Goldfish require a balanced diet containing various sources of nutrition; bloodworms make an excellent addition, but should not become the mainstay.
Aquarists advise limiting bloodworm consumption, as too many can lead to constipation, which in turn could lead to swim bladder disease in your fish. Instead, try feeding goldfish other live foods like daphnia or krill for best results.
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Live Bloodworms
Bloodworms provide ample protein and are considered an essential part of the Goldfish diet, but too much may become fattening and cause bloating and constipation, leading to Swim Bladder Disease in some instances.
If you can’t provide your fish with fresh bloodworms, freeze-dried versions may be the next best thing. Available in cubes or sheets that you can easily drop directly into their tank, they also make storage much simpler than live varieties and are unlikely to contain bacteria or parasites that could compromise their health.
Make sure to soak freeze-dried treats in some aquarium water prior to feeding them to your Goldfish, in order to soften and prevent the worms from expanding inside its digestive tract and creating blockages. Soaking for about 10 minutes should suffice in creating the treat for your Goldfish; frozen bloodworms tend to provide greater nutritional content.
Freeze-Dried Bloodworms
Goldfish require an ample source of protein in their diets, and bloodworms are one of the easiest and most affordable sources available.
Feeding live bloodworms to fishkeepers can be dangerous; their fangs have the power to bite humans and cause pain comparable to being stung by bees. Therefore, when handling bloodworms it’s wise to wear thick rubber gloves and only feed them directly to your fish if you can avoid touching them directly.
If you want to treat your goldfish to bloodworms as treats, consider freeze-dried versions rather than the live versions. They are easier to store and don’t require rehydration prior to being fed back out as treats; additionally they don’t pose as great of an infection risk as live bloodworms do.
Frozen Bloodworms
Bloodworms provide goldfish with essential protein to support their development; however, excessive consumption can lead to digestive issues including bloating and constipation.
Live bloodworms may contain harmful bacteria and parasites that can make your fish sick, plus they need to be rehydrated before giving them to your goldfish – an elaborate process which depletes their vital nutrients. Frozen bloodworms don’t present this problem and can easily be stored.
Feed your goldfish frozen bloodworms as an addition to their regular diet of flakes and pellets for maximum convenience and to provide soft food that your goldfish requires. Though these frozen bloodworms won’t provide quite as many proteins, they still offer important nutrition.
Other Live Foods
Goldfish are omnivorous fish and need both plant-based nutrients and meaty proteins in their diets. Bloodworms, larvae from midge flies known for their vibrant red hue, provide an excellent source of protein. When added as part of an appropriate dietary plan for goldfish, bloodworms should only be fed occasionally.
These aquatic worms live in marine lakes and feed off of organic material like detritus and other organic debris; making them the perfect protein snack for aquarium fish.
Cut up bloodworms so they are easier for Goldfish to digest and prevent choking or food being spit out by their pharyngeal teeth, located on the back of their throats. Also avoid purchasing wild-caught bloodworms which could contain harmful bacteria and parasites which could transfer directly to your fish, as well as too many bloodworms leading to constipation and swim bladder disease in your goldfish.
