How To Properly Feed Aquarium Fish
- Feb 13, 2022
- Rita
- 669 0 0
Are you new to fish keeping? If you are, you might have heard all the warnings of overfeeding your fish. Unfortunately, nobody tells you how not to do it. If your most pressing question is “How should I feed my fish?” then this article is for you.
Here’s what you need to know.
How To Feed Different Kinds Of Aquarium Fish
Different species need different foods. What you feed your fish will be determined by what your fish eat naturally. If you have a carnivorous species, you will need to make sure to feed your fish foods high in protein. On the other hand, if you have a herbivore, then plant matter is very important. Often you’ll find that a lot of species are omnivores. It’s important to feed them a balanced diet with both plant matter and proteins in it.
Different kinds of fish also have different feeding habits. You’ll find that some come to the surface to eat, some peck up any food that sinks and others simply eat their foods from the bottom of the tank. If you want your fish to eat, you need to make sure you buy the correct foods.
Kinds of Fish Foods
There are several kinds of fish foods to choose from. How you choose will depend on the size of your fishes mouth, their feeding habits and if they are salt or freshwater fish. Take a look at the following types of fish food.
Sinking pellets
Sinking pellets are foods designed specifically for bottom-feeding fish. These are fish that very rarely if ever, come to the surface to eat. This type of food will take on water and very quickly sink to the bottom.
Fish flakes
Fish flakes are better for small fish. This type of food stays on the surface of the water for quite a while. This makes it ideal for fish that naturally feed on the surface.
Frozen or live fish food
Most fish like a little extra protein in their diets. You can supplement their flakes or pellets with frozen worms or other invertebrates. These foods usually consist of bloodworms or brine shrimp and can be fed frozen or alive. If the foods are frozen, make sure to thaw them in a bit of tank water before feeding.
How Much Should Fish Be Fed?
It's better to underfeed your fish than overfeed. Overfeeding can lead to the development of dangerous chemicals in the water that could potentially kill your fish. The rule of thumb is to feed your fish as much as it can eat in 2 to 3 minutes. Remove any uneaten foods and adjust the next feeding. If they finish the food in under 2 minutes, give them a little more.
You only have to feed your fish once a day or in some cases once every other day unless you’re raising fry or trying to nurse a sick fish back to health. Some fish keepers fast their fish two days a week. Herbivores need to be fed more often, but generally larger fish can go without food for longer than small fish. The best time to feed your fish is early in the morning or at dusk.
If you’re overfeeding you’re fish, you’ll notice the following changes in your tank:
- Cloudy water
- Excessive algae growth
- Ammonia and nitrate spikes
- Food leftover on the bottom of the tank
- Clogged filter media only days after maintenance.
Conclusion
It's much better to underfeed your fish. They will stay healthy for longer and there is no risk of poisoning them with decaying food. Just make sure to research your fish to find out if they like meat or plants and where in the tank they like to eat. You’ll figure out the feeding thing in no time.
Happy fish keeping!
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