Fish: Feeding
Nutrition is an area where inexperienced fish keepers get into trouble, for there are as many different ideas on how to feed fish as there are fish in the sea.
Over-Feeding Fish
If you feed your fish too much, the walls of your aquarium will start to grow slime and algae. The sides of the tank will even feel slimy to touch. Over-feeding on a regular basis results in the uneaten food falling to the bottom where it decomposes. This causes cloudy water and also feeds the unwanted bacteria and parasites in your aquarium. Uneaten food needs to be removed with a gravel cleaner; otherwise, your fish will become ill.
Under-Feeding Fish
This is just as bad as over-feeding because in time (say 12 months) your fish will become thinner and whither away until it’s too late. Under-feeding lowers your fishes’ resistance to disease and attack from parasites. A thin fish is much more likely to become sick than a nice fat one.
Fish purchased from our shop are, 99% of the time, only very young (just babies) and should be fed the same as any baby, that is to say, little and often.
The Five Minute Rule
Feed your fish enough food for it to be entirely eaten within five minutes. Fish can be fed once, twice, three or five times per day, if you like, but the food must be consumed within five minutes at each feeding. Obviously, if your fish eat their meal in under 5 minutes, then you need to increase the amount fed.
Fish fed three times per day will grow three times faster than fish fed once per day. As to be expected, they will also produce three times more waste. So keep in mind that the more waste your fish produce the more often you will need to do a small water change.
Food Varieties
Just for a minute imagine you were a fish and that all you were ever fed was flake food. This would be like living on mashed potatoes your entire life. A variety of foods is the best choice as all animals enjoy a change in diet from time to time.
Goldfish :
- Goldfish like a variety of different foods; but what a lot of people don’t know is that goldfish also love frozen peas. Just thaw some out and squash each pea before dropping it into the tank. What’s more, earthworms cut into pieces are an excellent source of protein for fish. Don’t feed worms from compost heaps, though, as they contain toxins. Ordinary garden earthworms are fine.
- Your goldfish will enjoy a meal of duck weed from time to time as well. Along with other moist foods like earthworms and peas, duck weed can cure and help prevent fish from developing a swollen swim bladder, characterized by sideways floating and which sometimes results when fish eat too much dry food.
Tropical Fish :
- Most aquariums have a range of different fish in the same tank and as such the food requirements for each species remains different. There are fish that swim at the top and only eat from the surface. Alternately, there are fish that spend their time on the bottom and their special needs must also be met.
- Big fish require big food and earth worms are again great for all big fish. Grated ox heart looks like a worm to the fish and is also a good food. Many big fish also like frozen peas.
- Try blood worms as a special treat.
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