Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 3: Choosing Dry Fish Food
• Method 2 of 3: Feed your fish dry food
• Method 3 of 3: Supplementing dry food to ensure a complete diet
• Tips
• Warnings

Feeding your fish is easy if you know how to do it. Just make sure the dry food you are using works well for your fish, described below. Once you know the food is great for your fish and you are giving your fish the right amount, start adding insects, vegetables, or other nutritious foods to your fish's diet, depending on the type of fish.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Choosing Dry Fish Food

1. 1 Explore your fish species. The sellers in the store where you bought the fish will help you choose food for them if you have not found specialized information on the Internet. Find out what type of fish yours are: herbivores, carnivores, or omnivores, and, ideally, the exact percentage of protein in their diet. Some exotic fish species require special nutrition, but most fish can be fed with regular plate or tube foods. However, do not run to the store yet.
2. 2 Find food that works for your fish, if possible. Many owners of aquarium fish feed them general food, or food intended for a wide group of fish, for example "tropical fish". If you have carefully read this paragraph, then you already understand that your fish will feel fine with the general food. However, if you can find food that is right for your species of fish, or even more specialized for a wider group of species, your fish will be healthier and more fun. Such foods are usually labeled specifically: "food for cichlids," "food for fighting fish," etc.
   • It is still worth reading the rest of the paragraphs to check if the food is suitable for your fish before purchasing it.
3. 3 Choose food that sinks, swims, or sinks slowly depending on the shape of the fish's mouth. If you need advice, you can ask the pet store employee about it, but very often, simply observing the behavior of the fish and the shape of their mouth is enough to determine which type of food to buy. Those fish that feed near the bottom, like catfish, for example, spend a lot of time at the bottom of the aquarium in search of food, and their mouth is at the bottom of the body, and turned downward. The mouth of fish feeding in the water column usually points straight ahead and looks for food in the middle of the aquarium. In fish feeding near the surface of the water, the mouth is directed upward and usually extends to the surface during feeding. If you're not sure what type your fish is, just try feeding it the food of your choice and you will see if it can find food and eat it. Some fish are not clearly tied to one territory.
   • The flake food floats and is only suitable for fish looking for food near the surface.
   • Cereals, lamellas, or pellets may float, sink quickly, or sink slowly. Try to find more information about the brand before purchasing.
   • Sinking pellets usually sink to the bottom and are too large to be eaten by surface-feeding fish.
   • Tablets - this food can be placed on the bottom of the aquarium or attached to the wall of the aquarium to feed fish that feed in the aquarium.
4. 4 Check the protein content of the feed. Use research results to narrow down the range of possible feed types. Herbivorous and omnivorous fish require preferably plant-based foods, mainly from spirulina. Depending on the type of fish, food for them can have between 5% and 40% protein, so read carefully the information about the needs of your fish. On the other hand, carnivorous fish require 45% -70% protein in their food, depending on the species. Make sure the food you are buying meets the needs of your fish.
   • Fighting fish are predators and feed near the surface of the water. Their food should contain at least 45% protein, float on the surface and be small enough to fit in their mouth. The food sold for fighting fish is usually in the form of small balls.
   • Goldfish are omnivores. Young fish need 45% protein, adults need 30%. They digest the protein of aquatic plants most easily. They feed near the surface of the water, so plate food (flakes) are a good option.
5. 5 Make sure the fish food is small enough for them to eat. Many fish swallow their food whole, so they will not be able to bite off a large plate or ball that does not fit into their mouth.If the food you are feeding your fish remains intact, or appears to be larger than the fish's mouth, break it into small pieces before feeding and buy a smaller food.
6. 6 Search online for fish food manufacturers. Before buying dry fish food, look online for the brand name and reviews for it. Reputable companies usually have good reviews from aquarists, and their food is likely to be of good quality.

Method 2 of 3: Feed your fish dry food

1. 1 Feed in small portions. Although many people have heard that fish only need a pinch of plate food, feeding the fish too much can cause digestion problems or contaminate the aquarium. Whichever type of food you use, give your fish exactly as much food as they can eat in 3-5 minutes. If you have added too much food to the aquarium, fish it out with a net.
   • A warning: fighting fish should be fed much less food than they can eat in 5 minutes. 2-3 small balls for one fish are enough.
2. 2 Wet pellet feed before feeding. Since many aquarium fish have small stomachs, the balls that have absorbed water and become larger can cause digestion problems or bloating. Soak the balls with water 10 minutes before feeding the fish. Let them swell better in water than in the stomachs of fish.
3. 3 Feed your fish once or twice a day. Based on the fact that overfeeding fish is much easier than underfeeding, it is safer to feed them once a day. On the other hand, if you are careful and give them a small amount of food, as described above, you can feed the fish twice a day. Some aquarists prefer this type of feeding because the fish are much more active and interesting to watch during the feeding.
4. 4 Watch for signs of overfeeding. If excrement hangs from the tail of the fish, their intestines may be partially blocked due to improper feeding or overfeeding. If the water in the aquarium gets so dirty that you have to change it more often than once a week, then either you are overfeeding the fish or the aquarium is overcrowded. Reduce the amount of feed per feed, or the number of feeds per day, and see if the problem goes away in a few days. Ask a pet store employee or aquarist for advice if the problem persists.
5. 5 Distribute the food so that there is enough for everyone. Even among fish of the same species, there may be large or aggressive fish that will not leave food for other fish. Reduce the risk of a similar problem by placing food in more than one place in the aquarium, but distributing it over the entire surface.
6. 6 Track possible problems if you have different types of fish. If you have fish in your aquarium that feed in different parts of the aquarium or eat different types of food, you will most likely need to purchase several types of food. Carefully observe the feeding of the different species of fish when you feed them new food. You may need to find your own combination of feeds or feeding times if surface fish eats all food intended for bottom fish. If some of the fish species in your tank are active at night and some during the day, you can feed them at different times so that all fish species get their food.
7. 7 Think about your options when you are on vacation or business trip. Leaving adult fish for a few days without food is almost always safe, and if you read about your fish online, you may find that they can go without food for a week or two with minimal risk. For long trips or for young animals with higher food needs, you will have to find a way to feed them while you are away. Possible options are suggested below:
   • Use an automatic feeder that will dispense feed after a specified time.Make sure you leave enough feed for the duration of your absence and set the feed time to once or twice a day.
   • Check your feed briquette or gel feeder before leaving. These briquettes or gel feeders are left in the aquarium and are slowly eaten. However, dry food briquettes can lead to dangerous chemical changes in the water, while gel feeders usually have no effect. Try each type for a few days before leaving so you can be sure there are no problems.
   • Ask a friend or neighbor to feed your fish regular plate food once every two to three days. Since inexperienced fish tend to feed too much food, it is best to leave every pinch of food in a pill box or container with a designated day of the week. Explain clearly to the breeder that overfeeding the fish can kill them.

Method 3 of 3: Supplementing dry food to ensure a complete diet

1. 1 Take supplemental food from safe sources. Insects, worms and other food of animal origin can be safely purchased at the pet store, while plant-based substances must be grown organically away from harmful fumes. If your local aquarist tells you that it is safe to collect plants and animals in your area, you can follow this advice. Otherwise, keep in mind that picking up such additives by yourself carries the threat of disease, parasites and harmful chemicals.
2. 2 Feed your carnivorous fish live or frozen animals. Feed frozen or live insects or other animal food in place of regular food one to three times a week. Always find information about the needs of your fish or ask an expert before choosing a food, because certain types of food can carry diseases or lead to digestive problems in certain types of fish. Common food sold in stores includes: red worms, tubuleworms, daphnia, and brine shrimp. As with any food, feed only a small amount of food. The amount of food a fish can eat in 30 seconds is enough for some species.
   • A warning: frozen food is another option, but can only be used occasionally due to digestive problems that can cause large amounts of food in some species, such as fighting fish.
   • Avoid using live tubules, even those that are farmed and sold at pet stores. They are known to cause disease in some species, although the frozen version is usually safe.
3. 3 Feed most fish with vegetables or seaweed. Herbivorous and omnivorous fish are more likely to become healthier and more colorful if you supplement their diet with plant substances, and even many carnivorous fish will eat plants because of the nutrients they contain. As always, search the internet for information on your fish species before feeding them a new meal. You can attach a piece of vegetables to the inside of the tank with a vegetable clip, or cut them into small pieces to feed the fish. Be sure to remove any leftover vegetables after 48 hours, otherwise they will start to decompose in the tank.
   • Carrots, zucchini, cucumbers, lettuce, and peas are just a few of the vegetables you can use. Feed your fish every few days or as recommended.
   • Another option is to use spirulina powder, ciliates, algae, or other plant matter available from pet stores. Its use is necessary when your fish is tiny and cannot eat pieces of vegetables. If the walls and surface of the aquarium are not overgrown with algae, you can add algae as directed, once or twice a day.
4. 4 To keep your fish healthier, feed them varied. Different animals and vegetables provide different vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. Choosing between two or three types of animal food or meat (for carnivorous fish) or vegetables (for other fish) will increase the likelihood of meeting all the nutritional requirements of the fish.
5. 5 Provide vitamins and minerals as soon as you notice problems. If your fish's bright colors fade, their activity levels drop, or you notice other signs of deterioration in health, your fish may be lacking in certain nutrients. The best option is to ask an expert about what vitamins and minerals your fish need to pinpoint the problem. Fish may need these substances during times of stress, such as when new fish are added to the aquarium.
   • If you grow live food yourself, or buy live food from pet stores, you can feed these organisms with minerals and vitamins that will later be digested by predatory fish.
6. 6 For raising your newborn fish, follow these tips. Newborn fish or fry are often too small to eat regular fish food. Because their nutritional needs are often different from those of adult fish and need to be fed every few hours, it is important to find specific information about your specific species. Search the internet for information to ensure that your fry have a good chance of survival.

Tips

• If you have a large aquarium, it is a good idea to buy some catfish or other fish feeding near the bottom. If you accidentally overfeed your fish, catfish will remove excess food from the bottom of the aquarium, keeping the aquarium clean.
• If you overfeed your fish and they look bloated, don't feed them for a day or two. If the fish still look bloated, give them chunks of the inside of the peas to aid digestion.
• If you are going to hand feed, put the food in your hand and let the fish swim to your hand and take feed from it. Do not continue trying if the fish are too timid to eat. Such attempts can be stressful for some fish species.

Warnings

• Be careful not to overfeed your fish! Fish can die if you feed them too much.
• If you are feeding your fish live food, you must make sure that the food is healthy and free of parasites.
• Do not feed fish new food (insects or vegetables) without first checking to see if it is safe for your species. Certain types of fish can get sick or get other health problems from certain foods.
• Certain foods, such as beef heart, are too high in fat. Fish will like it, but it is worth feeding such food only occasionally or to growing fish.