Everything You Need To Know About the Different Types of Fish Food

By Leonard Boyler

Once you have purchased your fish, you need to supply them with the proper food that will keep them healthy and happy. It doesn't always have to be a big bag of fish flakes. Your fish also need good nourishment that will give them an active life, enhance their growth and stimulate breeding. Their diet should also give them a more efficient immune system against sickness.

Dry fish foods include flakes, granules, pellets, and wafers. Each type is formulated for a particular diet, so choose carefully depending on the fish species you own. Some contain plant products, while others contain mainly fish and animal products. Many are fortified with vitamins and minerals or have special purposes such as developing brighter colors in your fish. Although many fish keepers choose dry foods because of the ease of storage and feeding, it may not be the best choice for your fish.

Particularly if your fish are larger than an inch, a specialized diet will serve them much better. Many fish are carnivores or omnivores, so at least some of their food should include meat. A popular choice is frozen bloodworms, which are small red mosquito larvae that are very nutritious for your fish. They are sold in a plastic package, frozen into blocks that look like small ice cubes. Simply drop one of these cubes into the aquarium when it's time to feed your fish.

There are other fresh or frozen foods available as fish food. Brine shrimp or krill, which can be purchased live or frozen, are known for bringing out the colors in tropical fish. The Daphnia, or water flea, is a small crustacean that can be purchased at aquarium supply stores. Although most fish enjoy them, they do not provide much nutritional value.

Earthworms are especially enjoyable to larger fish. They are rich in protein but not much else. It will be a mistake to feed your fish with just earthworms or with just the Daphnia. Both are lacking in most essential nutrients for your fish. The large predatory fish also will enjoy small feeder fish. They enjoy the taste and the chase.

There should be a rotation of some or all of these foods in feeding your fish not just to give them balanced nutrition but also to provide variety in their diet. They are likely to get tired of the same food day after day just like any person. You also have the option of supplementing the dried pellets or flakes diet with live or frozen food.

Herbivore fish, unlike carnivores, are much easier to feed. They happily nibble all day in the aquarium, eating food provided by fresh plants and the algae present. They are happier snacking all throughout the day rather than eating at specific times of the day.

You can also supplement your fish's food supply with vegetables like blanched spinach leaves, slices of zucchini and cucumber, and peas directly to the tank. Let this vegetable matter float for an hour or two, and then remove them from the tank. Some dried foods, particularly algae wafers, also make a good choice for herbivores.

Feeding the right food to your fish is not really difficult. You just have to make a little research to find out the preferences and nutritional needs of your fish. Different species will have different needs. Make the necessary adjustments to the kind and amount of food you feed them as they grow. Remember to give them variety and a balance diet and your fish will thrive and live a full healthy, perky and happy life. - 32185

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