What Do Fish Eat?

If you currently care for or are planning to bring home an aquarium, then this article will be especially beneficial for you. There are hundreds of different kinds of fish out there to love, and not every fish eats the same food. This is because fish come from all over the world and have adapted to feed on what is available in their unique ecosystem. In this article, we will explain a little more about what a fish eats and what you should buy for your new aquatic family member.

Different Kinds of Foods

There are many different kinds of fish food on the market for a variety of dietary needs. Regardless of what type of fish you have, they will likely eat from at least one of these categories:

Dried Foods:

These are the most common type of food for fish, and you may already be familiar with some of these options.

Flakes- Flake food floats at the top of the tank, readily available for any swimming friends who prefer to eat that way. There are even specific kinds of dried flakes designed for certain types of fish, like goldfish.

Pellets- Pellet food is often used for larger aquarium fish and comes in floating and sinking varieties (for those fish who prefer not to eat floating pellets at the surface). Most fish food manufacturers say to only feed what the fish can eat in a certain amount of time (usually 2-3 minutes). Uneaten food should be removed as the pellets decompose, which can lead to poor water quality in the aquarium.

Freeze-dried- Freeze-dried fish food is typically something that was once alive (shrimp, worms, etc.) that has been freeze-dried. This is typically given to fish with a higher protein diet, and while freeze-dried food is convenient, it doesn’t offer as much protein as fresh or frozen food.

Live Foods:

Live fish food can come in many varieties but are more difficult to obtain, with the exception of live feeder fish and ghost shrimp which are found at all PetSmart locations that sell fish. There are some species of fish that will feed on almost nothing but live fish, like freshwater gars, but most types of predatory fish can be adapted to eat dried or frozen foods which is much healthier for them. Because live fish can introduce parasites and other diseases to the fish that they are feeding, it is a good idea to have a separate aquarium set up where the feeder fish can be placed and observed for 1-2 weeks to ensure that they are healthy before feeding them to your fish.

Many of the classic live foods can be found in the freezer section. These can be a higher quality option and last longer than regular live food does.

Frozen Foods- Most frozen foods are fish, shrimp, or other crustaceans. Frozen foods are typically more nutritious than live food, and their quality more consistent. Many people choose it for that reason and the convenience of not having to go to the pet store every week.

The Importance of Feeding Your Fish The Right Kind of Food

With there being so many different types of fish, each kind has their very own set of nutritional needs. It is very important to make sure you are feeding your fish the right type and amount of fish food so that they get everything they need to stay healthy. Fish diets can be broken down into three different categories; herbivore, carnivore, and omnivore. What category your fish falls into matters greatly when figuring out what you should feed your fish.

Different Types of Fish Diets:

Herbivore- Most Plecostomus species and some African Cichlids are herbivores, meaning they do really well on a staple diet of flake food but also enjoy feeding on algae wafers. Fresh food options also work, and they can even have some vegetables and fruit that are approved.

Omnivore- Most fish will fall into the omnivore category when it comes to their diet. This means that they should eat both meat and plants. This offers a lot of flexibility in what you end up feeding your aquatic friend and allows them to find their nutrition in a variety of different foods.

There are a lot of recommendations when it comes to what you can feed your omnivore fish. There are frozen foods, live foods, fresh foods, and dried foods available for their consumption. Most flake and pelleted foods are made of both animal protein and vegetable matter, so they are ideal as a staple food for most omnivorous fish. Some fish have food made specifically for them, so read the label closely to make sure you are getting the right one for yours.  

 Carnivore- Carnivores require a lot of protein to stay healthy, but that doesn’t mean that they must eat live food. (For health reasons, most aquatics experts do not encourage feeding live fish unless your fish won’t eat anything else.) In most cases, frozen fish food will provide a more nutritious meal for these types of fish. Common carnivore fish include some South and Central American Cichlids like Oscars, Bettas, Angelfish, Clown loaches, Freshwater eels, and more.

There are a lot of flake, pelleted, frozen, and freeze-dried fish food options that carnivorous fish can eat to stay strong and healthy. For example, smaller carnivorous fish like angelfish and betta fish will prefer smaller high-protein pelleted food, flake food, and small frozen or freeze-dried food like blood worms or brine shrimp. Larger carnivorous fish like Oscars or red devils would prefer larger pelleted foods or larger frozen foods like silversides or krill.

How Often Should You Feed Your Fish?

Because every fish is so different, there may be different rules for how often a fish needs to eat. Larger fish might need to eat more often than smaller fish, but even some small breeds need more frequent feedings. The best way to find out how often you should feed your fish is to ask an aquatic expert or pet store employee. An important thing to remember is that overfeeding your fish can cause poor water quality that can lead to unhealthy consequences.

But, It can be hard to tell when a fish is hungry. They are not vocal about their needs like cats and dogs are. Sometimes, fish might seem like they are hungry when they are not. This can lead to dangerous overfeeding that can cause a fish a lot of harm in the long run. 

For common species like goldfish, once a day might be plenty. You’ll need to consider their age (younger fish benefit from smaller meals 2-3 times a day, whereas adult fish may be fine feeding once a day or even every other day), the type of fish they are, the type of food you’re feeding (flakes can quickly pollute a tank if they are left uneaten), and what size of tank/filter you have your fish in.

Hopefully after reading this you have a better understanding of what to look for and how to determine what your aquatic friend needs to stay healthy and well-nourished. It is always important to do plenty of research and talk to an expert before bringing any fish home because with the right planning and preparation, your fish can live their best life!