Can Goldfish Eat Bloodworms? (It’s A Surprise!)

There are several types of live foods you can provide to your goldfish. Bloodworms are one of them as it is a rich source of protein and other nutrients. But are bloodworms suitable for your goldfish? What are the benefits of bloodworms to your goldfish? Let us discuss this below:

Goldfish can eat bloodworms as a treat twice a week. Consider feeding frozen bloodworms as they are bacteria-free and are more affordable than other bloodworms. Overfeeding bloodworms can make your goldfish constipate. Daphnia and mosquito larvae are also good live food options for your fish.

Let us dive into the article to learn about the pros and cons of feeding bloodworms to your goldfish. In addition to this, we will also learn about the other live foods you can provide to your fish.

Goldfish dietary needs?

Goldfish Diet	Serving Quantity	No. of Times
Veggie Pellets	One pinch at a time	2 times a day
Brine Shrimp	One pinch at a time	1-2 times a week
Mosquito larvae	12-15	2-3 times a week
Tubifex Worms	One pinch at a time	1 time a week
Zucchini ( Blanched)	A small slice	3-4 times a week
Leafy Greens ( Kale, Spinach, Lettuce)	A small piece of leaf	3-4 times a week
Blanched Pea	Half a pea	2-3 times a week

Also read: What Do Goldfish Eat?

How often can you feed bloodworms to your goldfish?

You can feed bloodworms 1-2 times a week as a treat to your goldfish. However, excessive feeding can lead to significant health issues for your goldfish.

Goldfish are omnivore species that require meat and green veggies for proper growth and development.

As your fish doesn’t have a stomach to digest their food, excessive red meat can lead to digestive issues for your goldfish.

We want you to know that moderation is the key to a healthy lifestyle.

So, always feed the amount of food that your goldfish can consume in under two minutes.

Therefore, avoid overfeeding to prevent your goldfish from suffering from health issues.

What are the benefits of bloodworms to your goldfish?

Here are the benefits of bloodworms to your goldfish.

1. Rich source of protein 
2. Your fish love them
3. High in fiber

Rich source of protein:

Bloodworms contain a good amount of protein required for the growth of your goldfish. 

Pond goldfish prefer to eat less in winter as they start hibernating. 

At this time, feeding high protein like bloodworms will help them build up fat stores that will provide strength to your fish during hibernation. 

Goldfish	Percentage of Protein Required
Goldfish fry	40% Protein
Juvenile Goldfish	35% Protein
Adult Goldfish	30% Protein

1. The diet of your goldfish fry should hold 40% protein for their proper development.
2. The diet of your juvenile goldfish should contain 35% protein required for their growth.
3. The diet of your adult goldfish should hold 30% protein for their proper growth and development. 

Your fish love them:

Bloodworms can be considered a favorite treat for your goldfish as they love to consume them. 

So even if you have goldfish that do not prefer to eat much will also love to consume bloodworms. 

High in fiber:

Bloodworms also hold a good amount of fiber essential for the growth of your goldfish. 

Fiber helps to prevent digestive issues in your goldfish. So, it will be advisable to provide a high fiber diet to your goldfish for their well-being. 

Can bloodworms make my goldfish sick?

Bloodworms are a great source of protein required for the proper growth of your goldfish. 

However, overfeeding bloodworms can make your goldfish suffer from several health issues discussed below:

1. Constipation
2. Bloating
3. Infections
4. Weight Gain

Constipation:

Overfeeding bloodworms can lead to constipation in your goldfish. Goldfish do not have a stomach to digest their food, so it gets digested through their intestines. 

Excess red meat can lead to severe digestive issues, eventually making your goldfish constipated. 

Also read: How To Treat Constipation In Goldfish?

Bloating:

Excessive bloodworms can also lead to bloating in your goldfish. Swollen goldfish belly is a sign of bloating. Bloating can lead to severe digestive issues in your goldfish. 

Infections:

Bloodworms can carry several dangerous parasites and bacteria that can make your goldfish infected. 

In addition, consuming contaminated food can make your goldfish fall sick. 

Bleeding, weight loss and rot fins are common signs of goldfish infection.

Weight Gain:

Excessive bloodworms can also lead to weight gain in your goldfish. 

Bloodworms are a good source of fat and high in calories, eventually leading to fat accumulation around their internal organs. 

Which type of bloodworms will be beneficial for your goldfish?

Bloodworms are basically of three types.

1. Live Bloodworms
2. Frozen Bloodworms
3. Freeze Dried Bloodworms

Particulars	Live Bloodworms	Frozen Bloodworms	Freeze-Dried Bloodworms
Advantage	Hold more nutrition than the other types of bloodworms	Can be stored for up to 6 months and holds more nutrition than freeze-dried bloodworms. Freezing also eradicates all parasites and bacteria.	It is easy to store and does not sink in the tank due to its lightweight.
Disadvantage	Risk of holding parasites and bacteria. In addition to this, it is more expensive than other types of bloodworms.	Can’t determine the quality of the worms before they were frozen. However, purchasing from well-reputed brands will solve this issue.	Need to be rehydrated before providing it to your goldfish. The rehydrating process also leads to the loss of nutrition from the worms.
Price Range	Live bloodworms are more costly than the other types of worms.	Frozen bloodworms are pocket-friendly.	Freeze-dried bloodworms are also easily affordable.

Live Bloodworms:

Live bloodworms hold more nutrition than the other worms, but we do not advise you to serve them to your goldfish. 

It has a high risk of holding harmful bacteria and parasites that can make your goldfish fall sick.

You cannot store live bloodworms for more than two days. In addition to this, live bloodworms are more expensive than other worms.

Frozen Bloodworms

You can feed frozen bloodworms to your goldfish as they can be stored for up to 6 months and is less easily affordable. 

Unlike live bloodworms, frozen bloodworms do not carry harmful bacteria or parasites, as freezing eradicates all the harmful bacteria from the worms.

The only disadvantage of frozen bloodworms is that you cannot determine the quality of the worms before they are frozen. 

However, purchasing the worms from reputed brands will help solve this issue.

Freeze-dried bloodworms:

Freeze-dried bloodworms can be stored for a long time and are easily affordable. 

It will be advisable to soak the worms before providing them to your goldfish. 

Freeze-dried bloodworms hold less nutrition than frozen worms, as rehydrating makes them lose nutrients. 

Concluding: 

From the above discussion, we can conclude that frozen bloodworms can be the best option for your goldfish as they are easily affordable and provide all the necessary nutrients.

Can you feed bloodworms to your goldfish fry?

You can feed bloodworms to your goldfish fry as they are a rich source of protein required for your fish’s growth and development.

Goldfish fry requires 40% protein in their diet.

However, it would be best if you don’t make bloodworms a part of their regular staple diet.

Goldfish, an omnivore species, require a diet mix of necessary nutrients to develop properly.

Your goldfish diet should contain all the green veggies like blanched zucchini, leafy greens, and red meat like bloodworms and tubifex worms for their growth.

Other live food for your goldfish?

There are many other live foods that you can provide to your goldfish for their proper growth and development. Some of them are discussed below:

1. Mosquito larvae
2. Daphnia 
3. Brine shrimp
4. Tubifex Worms

Mosquito larvae:

You can feed mosquito larvae to your goldfish as it holds all the essential nutrients required by your fish to grow properly.

It will be advisable to provide 12-15 larvae 2-3 times a week to your goldfish. 

Also read: Can Goldfish Eat Mosquito Larvae?

Daphnia:

Daphnia also holds all the necessary nutrients required for the growth of your goldfish. 

It is a good mixture of carbohydrates, fats, and protein needed by your goldfish to develop appropriately.

You can also prepare daphnia in your home, making it a budget-friendly food for your goldfish. 

Brine shrimp:

Brine shrimp also holds all the nutrients required for the well-being of your goldfish.

You can consider providing brine shrimp to your goldfish as it holds a good amount of protein that helps your goldfish develop.

It will be advisable to provide a pinch of brine shrimp one to two times a week to your goldfish.

Tubifex worms:

Tubifex worms are also a good source of all the essential nutrients required for your goldfish to develop appropriately. 

You can serve a pinch of tubifex worm once a week to your goldfish. 

Conclusion:

1. Your goldfish can eat bloodworms as it is an excellent source of protein required for your fish to grow.
2. Bloodworms provide numerous benefits to your goldfish.
3. Excessive bloodworms can lead to severe health issues like constipation in your goldfish.
4. Frozen bloodworms can be an ideal option for your goldfish.
5. Daphnia, mosquito larvae, and brine shrimp are other live foods you can provide to your goldfish.

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Reference: ResearchGate