Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 3: Choosing dry fish food
• Method 2 of 3: Feed your fish dry food
• Method 3 of 3: Supplement dry food to form a complete diet
• Tips
• Warnings

Feeding fish is easy once you know how to do it. Just make sure that the dry food you use is suitable for the fish species, as described below. Once you have found a type of food that works well and you are feeding the fish the right amount, you can start supplementing their diet with insects, vegetables and other nutritious snacks depending on the type of fish.

To step

Method 1 of 3: Choosing dry fish food

1. Research your fish species. Sellers in the store where you bought your fish should be able to help you select a fish food if you can't find information about your species online. Find out if you are fishing herbivores, carnivores, or omnivores and, if possible, exactly how many% protein the fish species needs in its diet. Some exotic species require special diets, but most fish can be fed flakes or pellets of “fish food”. But don't run to the pet store right now.
2. If possible, find a fish food specifically for your fish. Many aquarium fish are fed a universal fish food, or one intended for a broad category, such as "tropical fish." As long as you read this section carefully, your fish will be fine on the right kind of all-purpose food. However, if you can find a fish food specifically for your fish or group of similar fish, then your fish will likely be healthier and happier. These species should be clearly labeled as “cichlide food”, “fighting fish food”, etc.
   • It is still a good idea to follow the other steps in this section to check the suitability of a fish food before purchasing.
3. Based on the shape of your fish's mouth, choose a food that floats, sinks or sinks slowly. You can ask an aquarium shop for advice if needed, but often just looking at the behavior of your fish or the shape of its beak is enough to find out what food to buy. Bottom fish like the catfish spend their time at the bottom of the tank, looking for food with their mouths pointing down. Midfish have normal beaks pointing straight forward and search for food in the center of the tank. Surface fish have an upward-pointing beak and stay in groups on the surface when fed. If you're not sure what type your fish is, just try out a food and see if they find and eat it; some fish are not limited to one area.
   • Flakesfood floats and is only suitable for surface fishing.
   • Grain, granulate or pelletfood can float, sink slowly or sink quickly. Try to find more information on the label before you buy it.
   • Wafflefood sinks to the bottom and is usually too large to be “stolen” by surface fish.
   • Tabletsfood can fall to the bottom of the tank or, sometimes, be stuck to the inside of the tank to provide food for mid-fish.
4. Check the amount of protein in the fish food. Use the results of your research to determine the type of fish food you can buy. Herbivores and omnivores require fish food that is mainly made from plant material, such as spirulina. Depending on the species, their fish food should contain between 5% and 40% protein, so research your fish species carefully to narrow down your options. Carnivores, on the other hand, need a diet with between 45% and 70% protein, depending on the species. Make sure the fish food you buy suits the needs of your fish.
   • Fighting fish are carnivores and surface fish. Their food should contain at least 45% protein, be buoyant and small enough to fit in the fighting fish's mouth. Fighting fish food is often sold as small pellets.
   • Goldfish are omnivores. Adult fish require 30% protein and young fish 45%. Aquatic plant proteins are the easiest for them to digest. They are surface fish so flakes are a good choice.
5. Make sure your food is small enough for your fish to eat it. Many fish swallow their food whole, which means that they cannot break large flakes or pellets into small pieces if they do not fit in their mouths. If the food you are feeding your fish is not being touched or appears larger than the mouth of your fish, chop it up before feeding or find a smaller type of food.
6. Consult the internet about fish food manufacturers. Before you buy any dry fish food, search online for the brand name and ratings. It is to be expected that respected companies that get good ratings from aquarium hobbyists will also make good quality fish food.

Method 2 of 3: Feed your fish dry food

1. Feed in small portions. While many people have heard that fish need a “pinch” of flake food per feeding, giving them too much of a pinch can cause intestinal problems or make the tank dirty and unhealthy. Whatever dry food you use, don't add more food than your fish can eat in three to five minutes. If you have put too much food in the bowl, scoop it out with a fine net.
   • Warning: fighting fish should be fed far less than they can eat in five minutes. Two or three small pellets per fighting fish is sufficient.
2. Soak pellet food before feeding. Since many aquarium fish have small stomachs, pellets that absorb water and increase in size can cause digestive problems or make your fish bloat. Soak the pellets in water ten minutes before feeding so that they expand before the fish eat them, rather than in the fish's stomach.
3. Feed the fish once or twice a day. Since it is much easier to overfeed than underfeed, it can be safer to feed once a day. However, if you are careful and feed them small amounts as described above, you can feed the fish twice a day. Some aquarists prefer this because the fish become more active and interesting to watch as they feed.
4. Watch for signs of overfeeding. If you have a thread of poo hanging from your fish, his intestines may be partially blocked by overfeeding the wrong kind of food. If the water gets so dirty that you need to change the water more than once a week, you may be overfeeding the fish or the tank is overfilled. Reduce the amount of food you give at a time or the number of times you feed to see if the problem goes away in a few days. If it is not resolved, ask an employee of an aquarium shop or a fish farming hobbyist for advice.
5. Spread the food so that everyone gets something. Even if they are of the same species, the larger or more aggressive fish may not leave enough food for the other fish. Reduce the risk of this by evenly distributing the feed and sprinkling it in more than one place, or by spreading it evenly over the entire water surface.
6. If you have different types of fish, be aware of any problems. If you have fish in your tank that eat in different parts of the tank, or eat different types of food, you may need to buy more than one type of fish food. When feeding, pay close attention to containers with mixed types if you are feeding them a new type of feed. You may need to find other food combinations or feeding times if the fish on the surface are eating all the food intended for the fish on the bottom. If some of your fish are active during the day and others at night, it can help to feed them at different times so that each fish gets enough food.
7. Consider your options when you go on vacation. Leaving adult fish without food for a few days is almost always safe, and if you have studied your fish species carefully online, you may even find that they can survive for a week or two without great risk. For longer trips, or for younger fish with more urgent food needs, you will need to find a way to feed them while you are away. Choose from one of the following solutions:
   • Use an automatic feeder to release feed at regular intervals. Make sure you put in enough food for the entire time you are away, and set the dispenser to feed once or twice a day.
   • Test a food block or gel food before you go. These blocks of dry or gel-coated food are placed in the bowl and eaten slowly. However, the dry blocks can cause dangerous chemical changes, and the gel variant is often ignored. Test the variants for a few days before you leave to make sure there are no problems.
   • Have a friend or neighbor feed them their normal flakes once every two or three days. Because inexperienced feeders often overfeed, it is best to put each portion of food in a pill box, carefully marked with the day of the week. Make sure the caretaker is well aware that overfeeding can kill your fish.

Method 3 of 3: Supplement dry food to form a complete diet

1. Get these supplements from reliable sources. Insects, worms and other animal foods are safest to get from a pet or aquarium store, while plant material should be organically grown away from roads. If a “local” aquarium expert tells you that it is safe to source animals or plants in your area, you can follow his or her advice. Otherwise, you must understand that collecting these supplements yourself carries the risk of disease, parasites, or harmful chemicals.
2. Feed carnivorous fish live or frozen animals. Give your fish frozen or live insects and other animal foods in place of their regular food one to three times a week. “Always” research the needs of your fish or ask an expert before selecting a food, as some foods can transmit disease or cause digestive problems if fed to certain types of fish. Common foods available at pet stores include bloodworms, tubifex, water fleas, and salt crustaceans. As with all foods, you should only feed small amounts; enough to eat within 30 seconds is enough for some species.
   • Warning: Freeze-dried foods are another option, but should only be used occasionally because of the digestive problems that large amounts can cause in some types of fish such as fighting fish.
   • Avoid live tubifex, even those sold at pet stores and raised on fish farms. They are known to cause disease in many types of fish, but the frozen variety is safe.
3. Most fish feed vegetables or algae. Herbivores and omnivores are likely to be healthier and more colorful if you supplement their diet with some plant matter every now and then, and even many carnivores can eat plants for useful nutrients. As always, you should study your fish species online before feeding a new type of food. You can clip a piece of vegetable into the container with a vegetable clip, or you can chop it into small pieces to feed your fish. Make sure to remove any leftover vegetables within 48 hours or it will rot in your container.
   • Carrots, zucchini, cucumbers, lettuce and peas are just a few types of vegetables that your fish will love. Feed it once every few days or according to the advice for your fish species.
   • Another option is to use spirulina powder, infusoria, algae or other plant material sold in aquarium stores. It is necessary for small, young fish that are too small to eat pieces of vegetables. As long as the sides of the container are not overgrown with algae, you can add this according to the instructions, once or twice a day.
4. Feed your fish some of these supplements for better health. Different animals or vegetables provide different vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. Alternate between two or three types of animals or meat (for carnivores) or vegetables (for other fish) so that you are more likely to meet all the needs for healthy fish.
5. Provide pure vitamins or minerals if you notice problems. If your fish's bright colors fade, they become less active, or you see other signs of ill health, your fish may be deficient in certain nutrients. It's best to get expert advice to get a better idea of ​​what vitamins and minerals your fish need or to spot other problems. Fish may need these supplements during times of stress, such as when new fish are added to the tank.
   • If you grow live food yourself, or if you buy live food from the pet store, you can feed “them” minerals or vitamin supplements, which the predatory fish will then consume. This technique is called “gut loading”.
6. Find specific information for rearing newborn fish. Newborn fish, or fish brood, are often too small to eat regular fish food. Because their nutritional needs are often different from those of adult fish, and they may need to be fed every few hours, it is important to gather specific information about the fish species. Search the internet for information to ensure that your fish brood has the best chance of survival.

Tips

• If you have a large tank it may be a good idea to buy several catfish or bottom eaters. If you accidentally overfeed, they will usually clean the bottom of the tank by removing the excess food, thus keeping your tank tidy.
• If you are overfeeding and your fish look bloated, let them go without food for a few days. If they're still bloated, feed them bits from the inside of a pea to aid digestion.
• If you are going to hand feed, put the food in your hand and let the fish swim on it and get the food out of your hand. Do not keep trying this if the fish are skittish and have difficulty eating; some fish get stressed by your efforts.

Warnings

• Certain foods, such as beef heart, are high in fat. Your fish will love it, but you should rarely feed it or give it to growing fish.
• Be careful not to overfeed! Fish can die if you let them eat too much.
• Do not feed a fish a new type of food (such as insects or vegetables) until you have checked that it is safe for that fish. Some types can get sickness from certain foods or other health problems.
• If you feed your fish live food, make sure the food is healthy and free from parasites.
• Some fish will not eat flake food if it has been pre-soaked in water.