Mary Allen
Feeding your fish is probably the greatest joy for any aquarist. Because the hustle and bustle in the tank are great when the fish are chasing after their food. The range is extensive: from frozen food, various types of dry food to live food and homemade food from your own kitchen. What can be fed depends entirely on your fish.
Less is More
In order for your fish to tolerate the food really well, you should feed small amounts two to three times a day rather than one large portion. The fish should have eaten the offered food within a few minutes, otherwise, it was probably too much for them. Sometimes less is more – especially because fish do not feel full even after eating large amounts.
Dosage Forms of Dry Food
Dry food for fish is available in different dosage forms: as flakes or tablets and in the form of granules, pellets, or sticks. The flake food serves as the basic food for most ornamental fish. Granules should be fed sparingly, as they quickly sink to the bottom and leftovers pollute the water. The tablets have the advantage that they slowly disintegrate on the bottom and can be eaten there by the bottom-feeding fish. If you don’t have much time to feed in one day, sticks are a good idea, as they don’t disintegrate and the water doesn’t become cloudy even after several hours, or you simply skip a meal once in a while.
Frozen Food – the Frozen Food for the Aquarium
Frozen food is deep-frozen food that is usually offered pressed into cubes. The small amounts thaw very quickly in lukewarm to cool water. Frozen food is offered in a wide variety of compositions:
From mosquito larvae and water fleas to pieces of mussels or plankton, the freezer has everything the fish palate desires. The advantages of frozen food are obvious: It lasts longer than other food when properly cooled and can be fed directly after thawing.
Vegetables – for Animals at the Bottom of the Aquarium
Many types of vegetables are suitable raw or cooked as supplementary food for the aquarium inhabitants. Since this sinks very quickly, it is particularly recommended for bottom-dwelling fish and shrimp species. Floating vegetables such as cucumber or courgettes, for example, are eaten by the Malawi perch. Treated vegetables should definitely be peeled before feeding! Vegetables should never float in the aquarium for too long, as they can heavily pollute the water. Therefore, the amount that has not been consumed after 1-2 hours should be discarded.
Live Food is a Treat for Fish
With the addition of live food as an additional treat, you can give your fish a treat every now and then. They certainly won’t turn down mosquito larvae or water fleas. Which food your fish tolerate and like best depends on their species and – as with humans – on their personal preferences.