This is because they are less likely to catch food every day in nature, and their aquarium feeding schedule should match that. It's important to know what your fish eat in nature and feed accordingly. Are they herbivores, carnivores or omnivores? Most aquarists keep a variety of species in their aquariums, so offering a combination of different foods is best.
For example, livebearers are largely herbivores, while tetras are more carnivorous. If you keep both types of fish in your aquarium, as many aquarists do, alternate feedings of meat protein and plant-based foods to keep everyone happy and healthy.
Variety is important regardless of what types of fish you keep, as even carnivores benefit from some plant matter in their diet, and vice versa. The size of the food you feed should match the size of your fishes' mouths. In other words, large predatory fish will usually show no interest in small flake crumbles, and small fish like Neon Tetras can't fit large pellets into their mouths. Uneaten food will quickly pollute your aquarium.
When feeding frozen foods, dispense food a little at a time using a turkey baster or large syringe to make sure everyone gets some. Drop a little food at the surface for top feeders and gently squirt some lower into the water column for mid-water and bottom feeders. It's always best to underfeed, especially in new aquariums, as uneaten food can cloud your water and cause dangerous rises in ammonia and nitrite levels.
A general rule of thumb is to feed only what your fish can consume in 2 to 3 minutes. When in doubt, start with a tiny quantity and observe how fast your fish consume it. If it is completely consumed in less than 2 minutes, give them a little more. Once your fish are done eating, remove any excess food from the tank so bacteria and dirt don't muck up your tank. Did this summary help you? Yes No. Log in Social login does not work in incognito and private browsers.
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Download Article Explore this Article parts. Tips and Warnings. Related Articles. Article Summary. Part 1. Find out how your fish eat. Different kinds of fish like their food at different levels of the tank. Hatchetfish and gouramies are common surface-feeders.
Mid-level feeders, like barbs and tetras, have forward-facing mouths, and will prefer food that sinks from the surface, but not necessarily reaches the floor of the tank.
In addition, they may prefer tablets that can be stuck to the side of the tank, which lets them eat in full view of you and anyone you want to see your fish.
Bottom feeders have downward-facing mouths, and like to graze on food that sits at the bottom of the tank. Plecos and Cory Catfish are popular bottom feeders. Learn what your fish will eat. There are many different species of tropical fish, and while they can have specific diets in the wild, they will generally fit into three categories depending on the kind of food they eat.
If you are unsure what kinds of fish you have, check with the pet store you bought them from, or a veterinarian. These fish like a large, protein rich diet.
They will mostly likely have large mouths full of sharp teeth for tearing their food apart. If you have predator fish, just be careful about the other fish in your tank, as they may try to eat other, smaller fish. These fish have smaller stomachs and flat teeth for grinding plant material. An excellent all rounder. Pellets can be either floating or sinking, and are usually fed to large fish which can fit whole pellets into their mouths.
Floating pellets take a long time to sink, if at all, so are really only for fish that will readily take them from the surface, like large cichlids and large barbs. Sinking pellets are suitable for bottom feeding fish like catfish and loaches.
Large fish will swallow them whole, grazing fish will suck on them, and small fish will pick at them too. If you have active fish swimming above the bottom dwellers, they may struggle to get any flake foods, which should normally sink down. Granules sink, so are suitable for mid and bottom feeders.
Surface only feeders may miss them, so in those situations floating micro pellets or flake should also be fed. Granules are good for automatic feeders, and tend to be less messy than crumbled flake, which can get sucked into the filter. Discus favour red coloured granules like Tetra Prima, and if the fish will take them, granules and pellets can be good for putting on weight, growth and body shape. Tablets are hard, compressed food discs which can be dropped into the tank, or stuck on the glass.
Few fish are large enough to eat them whole and instead they are designed for fish to suck on them and graze, like algae eating catfish, or peck at them. Even small fish like guppies will eagerly peck at tablet foods, and having a slow release food source is good for small fish which need to feed frequently in order to maintain body weight.
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.
For these reasons, anglers are restricted from using white bread as bait in certain areas. White bread is low in protein and other vital nutrients. Too much of it can actually damage the guts of your fish.
Breadcrumbs also expand quite a bit when they hit the water, leaving your tank messy. Many types of tropical fish species can survive for a surprisingly long time without food. Several factors determine exactly how long your fish can survive without sustenance. The size of the fish, age and dietary habits all have a part to play. In general, larger fish can go without food for more prolonged periods than smaller ones.
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