If you have an aquarium with fish, you will need to feed your fish the right food type to keep them healthy. There is much more than providing your fish whatever food you come across at the pet store. If you wish to learn more about what food to feed your fish and how much, then read on.
Choose the Right Food
If you a new fish owner, you will be overwhelmed with the number of food options you will come across at any pet store. First and foremost, you need to learn as much as you can about the species of your fish. You need to determine whether your fish is an herbivore or a carnivore, and then you can move on from there.
When it comes to fish food, here are your options:
- Dry Food
Dry food is the most common type of fish food for an aquarium with fish, but they do come in varieties, i.e., floating, sinking, pellets, and granules. There are even options for different fish species, so you will need to be careful about what you choose.
It is worth noting dry food has less fiber, but you can add vegetable foods to reduce the chances of bloating and bladder disorders.
- Freeze Dried
You will find Mysis shrimp and Tubifex worms in the form of freeze-dried cubes. It is an excellent option for carnivorous fish since it is incredibly nutritious.
- Greens
If your fish are fond of aquarium plants, like anacharis, then you should give them greens. This includes options like spinach, zucchini, lettuce, and cucumber.
- Live Food
When it comes to live food, your options range from feeder fish to ghost shrimp or even live brine. Worms and cricket are great options too.
- Frozen Food
Believe it or not, some fish love frozen food, like prawn, mussels, bloodworms, plankton, or krill.
Different species of fish require different kinds of food. If you have a variety of fish, you will need to use a combination of food to ensure they get the nutrition they need.
How Much to Feed your Fish?
Fish owners tend to make the terrible mistake of overfeeding their fish, which increases waste in the tank. Apart from this waste, excretion from the fish will also add to the mix. Thus, nitrate and ammonia levels in the tank will increase, causing the water to become polluted.
You can feed adult fish once every day, at the same time. But if you are giving them small amounts of food, you can feed them multiple times throughout the day. As for young fish, they will need three to four feedings every day.
If you are not sure about the amount of food you should give to your fish, then follow the rule of thumb of providing food that can be eaten by your fish within five minutes. If food remains after that time, you are giving too much food.
Remember, your aquarium’s size is not an indicator of how much food you should give to your fish. Three fish in a large aquarium requires the same amount of food as three fish in a small aquarium. And when the time comes to feed your fish, spread it out so all of them can get to it easily.
