How to build a glow squid farm in Minecraft

After defeating Moobloom and Iceloger, Glow Squid won the Minecraft mob vote held at the Minecon 2020 Live event. This new mob has been added to the 1.17 update.

Glow squids are a new passive aquatic mob in Minecraft. They are pretty similar to regular squids but have a glowing texture and particle effect. Instead of normal ink sacs, glow squids drop glow ink sacs. Using glow ink sacs, players can make signs glow and craft glowing item frames.

Like almost every mob, glow squids can be farmed as well. This article is a step-by-step guide on how to create a glow squid farm in Minecraft.

---

Building a glow squid farm in Minecraft

To build a glow squid farm, players will need the following items:

• Redstone blocks
• Powered rails and regular rails
• Hopper
• Chest
• Minecart with hopper
• Magma blocks
• Lots of water
• Kelp
• Slabs

After gathering all these items, here's how we start building the glow squid farm.

Step 1: Dig deep into the ground

Some players may not know that glow squid spawns only below Y level 30. Therefore, players have to build the base of the farm below height level 22-23 at least. The deeper, the better the farm will work. Players should also remove water from any underground caves or rivers to improve the spawn rates of glow squids.

This farm guide is built in a flat world, so do not make it similarly on land. In a regular survival world, players have to build the farm underground.

---

Step 2: Clear a 9x11 area and build the collection system

9x11 area (Image via Minecraft)

Create a 9x11 area at a height below Y level 55. After digging the area, place a hopper connected to a chest.

Collection system (Image via Minecraft)

Then, build a minecart collection system as shown in the image. Ensure all rails are powered and that no redstone block is touching the hopper, as it will lock the hopper.

---

Step 3: Build the floor above the collection system

Place magma blocks over the minecart system that is at the border. Fill the rest of the area with any solid blocks, such as stone or cobblestone - this is for spawning glow squids.

Build walls (Image via Minecraft)

After building the platform, surround the farm with a wall of a height of 7-9. Players can also use the new tinted glass to cover the farm.

---

Step 4: Fill the farm with water

Once the farm is surrounded, fill it with water blocks except for the highest layer. Players can use kelp to turn flowing water into complete water blocks.

Cover with slabs to place water (Image via Minecraft)

Cover the top layer with slabs, as shown in the image. Then, place water at the 11-block broadside. This flowing water will take glow ink sacs into a bubble column, pulling them down and sending them into the chest.

Flowing water (Image via Minecraft)

---

Step 5: Cover the top of the farm with solid blocks

The last step is to cover the top of the farm with solid blocks. Players can also use tinted glass, as it prevents light from going inside. Glow squids spawn only in darkness.

Cover the top of the farm (Image via Minecraft)

Along with glow squids, axolotls will spawn in this farm as well. These axolotls will kill the helpless glow squids. Glow ink sacs dropped by glow squids will float to the top and enter the water stream, taking them to the collection system.

Note: This farm is built in Java Edition; it may or may not work in Bedrock Edition.