What should i feed tropical fish

Tablet and wafer foods are the exception however, which may take 12 hours or more before they consumed entirely. This can be handy with nocturnal or shy feeders, whereby wafers or tablets can be dropped in before lights out, and the fish can come out and feed on them after dark. Species specific diets are good as they are tested and formulated specially for them, but feeding a varied diet should eliminate any risk of malnutrition, and keep feeding time interesting for the fish too.

Buy food in small amounts so that it stays fresher, and discard any dry food that gets wet in storage. What you need to know about tropical fish foods. Flake or pellet? Granules Granules sink, so are suitable for mid and bottom feeders. Tablet foods Tablets are hard, compressed food discs which can be dropped into the tank, or stuck on the glass. Algae wafers Algae wafers are vegetable based, flattened tablets which sink to the bottom of the tank. Algae based foods are good for all herbivorous fish and invertebrates.

Specialised diets Some fish are best when fed a diet that suits their specific needs. Holiday foods New fishkeepers may worry about who would feed their fish if they went away on holiday, but there are several solutions. FAQs How big is a pinch of flake? These fish are omnivores, and the food you feed them must be as close to their natural diet as possible. There are specially formulated pellets and flakes available that are meant only for goldfish.

If you run out of fish food, you can feed them boiled vegetables, peas or small pieces of seafood like white fish or shrimp.

Freeze-dried foods are easily available and offer similar nutritional benefits without the risk of disease. Betta fish Siamese Fighting Fish feed primarily on insect larvae in their natural habitat. If you run out of fish food, try giving your pets little pieces of shrimp, fish or worms.

Tuna works well, and so do other white fish varieties. If these remain un-eaten, make sure you remove them from the tank to avoid contaminating the water.

Bettas love mosquito larvae, so look for them in containers of standing water. You can also try pieces of soft vegetables like peas. Make sure to boil the peas, remove the outer shells and cut them up into tiny pieces before dropping them in.

Soft veggies are a safe bet for most types of tropical fish. Many fish keepers feed their pets peas since these are nutritious and easy to digest.

Larger fish can swallow them whole, but you will need to break them into tiny pieces for the smaller ones. Opt for frozen peas rather than canned ones since they may contain harmful preservatives. Fish like African cichlids and goldfish are particularly fond of greens like lettuce and parsley. Carrots, zucchini, lettuce, watermelon, and cucumbers are other options as long as they are cut into appropriately sized pieces.

In general, white bread is considered bad for the health of your fish. No you should not feed your fish bread. Feeding your fish pieces of bread regularly can lead to bloating. You may also notice your fish acting more lethargic than usual. From there, options to choose from include:. The biology of different fish means they often need different food.

Therefore, if you have a variety of fish in your aquarium, use a combination of food—such as floating foods, slow-sinking foods, and rapidly sinking foods—to ensure they're getting the nutrition they need. Fish owners are more likely to overfeed their fish than underfeed them, which increases the amount of waste in the tank. This is not only the waste left when the fish do not eat all the food but also the waste is excreted from the fish because they're eating more than necessary.

If you find that ammonia, nitrite, or nitrate levels are going up and the tank seems polluted, you're probably overfeeding the fish. Adult fish can be fed once a day, around the same time, though you can feed them multiple times a day if you're giving them a smaller amount each feeding.

Young fish may need three or four feedings a day. Herbivores typically don't have large stomachs to hold a lot of food, as in nature they would nibble on algae and plants throughout the day. They can be fed more frequently than carnivores, or given live greens that they can snack on throughout the day. Follow the rule of thumb that you should feed the fish only what they will eat in five minutes. If there is food left after that time except for the fresh greens , you are feeding too much.

Some common examples of freeze-dried foods are tubifex worms, bloodworms, brine shrimp, plankton, and krill. Frozen foods were originally used as a substitute for live foods. Today, however, frozen foods are an entity of their own, with many frozen offerings commonly available in the fish trade.

Frozen foods are messier than freeze-dried and dried foods because of the moisture retained in them, but higher quality brands of frozen fish food process the organisms so they are less messy.

Frozen foods should be kept in the freezer until they are ready to be used. At feeding time, break off a piece no need to thaw , drop it into the tank, and watch your fish devour this tasty treat. Martinez-Augusta, Ga. Feeding Your Fish Fish in their native habitat are constantly searching for food and will therefore eat just about anything at any time when available. Dry Flake food, quite possibly the most popular type of fish food, is a form of dry food.

Freeze Dried Freeze-dried foods are made by removing water from organisms under low pressure and low temperature. Frozen Frozen foods were originally used as a substitute for live foods.