Breeding Leeches

#1 NADO

Perch

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Posted 14 August 2010 - 01:48 AM

Hello everyone, i have decided to give breeding leeches a try. I brought home about 6 or 7 extra leeches i had today from fishing and put them in a 5 gallon tank willed with rain water with a hang on filter. I was wondering if anyone has experience breeding leeches and can tell me what to feed them and if store bought leeches will even breed.

Thanks,
Eric

#2 RedSkullz

Crappie

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Posted 15 August 2010 - 12:43 AM

Hey there..i have never tried to breed leeches before, but i am pretty sure that if the water gets too warm for an extended period they will die.

I fish when i can...when i can...as much as i can. FISH ON!!

#3 NADO

Perch

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Posted 16 August 2010 - 12:01 AM

ya im hoping that not having a filter will be cold enough, im not really sure of any way to make the water colder.

#4 NADO

Perch

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Posted 21 August 2010 - 12:08 PM

well they have successfully lived through their first week in my tank. I have tried feeding them algae flakes and freeze dried blood worms im not sure if it was eaten or not its hard to tell.

If anyone knows a baitshop owner they could ask who would be willing to give info on what they feel their leeches that would be awsome, this thread could save alot of people money on live bait. From what i have read a fish tank isnt necessary, leeches can even be bred in a barrell with no water circulation.

#5 openfire

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Posted 21 August 2010 - 03:42 PM

It's funny, I meant to ask what you were planning on feeding them before I read the last post. I can't imagine leeches eating algae flakes, but maybe the blood worms. Please update us as I'm very to curious to see how this pans out!

#6 MikeyMikey

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Posted 30 August 2010 - 06:19 PM

Feed them blood,
Stick one per finger/toe.

Ooops.

#7 frozenfire

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Posted 31 August 2010 - 11:27 AM

You most likely have ribbon leeches.
They don't prey on blood and will eat stuff from a lake/pond/etc (aquatic worms, insect larvae, dead matter, etc)
Not too sure on the breeding process though.
I do know that they are hermaphrodites.

#8 NADO

Perch

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Posted 24 September 2010 - 11:19 AM

well i went for a 2 week vacation and when i came back there was only one leech left in the tank out of 6... im not sure what happened as i couldnt find any leech bodies on the ground. I will try again sometime, hopefully i can run into a leech breeder or a fishing store owner who can shine some light on the process.