A List of Food for your precious Pet Fish

One of the most satisfying hobbies on the planet (and probably one of the most relaxing, too!) is keeping an aquarium.  The joy of looking at the crystal clear water with live fish and plants is truly inexplicable.  And with this joy comes the tank cleaning and fish feeding.  Although it is highly important to establish a good environment for your fish, it is also equally important, though, to know what to feed your fish.  You may have the most beautiful aquarium on the block but you aren't assured that your fish will last long if you aren't careful with what you feed them.

The major rule in feeding your fish is to know what type or species your fish belongs to.  Do thorough research.  If you know what type of diet your pet fish should have, then it will be easier for your to scout for the food among pet shops or in the market.  Remember the classification of animal diets (herbivore, carnivore and omnivore)?  Fish also fall under these categories.  There are fish that can only feed on algae flakes and who would shun, say, shrimp flakes.  These are the herbivores (examples are Molly, Silver Dollar, Pacu or Tropheus) that also prefer to eat vegetable pellets or flakes and spinach.  The carnivores (Archerfish, Banjo catfish, Bettas, Hachetfish, Frontosa, or Killifish) are the ones that prefer worms and small insects.  Here’s a great hint for omnivore fishes ( Armored Catfish, Blood Parrot, Discus, Convict, Goldfish, Gourami, or Guppy): although they eat almost anything on a fish diet, they do prefer live foods. 

Next to knowing what diet your fish should have, it is also important to make a balanced diet for your pet fish.  Just like humans, fish also need a variety in their diet.

Protein is the most important part in a fish’s diet.  Since this is so, it is important to remember this when looking for fish food in pet shops.  Look for those foods that have fishmeal or shrimps on their labels.  The lowest nutrient in your fish’s food should be fat.  Just like humans, too much fat could damage their livers.  Be sure to include some fibers in their diet, too.  Just a little would be sufficient.

If you are a fishbowl keeper or one of those who are contented with just small tanks, then it is a must for you to feed your pet fish with just flakes or the freeze dried bloodworms that are available at most pet shops.  The key here is to feed fish in small tanks with flaky fish foods.  Also, be sure to give them just a pinch of flakes each time.  If they are able to gobble them up immediately, then you can give another pinch, and so on.  Food that isn't consumed will go down to the bottom of the tank and will cause pollution.  Also, remember not to overfeed your pet fish. 

Flakes normally have a shelf life of just one month.  If you feed your fish the flakes that are more than a month old, they could be more susceptible to illnesses because of the loss of nutritional content.  Again, choose a variety of flakes so that your fish has a balanced diet. 

For larger fish in larger tanks, the best food would be fish pellets or floating stick food.  These pellets provide more food mass for larger fish.  If you aren't a fan of freeze-dried foods, then you can opt to have them fresh.  Worms, insect eggs, and even small insects such as ants are a good feed to some types of fish. 

Other than the usual flakes, pellets and floating stick foods, there are also other freeze-dried fish foods that can be bought at most pet shops.  Most of these foods include tubifex, krill, or river shrimp. 

Now that you know all these things, it is also important to know that fish recognize immediately who feeds them regularly.  At the sight of food (even if you have just fed them), they would leap to get a mouthful.  Again, remember not to overfeed them!  You can ‘over love’ them but never, ever overfeed!

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