Private Scuba › Sea Life › Fishkeeping Guide › Fish Foods
Healthy Fish Food for Your Fish
There are many recommended aquarium fish food brands. But, choosing the best food for your species will be key for maintaining a healthy aquarium.
So, no matter which fish foods you give them, the aim is to provide your fish with a balanced diet of the essential nutrients to enhance their energy and bring out their true colours.
How to Choose the Right Fish Food for Fish?
- Carnivores, such as bettas and cichlids need a diet rich in protein (e.g. live or frozen foods, pellets).
- Omnivores, such guppies, platies, and tetras do best with a mix of flakes, pellets, and occasional protein treats.
- Herbivores, such as mollies and plecos enjoy algae wafers, spirulina, and other kinds of plant-based foods.
- Bottom feeders, such as corydoras and loaches need algae wafers, sinking pellets, and bottom-feeder tablets.
Pro Tip: Before you start buying fish food products for your goldfish and guppies, take a look through our list of popular aquarium fish species and check if your setup meets the legal duty of care.
Different Types of Fish Food
Dry Food for Fish
- Fish food flakes are great for top-feeders, such as neon tetras and guppy fish. But, unless they get eaten quickly, the water will start to absorb some of the essential nutrients.
- Fish food pellets are available as floating and sinking feed products. In general, pellets are best for fish that feed at varying depth levels of the aquarium (e.g. goldfish).
- Fish food granules tend to be smaller than pellets and so they take longer to sink. Hence, granules are a good source of food for fish species that like to eat in the middle of the water column.
- Crisps are a kind of hybrid between fish flakes and pellets and designed to retain the essential nutrients for longer.
Live and Frozen Aquarium Fish Food
- Bloodworms (also known as bristle worms) are a rich source of protein for freshwater tropical fish. You can feed live and frozen bloodworms to carnivorous and omnivorous fish, such as bettas and tetras.
- Brine shrimp is a good source of nutrition for the vast majority of fishes, and feeding them helps to enhance vibrant colourations.
- Tubifex worms are usually fed to tropical fish as a live source of food. Fish breeders often use them as a protein-rich feed (in moderation to prevent water contamination).
- Water fleas (also called daphnia) are a nutritious source of fiber and help with the digestive process for your fish.
Freeze-Dried Fish Foods
There is a good alternative to live and frozen foods that's also free from harmful parasites. Common examples of freeze-dried food given to fish as a supplement include bloodworms, brine shrimp, and tubifex worms.
Algae-Based Foods and Vegetables
If you have bottom-dwellers like plecos, you should be giving them algae wafers. Plus, spirulina flakes fish food is Rich in plant-based nutrients - great for your herbivores (e.g. mollies).
Your herbivorous fish may also enjoy eating some blanched vegetables as a special treat. Typical examples include spinach, peas, and zucchini.
Pro Tip: If you're looking for a food source that you can customise, such as for picky fish, try using homemade or commercially bought gel foods that are nutrient-dense and they retain moisture.
Aqueon® Fish Food Products
Nutrinsect Fish Food Products
You can provide fish with a similar meal to the one they would eat "naturally" outside of captivity. This 100% fish-free formula does not contain fish oils, fishmeal, or whole fish.
Aqueon Stick'ems Freeze-Dried Treats
The advantage of using Aqueon® stick'ems is that you can "stick" them on the side of the aquarium glass.
Here's the thing:
It means beginners who start keeping fish as a hobby can get a close-up view of their pet while they're eating.
Algae Rounds Bottom Feeder Food
By and large, algae rounds are best for bottom dwelling species like the corydora catfish.
After sinking to the bottom of the tank, they slowly dissolve and provide a source of food that encourages the natural eating habits of scavenger fish, such as red-tailed black sharks (Epalzeorhynchos bicolor).
Pro Tip: You can also break these rounds into smaller pieces to prevent problems with overfeeding and to reduce water contamination.
Betta Food
Are you keeping Siamese Fighting Fish in your setup? If so, the betta food products from Aqueon will provide them with the nutritional essentials.
Not only do they give your bettas a healthy daily diet, the foods will give them vitality and accentuate their natural colours.
Goldfish Flakes
Dropping fish flakes into the water is a great way for goldfish, koi, and fancy orandas to feed at the surface of the water.
Top Fin® Fish food Products
TetraMin Tropical Flakes
Give your fish a nutritionally-balanced diet with Tetra® TetraMin Tropical Flakes. This product provides an ideal diet for top and mid-feeding aquarium fish.
Hikari Micro Pellets™
Try the micro pellets made by Hikari if you are keeping fish with a small mouth. Apart from the superior nutrition aspect, they are also excellent for improved digestibility.
Fish Feeding Tips
- Feed your fish in small amounts. Aim to give them food that they will eat within three (3) minutes to help prevent water pollution.
- Vary their diet with a balanced nutrition and by mixing dry, frozen, and fresh foods.
- Observing your fishes' feeding habits will help you make sure they all get a share, especially if you have a community tank.
- Similar to humans, fasting your fish once a week helps with their digestion and it can prevent bloating, especially in betta fish species.