on the preparation of bloodworms you have obtained, you will need to either rinse, defrost, or soak your worms in aquarium water prior to use. Glycera bloodworms may need to be chopped up if they are large. The worms can be added via the net, with pipette or tongs. You can even hand feed them too.

a good supply of oxygen is needed in an aquarium

Take care not to overfeed your goldfish and limit worms to a couple of feeds per week. Excessive live food can increase the risk of transmitting parasites and diseases so observe your fish carefully after introducing this new food.

Read our complete bloodworm guide for tropical and coldwater fish here.

You will be pleased to find that there is a wide range of live foods you can introduce to your goldfish, including a whole host of worms. Options include:

  • Bloodworms
  • Waxworms
  • Blackworms
  • Earthworms
  • Daphnia
  • Mysis shrimp
  • Brine shrimp
  • Mealworms

Conclusion: Can goldfish eat bloodworms?

Bloodworms are a palatable food you can feed your goldfish with confidence. The range of preparations available makes it a convenient treat and its nutrition will help keep your goldfish at their best!