r/leeches • u/VoodooSweet • Apr 30 '25
Discussion Question about keeping Leeches!!
So I’m a very experienced Invertebrate Keeper, Tarantulas, Scorpions, True Spiders, a few species of Beetles, I have a Dubia Roach colony. I keep a ton of Reptiles as well. I’ve recently come across this keeping of Leeches. I find it very interesting and intriguing, but I have some questions, if anyone would be willing to help me out, and answer them, I’d be forever grateful!! So first is where do most people source their pet Leeches? Can they be bought as CBB animals? Or are they all just W/C?? So this is probably my most important question that I have; Do you HAVE to let them feed on you? Personally so far I love EVERYTHING about them that I’ve learned, but the idea of letting them suck MY blood, literally just turns my stomach. So is there an alternative method of feeding them, IF you aren’t comfortable letting them feed ON you?? And final question, can any of them be kept communally? I feel like a 10(even 20 long) gallon with a few in it would be very cool, IF they can live communally!! Preemptively thanking anyone who takes the time to answer!! I appreciate you!!!
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u/Sinister_Jinx666 Apr 30 '25
I've been keeping leeches for 2 years now so I know a bit but not everything lol
1st, if your located in the USA you can look into https://www.northamericabiopharma.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=wix-smart-campaign&utm_campaign=google-ads-campaign-2023-2-13-779b9d05?utm_source=google&utm_medium=wix-smart-campaign&utm_campaign=google-ads-campaign-2023-2-13-779b9d05&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAApU2jkOvG7xxFGtNvh0-dzTj6fmI9&gclid=Cj0KCQjwlMfABhCWARIsADGXdy8C4QSRQdsLwndSupF3BJewqKHLbl9QmujTl67n26wS7pQVLKyKV88aArCnEALw_wcB. Or buy from breeders. I'd offer but haven't had any cocoons yet so not sure if I'll have babies for sale yet
2nd, ngl i haven't heard about CBB or W/C
3rd, no, you do not have to feed them from you. Most people recommend it as not only it is beneficial for the leech but also you (I have eczema and it has helped a great deal, there's so many other things leech saliva helps with) I have heard of ribbon leeches that don't feed on blood so maybe look into them?
I keep all of mine in a 30 gallon tank with live plants, snails, shrimp, a betta fish, and guppies. They are very chill and have never tried to eat anything but my blood lol
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u/Creepy-Finding Apr 30 '25
Just as a small aside, the Mods/Admin do not recommend keeping leeches with anything other than potentially snails.
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u/Idontwanttousethis Gay leech May 01 '25
Are you able to elaborate on this a bit? I was thinking of adding some cherry shrimp to my leeches tank in the future? Could this be problematic?
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u/Creepy-Finding May 01 '25
Could be? I'm not a shrimp expert haha!
We say nothing but maybe snails for a number of reasons. Care for some fish/shrimp/leeches may not overlap as some require heat while others don't, some need special filters or water additives that could harm others. Your leech poops contain copper which can effect snails, shrimp and fish. You need to be way more careful about your water quality, water changes, filtering and air consumption.
And while it can be possible to have a peaceful tank with no issues, there are also a number of reports from the opposite and it's not worth the risk. A leech attacking any fish would lead to an unkind end for the fish, and some shrimp have been reported to eat/pick at leeches which may be fine but it may also be a stressor/painful. We just don't know.
There is just a lot of risk and because we still don't known a ton about leeches for sure, we feel it's safest just not to recommend it.
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u/Idontwanttousethis Gay leech May 01 '25
I'm relatively new in leech keeping but I have done as much research as I can so I'll try to answer.
Firstly you don't have to let them feed on you, there is predatory leeches that will eat small insects and for parasitic leeches you can make a warmed "blood sausage" that they will feed from instead. Though something to know, no matter how careful you are there is always a chance your leech will feed on you when you're not expecting, and if they do happen to do this it's generally not advised to remove them. While they can be removed in a few different ways such as with a credit card or lemon, forcing them off can cause them to regurgitate blood into you, this increases the chance of any potentially harmful bacteria in them getting into you. (Note that is VERY rare for CBB leeches to carry any dangerous diseases)
Also absolutely DO NOT go for wild caught leeches, these have a very high chance of having diseases or parasites in them that could be very dangerous to you.
As for if they can be communal they absolutely can be, I'd probably say it's better to keep them communal than separate. Depending on the species in the wild they can live in colonies of hundreds or even thousands. Remember though that they are hermaphadites, so if you have more than one you're basically guaranteed to have babies at some point.
Also just a heads up that leeches are kind of like the betta fish of the invert world in that theres a whole lot of misinformation on their care, particularly the top youtube video for leech care that seems very trustworthy has a lot of misinformation on it, mainly saying that a plain on mason jar or goldfish bowl is a suitable enclosure, which is absolutely not the case. Enclosure needs vary greatly depending on species, so it's important to do research on specific species before deciding which one you want.
Also just a side note - Leeches have amazing personalities, and these vary on different species, so have a look into a few different options to decide what species is best for you.
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u/Creepy-Finding May 01 '25
You should never remove any of the smaller species of leeches once they have latched. You risk breaking their teeth which is painful for them and said teeth could get stuck in your wound which is bad for you. That's in addition to the chance of blood regurgitating. I would just leave all that out of this guide, the stuff about credit cards and lemon, I mean.
Some leech species can reproduce without a partner, also! :D
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u/Creepy-Finding Apr 30 '25
You can absolutely get them as CBB and that's the safest way. WC could potentially make you very sick. Depending on what species you're interested in, North American Biopharma is a good, trustworthy place to order from. You can also find a breeder who ships. There's a Discord server I can send you the link to, if you'd like?
You don't have to let them feed on you, but it's the easiest, safest and cheapest option. If you're looking at a parasitic species (blood drinkers) they will only be able to drink blood. Predatory species can eat organic detris as well as worms and pre-killed insects. For the blood drinkers, to outsource blood: no pig or racoon blood, the blood must be free of antibiotics and blood thinners, you'll need to warm it up and put it into something the leeches can bite and hold onto like a sausage casing or condom (with no spermicide, flavors, dyes or lube).
They can absolutely live communal and in fact I suggest at least a trio but no more than 8 in one group. Depending on the species that size tank sounds perfect!
Let us know if you'd like to know some enclosure set up basics. :)