What should I feed my fish?
The eating requirements of fish vary, but there are some basic rules.
Do not feed more than twice per day and only put enough food into the tank to last for 3 minutes. Any uneaten fish food will simply sink to the bottom and rot, causing the water to go murky and produce more algae.
Fish can be carnivorous, eating other fish, crustaceans and insects; herbivores or plant eaters, or omnivores. Fish can also be classed as surface feeders or bottom feeders. It is important to know what categories your fish fit into when selecting a food.
Most fish are fed a dried pellet or flake as a base diet. These are formulated to contain most of the vitamins and minerals your fish need. Both pellets and flakes are available in vegetable and meat formulations. Tablets are also available for feeding over a few days. These are not suitable for long term use as they tend to release too much food into the tank and cause problems with algae overgrowth and waste build-up.
Live foods are a good supplement to your fish’s diet. As live foods may cause disease, most can be bought freeze dried or frozen instead of actually alive. Worms, water fleas and brine shrimp are all good to give as a treat.
Certain fish can also have vegetables as well as meat in their fish food diet, but it must be given in small portions. Good choices are peas, romaine lettuce, broccoli and cucumber. Before adding to the tank you must blanch the vegetables by boiling a pan of water and then cooling in cold water.