Glow Squid in Minecraft — Complete Guide (Spawning, Drops, and Uses)
Short answer: Glow Squids are a passive underwater mob added in Minecraft 1.17 that drop Glow Ink Sacs when killed. They spawn in dark deep water — usually Y-level 30 to 63 in any ocean, river, or Lush Cave with water. Their cyan-teal glow is bioluminescent (they actually emit light), and they're the only source of Glow Ink Sacs, which are used to make glowing item frames and glowing text on signs. Glow Squids were the winner of the very first Minecraft Mob Vote (2020), beating the Moobloom and Iceologer to be added.
This guide covers spawning, drops, all uses of Glow Ink Sacs, where to find Glow Squids, differences from regular squids, and tips for an efficient Glow Ink farm.
Quick Answer Table
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What are Glow Squids? | Passive aquatic mob, drops Glow Ink Sacs |
| Where do they spawn? | Dark deep water — Oceans, Rivers, Lush Caves (Y=30-63) |
| What do they drop? | 1-3 Glow Ink Sacs, 1-3 XP |
| Are they hostile? | No — fully passive |
| Can you breed them? | No — they spawn from world conditions only |
| Can you tame them? | No |
| Do they emit light? | Yes — they emit light level 0 (visual only) but glow brightly |
| How fast? | Slow — same speed as regular squids |
Glow Squid vs. Regular Squid
| Feature | Glow Squid | Regular Squid |
|---|---|---|
| Appearance | Cyan-teal with glowing tentacles | Dark grey-black |
| Drops | Glow Ink Sac | Regular Ink Sac (black dye) |
| Where spawns | Dark deep water only (Y=30-63) | Any water, any depth |
| Visible at night | Yes — bioluminescent glow | No — hard to see in dark water |
| Behavior | Passive, slow swimming | Passive, slow swimming |
| Added in | 1.17 (Caves & Cliffs) | Original Minecraft (Alpha) |
Where to Find Glow Squids
Glow Squids spawn in dark water at specific Y-levels:
- Deep Oceans — most common spawn location, look at Y=30-50
- Rivers — uncommon, requires deep river sections
- Lush Caves with water lakes — extremely common in flooded Lush Caves at Y=30-50
- Underground lakes — rare but possible in deep caves with water
The single requirement is darkness — Glow Squids only spawn at light level 0. So daylight oceans rarely have them, but the deep ocean floor (where sunlight doesn't reach) is full of them. At night, Glow Squids can appear closer to the surface in oceans.
Best biome for farming
Lush Caves with water pools are the best Glow Squid farms. The dark water + lush vines make for a beautiful environment, and Glow Squids spawn at high rates. Build a small platform and farm them with a Looting III sword for max Glow Ink.
How to Catch and Kill Glow Squids
Method 1: Direct kill
- Find a Glow Squid in dark water
- Equip a sword (Looting III preferred — drops 1 extra Glow Ink per level)
- Swim down and attack — they don't fight back
- Pick up 1-3 Glow Ink Sacs (1-6 with Looting III)
Method 2: Bucket capture (decoration)
Despite the popular myth, you CANNOT pick up Glow Squids in a Water Bucket. Only fish (Cod, Salmon, Pufferfish, Tropical Fish), Axolotls, and Tadpoles can be bucketed. Glow Squids must be transported with Leads (which they don't accept — so you can't move them at all).
For decoration, kill a Glow Squid where you want the light effect, then place its dropped Glow Ink Sacs around. Alternatively, use Sea Pickles in Lush Caves for similar bioluminescent vibes.
Uses of Glow Ink Sac
Glow Ink Sacs have 3 main uses:
1. Glowing Item Frame (most popular use)
Craft a Glow Item Frame:
- 1 Item Frame + 1 Glow Ink Sac → 1 Glow Item Frame
The item inside a Glow Item Frame glows at night and is always visible in dim caves. Perfect for labeling chests in dark storage rooms.
2. Glowing sign text
Right-click any sign with a Glow Ink Sac → the text glows in the dark. Pairs with any dye (e.g., Red + Glow Ink → glowing red text). Essential for guild signs, location markers, decorative text on hidden bases.
3. Spectral arrow potions (Bedrock-exclusive recipe)
On Bedrock Edition, you can craft Spectral Arrows using Glow Ink Sac:
- 8 Arrows + 1 Glow Ink Sac → 8 Spectral Arrows (Bedrock)
On Java, Spectral Arrows require Glowstone Dust + Arrows instead. Hitting an entity with Spectral Arrows applies Glowing (outline visible through walls) for 10 seconds.
Glow Ink Sac Farming
For mass production:
Aquatic farm (Java + Bedrock)
- Find a Lush Cave with a deep water pool
- Build a 16×16 lit platform above the water surface (so mobs don't spawn here)
- Place water columns directing Glow Squids into a kill chute
- Kill at the chute end with Looting III sword
- Hoppers collect Glow Ink Sacs into a chest
A well-designed farm can yield 50+ Glow Ink Sacs per hour — more than enough to deck out every chest in a megabase.
Mob switch trick
Glow Squids only spawn at light level 0. If you flood a dark cave above your farm, regular squids won't spawn (they prefer brighter water), giving you mostly Glow Squids. Without the mob switch, you'll get both squids — Glow Ink Sacs from Glow, regular Ink Sacs from regular.
The Mob Vote History
Glow Squid won Minecraft's first ever Mob Vote at Minecon Live 2020. Voters chose between:
- Glow Squid (winner ~50% vote)
- Moobloom (~30%)
- Iceologer (~20%)
The Moobloom and Iceologer didn't get added — they remain Minecraft cryptids that fans still mourn. For the full story, see our Minecraft Mob Vote history.
Common Questions
Do Glow Squids emit actual light?
No — Glow Squids have a particle effect that makes them glow visually, but they don't emit a light level. Hostile mobs still spawn near them in the dark.
Can I tame a Glow Squid as a pet?
No. Glow Squids are wild — they can't be tamed, leashed, bred, or bucketed.
Will Glow Squids despawn?
Yes — like regular squids, Glow Squids despawn when no player is nearby. To keep them in a farm, build your kill area within 32 blocks of your AFK spot.
Do Glow Ink Sacs work for armor trims?
No — Glow Ink Sac isn't a valid armor trim color. The Glowing Item Frame and Glowing Sign Text are its primary uses.
Can I dye items with Glow Ink Sac?
No. Despite the name, Glow Ink Sac isn't a dye. You can't dye wool, leather armor, or beds with it.
Can I get Glow Ink Sacs from Wandering Traders?
No. Glow Ink Sacs are exclusively obtainable from killing Glow Squids.
Are Glow Squids good food?
They drop nothing edible. Like regular squids, Glow Squids are XP and dye sources only — not food sources.
What's the brightest underwater decoration?
For maximum underwater brightness, use Sea Pickles (light level 6 per pickle, stacks up to 4 = level 15) instead of Glow Squids. Glow Squids are decorative but don't actually light caves.
Putting It All Together
The workflow for a complete Glow Ink farm:
- Find a Lush Cave with a large deep water pool
- Confirm Glow Squids spawn (look for cyan glow in the dark water)
- Build a 16×16 fully-lit platform above the surface to prevent regular mob spawns
- Use water streams to funnel Glow Squids into a chute
- Kill at the chute end with a Looting III sword (Glow Ink drops jump from 1-3 to 1-6)
- Hoppers collect into chests
- Use Glow Ink Sacs for: Glow Item Frames in your storage room, Glow Text on signs throughout your base, decorative cave lighting projects
For more Minecraft mob guides, see our companion posts: Minecraft Mob Vote History, What Do Axolotls Eat (also a Lush Cave mob!), What Do Pandas Eat, What Do Frogs Eat, What Do Cows Eat, and What Do Foxes Eat.
If you're building a circular underwater dome around a Glow Squid farm, our Minecraft sphere generator blueprints the perfect aquatic enclosure. For hosting your Lush Cave megabuild on a multiplayer server, see our best Minecraft server hosting comparison.
That's everything you need to know about Glow Squids in Minecraft. Cyan glows in dark caves, item frames glowing in storage rooms. Happy glowing!