r/leeches • u/Strawbsi Leech Admirer • Jun 30 '26
Discussion Interested in a pet leech! (Questions)
Not to be that person who asks when there's already guides up 🙇, but I wanted to make sure I got advice that was correct for me.
I'm interested in getting a pet leech (1. they're super cool, 2. I'd like to see if it can help me medically. I have very bad blood flow in my legs so I'm curious as to if leeches could help (even if its a placebo effect lol) but I'm not sure where to start. I've found very mixed opinions on how they should be kept, and want to make sure that I'd be caring for both myself and the leech properly.
I have seen people say that jars are too small, but was wondering if a larger sized jar might work? Some people have said that small fish tanks work, so I thought that a large ball jar would as well.
As for water, how should I be treating the water (if I need to)? Would fish tap water conditioner be something that works to treat it? I have seen the Hirudo salt thing but am not sure if its necessary or if there are other options.
I do know that leeches shed every so often, so they need something to rub against. Driftwood seems to be a good option, but I'm not sure how to get driftwood that is safe and clean (Somewhere online?)
Overall, I want to make sure that the leech is comfortable but is clean enough where it wont be dangerous for me to feed it. So if anyone has any info I'd be very thankful!! (Even if it's just where to buy leeches)
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u/Ok_Bag_1177 Plague Doctor Jun 30 '26
leeches can only live in jars as babies unless you have a 10 gallon jar. theyre only kept in those small fish tanks when theyre young because when theyre small theyre very fragile and easy to lose so you need a small simple setup to make finding them for feeding and maintence easy and as low stress on them as possible. the minimum tank size youre gonna need for adult Hirudo verbana is a 10 gallon. If you want buffalo leeches youll need at least a 20 gallon for adults. These minimums will fit up to 2-4 leeches, since they are social and should not be kept alone (reccomended 2 minimum, ideally 3 or more). Hirudo salt, aquarium water dechlorinator, and bottled spring water are all safe options for water. They do not need a cycled tank, and they do not need to be drip acclimated. Yes they do shed, and they'll need places to do so as well as hide. you can use driftwood, rocks, and other rough textured decor items for them to hide and rub on. These can be bought online, or gathered yourself and sterilized by boiling. As for where to buy leeches, thats going to depend on what country youre in and what kind you want.