Now you have purchased your aquarium and the fish to fill it with, what kind of
fish food do you need to use?
This is the question that many people ask if they have never fed fish before. Finding the right kind of food will depend on the type of fish that are in your tank. The proper feeding of your fish is essential for them to get the right nutrients and calories they need to thrive. But not only do different fish need different types of food, they also feed differently as well.
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The main reason for the failures of keeping fish in an aquarium is usually when they either use too much food or supply them with the wrong type of food. Overfeeding can result in an aquarium that becomes filthy with fish waste in a short period of time. To correct this you should only feed your fish once a day with a small enough quantity of food that they can finish in five minutes. This will be more than enough to sustain them, but not enough to pollute the tank beyond what your filter can handle.
Feeding them the wrong type of food can lead to a severe, often fatal reaction. You’ll need to know from your local pet store what type of food you should feed them in order to avoid that circumstance.
Fish the feed off the floor of the tank are known as bottom feeders, these fish include catfish and corydoras that scoop the food off the bottom of the tank. Minnows and Danios for example are known as middle feeders catching the food as it falls to the bottom of your tank. Many of the fish you find in aquariums are top feeders such as Mollies and Guppies that scoop the food off the surface of the water.
Fish food comes in a variety of forms from pellets, flakes, granular, tablets, freeze dried and frozen. Pellets and flakes are often made so they float on the water surface which is long enough for the top feeders to get at them. Granular food tends to be tiny and created to sink quickly to the floor of the tank so the bottom feeders with have something to eat.
Tablets are the sinking type of fish food that can be eaten by the middle feeders although some are made to stick to the sides of the tank so you can see your fish feeding. Frozen and freeze dried fish food come directly from the natural sources of what fish eat in nature. They are then frozen or freeze dried to contain all the nutrients.
There are two basic methods to feeding fish, either manually or by an automatic feeder. Most people prefer to feed their fish by hand so you’ll want to place the food away from the filter so it doesn’t get clogged up. Automatic feeders are mainly for those who do not have the time or a regular schedule to feed their fish. Such feeders should be placed away from the filter as well.
Finding the right
fish food and feeding them the right amount each day will keep your aquarium alive with fascinating fish for a long time to come.
