Fish need to be fed often, but what they eat and how much they eat are important for their health and well-being.
Having an aquarium full of colorful fish swimming around can be a relaxing addition to any home But keeping pet fish healthy requires understanding their nutritional needs So what does fish eat at home? Let’s explore the dietary options for both freshwater and saltwater aquarium fish.
Dry Fish Food
The most common fish food is dry food that comes in various forms:
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Flakes – Thin flat flakes that float on the water surface before sinking. Easy for fish to consume.
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Pellets – Granules or small rounded pellets that sink quickly Pellets come in different sizes,
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Sticks – Long, thin sticks that float before sinking. Allow fish to nibble bits off.
Dry foods like flakes or pellets are commercially formulated to provide complete nutrition for fish. This makes them the staple diet for most home aquarium fish. Dry food is convenient, has a long shelf life and comes in specialized formulas for different fish species.
When feeding dry foods, only offer as much as your fish can consume within 2-3 minutes. Uneaten food degrades water quality. Feed 1-2 small meals per day.
Freeze Dried Treats
Freeze dried fish foods offer variety to excite fish at feeding time. Some popular freeze dried options include:
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Bloodworms – Nutritious red worms relished by small carnivorous fish like bettas and tetras.
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Brine shrimp – Tiny shrimp perfect for small fish. Good source of protein.
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Daphnia – Also called water fleas. Great for baby fish and ideal for plant-eating fish.
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Copepods – Planktonic crustaceans many fish eat in the wild. Useful for conditioning fish.
Soak freeze dried foods in tank water before feeding to rehydrate them. Feed freeze dried items sparingly 2-3 times a week as treats.
Frozen Fish Foods
Another way to provide fish dietary variety is with frozen fish foods like:
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Mysis shrimp – A vitamin-rich food for saltwater fish like clownfish, tangs and angels.
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Krill – High in astaxanthin, krill boosts color in ornamental fish. Cut into pieces to feed.
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Vegetables – Blanched spinach, peas and other vegetables appeal to herbivorous fish.
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Marine meat – Mixtures of marine meats like squid, clam and mussel cater to carnivore fish.
Frozen foods retain more nutrients than freeze dried. Thaw before feeding and feed just enough for fish to consume right away. Offer frozen varieties 1-2 times per week.
Fresh Homemade Foods
Some fish enjoy fresh foods like:
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Vegetables – Finely chopped or blanched spinach, zucchini, peas and cucumber for plant-eating fish.
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Fruits – Slices of seedless grapes, oranges, apples or berries appeal to some omnivores.
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Meat – Cooked plain shrimp or fish fillet for predatory fish. Ensure no seasonings are added.
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Hard boiled egg yolk – The yellow part of egg boiled for 5 minutes. Rinse off egg white before feeding.
Introduce fresh foods gradually and watch for signs of digestive issues. Only feed what fish can eat in a few minutes.
Live Foods
Live foods allow fish to hunt, providing enrichment. Some popular live foods include:
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Brine shrimp – Baby shrimp hatch within 24 hours. Rinse before feeding. Provide tools for harvesting.
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Mosquito larvae – Wigglers cultivated in small pools outdoors. Rinse off debris before feeding.
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Blackworms – Small dark worms fish relish hunting down. Rinse off substrate particles clinging to them.
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Daphnia – Active microcrustaceans. Culture them yourself or purchase live. Fun for fish to chase.
Take care to thoroughly rinse live foods grown outdoors to remove bacteria or parasites before feeding to fish. Introduce live foods slowly.
Specialty Diets
Certain fish have specialized dietary needs, including:
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Herbivores – Plant-exclusive fish like goldfish require veggie-based foods. Feed veggies, spirulina and algae wafers.
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Omnivores – Varied diets for community fish like tetras, barbs and danios. Balance meat and plant foods.
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Piscivores – Predatory fish like arowana and datnoids prefer meaty foods like krill, worms and shrimp.
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Coral-safe – Angelfish, butterflyfish and tangs need coral-safe mixes low in proteins and fats.
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Fry food – Smaller foods like powder, bites and baby brine shrimp for fish fry and juveniles.
Research the feeding habits of your fish species and provide an appropriate diet. Consult your local aquarium store for advice.
Supplements
Supplements add important nutrients to balance fish diets:
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Vitamins – Boost immune function and enhance coloration. Soak dry foods in vitamin solutions.
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Amino acids – Improve growth and appetite. Offer via vitamin-enriched frozen or freeze dried foods.
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Calcium – Needed for proper bone development. Add liquid calcium to the water 1-2 times a week.
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Iodine – Necessary for thyroid function. Place iodine-coated stones in the tank for fish to nibble.
Follow package instructions carefully when using supplements. Overdoing certain vitamins can cause toxicity.
Feeding Tips
Follow these tips for feeding your home aquarium fish:
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Research your fish species’ diet needs and provide appropriate foods.
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Stick to a consistent feeding schedule, such as 1-2 small meals per day.
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Feed only enough food for fish to consume within 2-3 minutes.
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Remove any uneaten food promptly after feeding.
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Offer variety via supplements, treats and fresh foods a few times a week.
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Avoid overfeeding, which dirties water, causes obesity and spreads disease.
With the right foods and smart feeding practices, your fish will stay healthy, active and vibrant! Let your fish’s appetites guide you in providing a nutritionally balanced fish diet.
A well-balanced diet for pet fish
You need to buy the right type of food for your fish. For example, dont buy your goldfish tropical fish flakes. This is because they contain different levels of nutrients.
Its also important to supplement fish food flakes with other foods for balanced nutrition and enrichment.
For example:
- Goldfish love chopped vegetables such as peas and spinach.
- Tropical fish vary in what theyll eat. If the fish is frozen, make sure it is fully thawed first. Then, crumbled boiled egg yolk and lettuce leaf may work.
- Some types of plecos need to eat plants, like potatoes, or pieces of wood to chew on.
- Water fleas, also known as daphnia or brine shrimp, are great for tropical fish and are easy to find in frozen packs. Because they are high in protein, you should only give goldfish small amounts of them.
Different tropical fish species may need their food given to them in different ways. Middle and bottom-dwelling species will need their food in quickly sinking food or compressed food tablets. Nocturnal species, like some catfish, need to be fed last thing at night.
What To Feed Your Fish | RSPCA – RSPCA
Fish need to be fed often, but what they eat and how much they eat are important for their health and well-being.
What do fish EAT? (Experiment)
FAQ
What household foods do fish eat?
What do fish eat?
Just as fish are extremely diverse, so are the foods that they eat. While some fish classify as carnivores, others are herbivores or omnivores. Some fish feed on small organisms, algae, or detritus, while others only go after larger prey such as other fish. Typically, the foods that a fish eats vary based upon its biology, size, and environment.
What do herbivorous fish eat?
Herbivorous types of fish eat plant matter exclusively. That food is high in fiber, and the herbivore’s digestive tract is very long to cope with that diet. Herbivorous freshwater fish typically eat a plant-based diet that can include: Herbivorous fish don’t have stomachs. Instead, the fish’s intestinal tract constantly processes the food.
Can fish eat live food?
It’s important to note that some fish do better on a live food diet. Common live foods suitable for pet fish include ghost shrimp, crickets, worms, and feeder fish. For omnivorous fish, you can also provide lettuce, spinach, cucumbers, and other green vegetables.
What should I eat if I have a fish problem?
A balanced diet is essential for the health of fish. Some healthy options for feeding fish include high-quality commercial fish food, fresh vegetables such as spinach and peas, and live foods such as brine shrimp and daphnia. What should you avoid feeding your fish?