Feeding is a simple thing you should know. Make sure that the dry food you use is suitable for different types of fish, which is explained below. When you have found the right food and you are feeding the fish the right amount, start by supplementing it as food such as insects, vegetables, or other nutrients according to the type of fish.
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Method 1 of 3: Choosing Fish Food
Step 1. Find out what kind of fish you have
The store clerk from which you purchased your fish should help you pick up fish food if you can't find clear information for your type of fish online. Find out if your fish are '''herbivorous''' (vegetable eaters), '''carnivorous''' (meat eaters) or '''omnivorous''' (everything eaters), and the ideal percentage of protein content for the type of fish needed at mealtime. Some exotic species require special diets, but most types of fish can be fed with basic foods such as lumps or pellets. However, don't go to the pet store often.
Step 2. Find fish food specific to your fish if possible
Some aquariums are intended for fish food, or can be included in the category of tropical fish. As long as you read this section carefully, your fish will probably do just fine with the correct type of food in general. However, if you can find fish food that is clear to your types of fish or related groups of species, your fish will be healthier and happier. These things should be labeled as lohan fish food, betta fish food, etc.
It's a good idea to follow the rest of the steps in this section to check for suitable fish foods before buying them
Step 3. Pick up food that floats, sinks, or sinks slowly depending on the shape of the fish's mouth
You can ask the aquarium store clerk if necessary, but a frequent look at your fish's behavior or the shape of its mouth is enough to determine what type of food is appropriate to buy. “Bottom feeders” (types of fish that like to be at the bottom) such as catfish will spend time at the bottom of the tank, swimming down or keeping their mouths down looking for food. Mid-feeders (the type of fish that like to be in the center of the aquarium) have a long mouth that is straight in front and forage in the center of the aquarium. Surface feeders have mouths that look up and like to swarm to the surface when they are eaten. If you're sure what kind of fish you have, it's easy to pick and see if you've managed to find and eat them; some fish may not be limited by one place.
- “Flake” floating food, and only suitable for surface feeders.
- “Grains, grains, or pellets” food that floats, or sinks slowly. Try to find more information than stated on the label before buying.
- “Wafers” are foods that sink to the bottom, and are often large portions for fish to steal from the surface.
- ''Tablets'' are food that can be placed at the bottom of the tank, or sometimes stick to the walls of the aquarium which will provide food for the mid-feeder.
Step 4. Check the protein content of fish food
Use the results of your research to select the type of fish food to buy. Herbivorous and omnivorous fish need a diet made from vegetables, such as spirulina. Depending on the type, fish food should contain 5%-40% protein, so research the types thoroughly to select your options. In contrast, carnivorous fish require food that contains 45%-70% protein, depending on the type. Make sure that the fish food you buy matches what your fish need.
- Betta fish are carnivorous fish and surface feeders. Their diet should contain at least 45% protein, float, and be small enough for the betta's mouth. Betta fish food is often sold in the form of pellets.
- Goldfish are omnivores, and require 30% protein as adults, or 45% protein for young fish. Protein-rich aquatic plants are the easiest food for them to digest. Goldfish are surface feeders, so flaky foods are a good choice.
Step 5. Make sure your fish food is small enough for your fish to eat
Some fish chew their whole food, which means they can't break large chunks of lumps or pellets that are too big for them. If the food you are feeding your fish is untouched, or if it appears larger than your fish's mouth, cut it into pieces before feeding or find a smaller type of food.
Step 6. Look for fish food manufacturers online
Before buying dried fish food, search and check the brand name. An official manufacturer that is recognized by aquarium lovers is a manufacturer of high quality fish food.
Method 2 of 3: Feeding Fish Dry Food
Step 1. Feed small portions
While some people have heard that fish need a lump of food that is bulging at each feed, giving the fish very large chunks can cause digestive problems for the fish or make the tank dirty and unhealthy. Regardless of the type of fish food you use, include a sufficient amount of food for your fish to eat for 3-5 minutes. If you put food in a tank, remove it with a good net.
“Warning:” Betta fish should be fed for approximately 5 minutes. Two or three small pellets for hickey lovers is enough
Step 2. Soak the pellets before feeding
Because some aquariums have small spaces, the pellets absorb water and expand which may cause digestive problems or make your fish bloated. Soak the pellets in water for 10 minutes before feeding so that the pellets expand before the fish eats the food, rather than the fish's stomach.
Step 3. Feed the fish once or twice a day
Since it is much easier to feed the fish a lot than it is to feed them very little, feeding once a day may be safer. However, if you are careful about feeding them the small amounts described above, you may be feeding the fish twice a day. Some aquarium owners prefer this because the fish are more active and fun to watch during feeding.
Step 4. Look for signs of overfeeding
If traces of feces are hanging on your fish, their guts may be lumpy from overfeeding or the wrong type of food. If the water turns dirty enough all you need is to change the water more than once a week, you may be overfeeding your fish, or the tank is getting full. Reduce the number of meals per serving or feeding capacity per day to see if the problem goes away within a few days. Ask the aquarium store clerk or fish lover for feedback if that's not the case.
Step 5. Spread the food so that every fish gets food
Even within the same breed, larger or more aggressive fish may not leave enough food for the other fish. Reduce the chance of this happening from distributing food and adding it to more than one place in the tank, or scattering it across the surface of the water.
Step 6. Look for problems if you have many types of fish
If you have many types of fish in the tank that are being fed in different places in the tank, or on different types of food, you will really need to buy more than one type of fish food. Take a clear look at the tank containing different types of fish during feeding when you start a new feed. You may need to find different food combinations or feeding times if the fish on the surface eat all the food at the bottom. If some of your fish are active throughout the day and night, feeding them at two different times may help ensure each fish is getting enough food.
Step 7. Consider your options when going on vacation
Leaving adult fish without food for a few days is almost always safe, and if you search for fish types online you may find they will live without serious risk for a week or two. During longer trips, or for fish fry with more important dietary needs, you will need a way to feed them while you are away. Choose one of the available solutions:
- Use an automatic feeding machine to feed food at predetermined intervals. Make sure you provide enough food while you're away, and set the machine to dispense once or twice a day.
- Test the feeding box or feeding gel before leaving it. These dry boxes or gel-covered food are left in the tank and eaten slowly. However, dry boxes may cause harmful chemical changes, while gel varieties are sometimes neglected. Test the variety for a few days before leaving it so you can be sure there won't be any problems.
- Have a friend or neighbor feed them a lump of food once every two or three days. Since inexperienced feeders often overfeed, it's a good idea to place each piece of food in a pill box or other container with the name of the day of the week carefully written. Explain to the fish handler that overfeeding can kill your fish.
Method 3 of 3: Giving Supplements to Complement Meals
Step 1. Get these supplements from safe sources
Insects, caterpillars, and other animals are the safest foods to find at a pet store or aquarium store, when plants should be growing organically away from the side of the road. If a local aquarium expert tells you that it is safe to collect outside animals or plants in your area, then you are following their advice. On the other hand, understand that collecting your own supplements carries risks such as disease, parasites, or harmful chemicals.
Step 2. Feed carnivorous fish with live or frozen animals
One to three times a week, give your fish frozen or live insects and other pet food as they often feed. “Always” research the needs of your fish breed or ask an expert before selecting a food, as some foods can transmit disease or indigestion when feeding a certain type of food. Common foods that are appropriate at pet stores include bloodworms, tubifex caterpillars, daphnia, and crayfish. With multiple feedings, provide small amounts of food; enough to eat for 30 seconds may be enough for some types.
- ''Warning:''' Freeze-dried food is another option, but sometimes it is only used for digestive problems because large amounts of food can occur in some types of fish such as betta fish.
- Avoid growing tubifex caterpillars, even if they are sold at pet stores and at fish farms. They have identified the cause of disease in several types of fish, although frozen ones are safer.
Step 3. Give vegetables or algae to the fish
Herbivorous and omnivorous fish will be healthier and more colorful if you supplement their diet with foods of plant origin, and even some carnivorous fish can eat plants for useful nutrients. Often you research your fish breed online before feeding it a new one. You can add chopped vegetables to the tank using a vegetable cutter, or cut vegetables into small pieces so you can feed your fish. Be sure to remove any vegetables that have not been eaten in no more than 48 hours, or they will rot in the tank.
- Carrots, zucchini, cucumbers, lettuce and peas are some vegetables your fish may like. Feed it every few days or follow the input for your type of fish.
- Using spirulina powder, insect infusions, algae, or other plants sold at aquarium stores is another option, and should be small, fish fry are very small if they have to eat cut vegetables. As long as the surface of the tank or walls is not covered with algae, you can add it according to the instructions once or twice a day.
Step 4. Give your fish a variety of supplements to become healthier
Different animals or vegetables provide different vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. Alternate between two or three types of animal or meat (for carnivorous fish) or vegetables (for other fish) for a better chance of providing all the fish's health needs
Step 5. Provide the right vitamins or minerals if you care about problems
If your fish's brightness is fading, they're becoming less active, or you're noticing other signs of declining health, your fish may be undernourished. It's best to call an expert for better advice on the vitamins or nutrients your fish need, or for other concerns. Fish will need supplements when stressed, such as when new fish enter the tank.
If you're adding your own live food, or buying it from a pet store, you may be supplementing "them" with minerals or vitamins that predatory fish will then digest. This technique is called “gut loading”
Step 6. Find specific advice for increasing the number of fry
The new fish, or chicks, are too small to eat a common fish meal. Because feeding requirements often differ from those of adult fish, and they may need to be fed every few hours, it is important to get specific advice according to the breed. Look for information online to make sure your chicks have a chance to live.
Tips
- If you have a large aquarium, it would be a good idea to buy catfish or other types of fish that like the bottom. If you accidentally overfeed, they will clean the bottom of the tank, remove excess food and keep your tank organized.
- If you are overfeeding, and your fish are gaining weight, leave them without food for a day or two. If they're still fat, give them chopped peas to aid digestion.
- If you are hand feeding the fish place the food in your hand and let the fish swim up and eat the food from your hand. Don't push if the fish is shy and has trouble eating; some fish may be stressed about your arrival.
- Don't overfeed.
Warning
- Be careful when feeding! Fish will die if you let them eat too much.
- If you are feeding your fish live food, you should make sure the food you are feeding is parasite-free.
- Make sure foods like beef liver are high in fat. Your fish will love it, but it should only be given occasionally or for growing fish.
- Do not feed fish a new type of food (such as insects or vegetables) without correcting it if it is safe for that type of fish. Some types of fish may get sick from food or have other health problems.
