what to feed pet fish

• Dry Food: When you think of fish food, you think of flakes. ...
• Frozen Food: Some fish will enjoy frozen food, such as shrimp, bloodworms, plankton, prawn, krill, or mussels. Pet stores often also sell frozen spirulina cubes for feeding herbivores.
• Freeze Dried: Tubifex worms and Mysis shrimp or other foods can be found as freeze-dried cubes. These are very nutritious and great for carnivorous fish.
• Live Food: Options include live brine or ghost shrimp, feeder fish (for larger carnivorous fish), crickets, and worms.
• Greens: If your fish are the type to munch on aquarium plants, such as anacharis, give them greens as well. Options include lettuce, cucumber, zucchini, and spinach. ...

What kind of food can you feed fish in an aquarium?

Most people think of fish foods as flakes, pellets, and wafers, but you can also feed frozen, freeze-dried, gel, or live foods to provide more nutritional variety for your fish. Some frequently asked questions we get about the diets of specific aquarium fish include: What do goldfish eat?

Can I feed frozen food to my aquarium fish?

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.

What can I Feed my betta fish?

Bettas prefer a more carnivorous diet that’s high in protein. They also have upturned mouths that are well-suited for eating floating foods like betta pellets or freeze-dried foods from the surface of the water. However, they will also readily eat frozen and live foods. See our collection of betta foods for examples of what we feed our bettas.

What are the different types of fish food?

From there, options to choose from include: 1 Dry Food: When you think of fish food, you think of flakes. ... 2 Frozen Food: Some fish will enjoy frozen food, such as shrimp, bloodworms, plankton, prawn, krill, or mussels. ... 3 Freeze Dried: Tubifex worms and Mysis shrimp or other foods can be found as freeze-dried cubes. ... More items...

What can I feed my fish if I don't have fish food?

Cooked vegetables (peas, cauliflower, pumpkin, carrots, etc.), boiled or steamed, are great food alternatives to fish food flakes once in a while for your omnivorous and herbivorous aquarium fish. You can even feed some fish (goldfish and koi in particular) cooked rice or oatmeal.

What can I feed my fish at home?

Types of Foods That You Can Give to Your FishFresh seafood.Organs and meat (with no fats)Spinach and lettuce.Root vegetables, broccoli, and carrots.Small quantities of fruits.Flour and corn.Raw eggs.Spirulina.

What should I feed my fish?

Live Food: Options include live brine or ghost shrimp, feeder fish (for larger carnivorous fish), crickets, and worms. Greens: If your fish are the type to munch on aquarium plants, such as anacharis, give them greens as well. Options include lettuce, cucumber, zucchini, and spinach.

What human food can fish eat?

Green foods are well worth trying, as are some fruits. Blanched lettuce and cooked peas and spinach are enjoyed by most herbivorous fish, while suckermouth catfish like plecs will also happily graze on raw courgette, cucumber and sweet potatoes, even slices of melon!

Can I feed my fish bread?

Eating bread is bad for fish health because it contains too many carbs and, depending on the bread variety, too much fat for their digestive system to handle properly. Fish require a varied diet of protein and nutrients, which makes bread a bad choice when feeding your fish.

What is natural fish feed?

Natural food is found naturally in the pond. It may include detritus*, bacteria*, plankton* , worms, insects, snails, aquatic plants and fish. Their abundance greatly depends on water quality.

How do I know if my fish is hungry?

How To Tell If Your Fish Is HungryYour fish is digging around the substrate (searching for food).Waiting and the top of the aquarium (for feeding time).Behavior changes (aggression).Noticeable weight/size changes.Slow or sluggish behavior.

Can fish eat bananas?

Bananas are very delicious and also a favorite food of fish. It gives several essential nutrients. You have to cut bananas into small pieces and provide bananas to fish by peeling them off, then put the slices of bananas in the pond. Except for carnivores, almost all the fish can quickly eat fruits.

How often do I feed my fish?

For the most part, feeding your fish once or twice a day is sufficient. Some hobbyists even fast their fish one or two days a week to allow them to clear their digestive systems. Larger, more sedentary fish can go longer between meals than smaller, more active fish.

How many days can a fish go without eating?

Most healthy aquarium fish can go three days to a week without eating. However, it usually isn't recommended to go more a day or two without feeding unless completely necessary.

Can I feed cucumber to my fish?

The best vegetables to blanch or steam are zucchini, squash, cucumbers (remove seeds), lima beans, peas (shell before serving), broccoli, cabbage, lettuce and spinach. Make sure that the vegetables have completely cooled before you add them to the aquarium.

Can fish eat boiled egg?

3:3010:47FEEDING my fish with HARD BOILED EGG - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipOr don't have darkness you don't have live food you can use hard-boiled egg as your alternative. ButMoreOr don't have darkness you don't have live food you can use hard-boiled egg as your alternative. But be careful because this food can also be the cause of the death of the fry.

What do fish need?

Regardless of the type of food, fish, much like other animals, require daily nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, and protein. Again, consult your veterinarian or the fish experts at your local aquarium to best fulfill these needs for your pet fish.

How often should I feed my fish?

Most fish only require a once-a-day feeding, though some people like to split it into two smaller feedings. Consult your veterinarian or the fish experts at your local aquarium to learn about the daily requirements for your particular breed. But be aware that a fish will eat even when it's not hungry.

How to store fish food?

How should you store your fish food? When storing food, it is best to keep it in the freezer to help preserve the vitamin content. And for the best nutritional value, only buy enough food for the month. That way you will be able to have the healthiest fish possible.

How long does it take for a fish to eat?

Try sprinkling a small amount of food in the fish's tank and watch. Your fish should eat its fill in about five minutes. Experiment and take notes until you find appropriate amount for your fish.

Can overfeeding fish make them explode?

While overfeeding won’t make your fish explode, it will contaminate the water, making the tank an unpleasant place to live. In addition, an excessive amount of food particles in the tank can clog the filters, which also causes the water to become toxic.

Do fish eat live food?

Some fish even eat live food (e.g., worms, shrimp, and fruit flies), so make sure to get this information before purchasing the fish and bringing it home, especially if you get queasy at the site of one live creature eating another. Regardless of the type of food, fish, much like other animals, require daily nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, ...

Can you overfeed a fish?

The amount of food you give your fish is important. That said, do not overfeed the animal. You have probably heard this before and it is true. While overfeeding won’t make your fish explode, it will contaminate the water, making the tank an unpleasant place to live.

Why is it important to feed fish?

The nutrition you provide your fish is hugely important – food provides the building blocks for everything that happens in your fish’s body and is also important for water quality. There are lots of different species of fish, which have slightly different requirements.

Why is food important for fish?

Food provides the building blocks for everything that happens in your fish’s body and is also important for water quality. Thinking about the dietary needs of your fish is one of the first things you will need to consider. The nutrition you provide your fish is hugely important – food provides the building blocks for everything ...

What do mid feeders need?

Mid-feeders with straight mouths, who need food that slowly sinks. Bottom feeders who have downturned or mouths on their underside, and need sinking foods that sit on the bottom. Food can also be species-specific, for example ‘chichlid food’ or ‘plec pellets’. Many simple aquarium fish will do well on more generic foods, ...

Why is overfeeding bad for fish?

Overfeeding can be a big problem for fish, and sadly is often a product of over-kindness! Waste food accumulates, and this increases levels of nitrates in the water. Higher nitrates upsets the balance of the water, leading to lower oxygen levels and a fall in pH.

Can you feed a fish more than two minutes?

Overfeeding or feeding a low fibre diet can also lead to constipation, which his usually seen as a trail of poo coming from your fish. A good rule of thumb is not to feed more than your fish can eat two minutes. Don’t forget to alter the amount you feed if you gain or lose fish in your tank, or if you change food brands or types.

Can fish eat live food?

Live food supplements can also be a great way to provide nutrition and stimulation for fish that will eat live foods – while many fish species are omnivores, some are herbivores and won’t be interested in live options. To see a range of nutrition options for fish, have a look at what's on offer from our friends in store.

Do you have to change the amount of fish you feed?

Don’t forget to alter the amount you feed if you gain or lose fish in your tank, or if you change food brands or types. It is important, however, not to change the amount you feed if you are only changing tank size, as this will not alter the nutritional requirements of your fish unless they then grow.

Why do fish eat herbivores?

Here are some tips to help provide the best possible feeding program for your fish: Herbivorous fish tend to forage throughout the day because it takes a lot more plant material to satisfy their nutritional needs than the amount of meat protein for carnivores. Omnivorous fish have it best because they have many more options for suitable food items.

What fish have higher metabolic rates?

Small active fish like danios and newly hatched fry have higher metabolic rates and should be fed frequently, especially when kept at warmer temperatures. Water temperature regulates fishes’ metabolisms and influences how often and how much they need to be fed.

How to tell if a fish is overfeeding?

The term “overfeeding” means feeding more food than your fish needs or wants to eat in one feeding. Even hobbyists who only feed once a day or every other day can be guilty of overfeeding if the food is not completely consumed in less than 2 or 3 minutes. Here are some tell-tale signs of overfeeding: 1 Uneaten food remains in the aquarium after 5 minutes, but the fish show no interest in it. In extreme cases, a fuzzy or cottony white fungus may begin to grow on the bottom or on decorations and plants. 2 Aquarium water is cloudy or hazy and has a foul odor to it. Foam or froth may be present on the surface. 3 Filter media becomes clogged in a matter of days after cleaning. 4 Excessive algae growth. Even with proper filtration and water changes, nitrate and phosphate accumulation from heavy feeding can contribute to excessive algae growth. 5 Ammonia or nitrite levels are elevated. 6 Chronically high nitrates or low pH.

How long does it take for fish to overfeed?

Even hobbyists who only feed once a day or every other day can be guilty of overfeeding if the food is not completely consumed in less than 2 or 3 minutes. Here are some tell-tale signs of overfeeding: Uneaten food remains in the aquarium after 5 minutes, but the fish show no interest in it.

Why are omnivores better than predators?

Omnivorous fish have it best because they have many more options for suitable food items. Predators and specialized feeders eat more when food is abundant, but when it isn’t several days may pass between meals.

How to feed frozen food to turkey?

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.

How long do pellets stay on the surface of a fish feeder?

Flakes and some pellet foods typically linger at the surface for a minute or two before beginning a slow descent to the bottom, making them good choices for surface and mid-water feeders. Soaking dried foods or “swishing” them at the surface will help them drop faster for mid-water feeders.

What do fishes like to eat?

Well, it depends. Lots of fish eat at least some veggies, and most of the pet fish in your tank are omnivores. A few species, such as silver dollars and some cichlids, eat only plant matter, so they’re herbivores. We can all think of predatory carnivorous fish like sharks and barracudas, though you (hopefully) don’t have any of those in your tank.

How do I choose the right food?

It’s not enough to know if they eat plants, animals, or both; you also need some understanding of how they take their meals. Choosing the best food for fish at home involves dedicated planning before you even buy your new pets. Bettas, for example, want to munch down on floating pellets while catfish will mostly skim off the bottom.

When should I feed my fish?

Most fish eat daily. Of course, you do not want to starve your pets, but overfeeding can also impact your tank and even kill fish. One of the biggest problems is excess food in the aquarium, which not only rots inside the water but also contributes to chemical imbalances such as excess nitrates.

Why is a strict feeding schedule important?

When you go to put food in the tank, don’t just make sure it’s gobbled up. Watch to see who eats it. You can plan for this by getting fish that all mostly consume the same type of food, or gather those who won’t go anywhere near each other’s nibbles.

How long should I feed my fish after the aquarium lights are off?

Most fish are awake during the daytime, so pick a fish feeding time that is at least 10 to 15 minutes after the aquarium light turns on. That way everyone is awake, alert, and ready to eat. However, if you have nocturnal species like kuhli loaches or plecos, make sure to feed them after the aquarium lights have turned off for the day.

How long can a fish go without food?

Adult fish can often go one week without any food, depending on their size, metabolism, and the water temperature. However, if you have a tankful of newborn fry that require constant feedings, it may be best to set up an automatic fish food feeder or find a pet sitter who can take care of their needs.

Why do betta fish have rounded abdomens?

Betta fish are prone to overeating, so feed them just enough food to have a slightly rounded abdomen without any excessive bulging. Overfeeding can ultimately cause health issues such as fatty liver disease, constipation, or bacterial and fungal infections from the poor water quality.

Do fish gain weight when they eat?

So if you are feeding your fish plenty of food but they cannot seem to gain weight, they may need some antiparasitic or deworming medication to rid them of any unwanted hitchhikers.

Can bettas eat frozen food?

However, they will also readily eat frozen and live foods. See our collection of betta foods for examples of what we feed our bettas.