Each living creature in an aquarium, for its development and reproduction, it must have adequate nutrition. If the environment along with the food is properly organized, the fish will be healthy and beautiful. All feed used must be of high quality, nutritious and varied.

Types of feed

Some aquarists manage to raise fish with a monotonous diet. Of course, this is possible, but there is no guarantee that the pets will be healthy and will not die soon.

When compiling a diet, it is necessary to determine the composition of dried or live fish food. In addition, the feed mixture comes in two categories:

• capable of being stored for a long time (artificial dry feed for aquarium fish OK);
• can be stored for a short time (live food for all types of aquarium fish).

Dry fish food

It is not difficult to store such a versatile and varied product as dry food for aquarium fish. In addition, there are convenient formats intended for herbivores and predators, fry and adult fish. The aquarist can stock up on such food mixture. This is a very nutritious, fortified food that is not capable of polluting the aquarium environment.

Homemade food for aquarium fish can come in different forms, designed to feed fish swimming at a certain water level in the aquarium. Main diet pets consists of the main feed composition. To enrich the fish’s body with vitamins and fiber, they use auxiliary ingredients.

What is included in the main feed mixtures

• The most versatile type consists of flakes. Fish can eat them every day. Some of the flakes are on the surface, the other falls down, so all the inhabitants of the aquarium have the opportunity to eat this food. A mixture of Tetra and Sulfur Vipan has various mineral and vitamin supplements.
• Any fish can eat pellets. They happen different sizes, therefore, both large and very small inhabitants of the reservoir, located on any layer of water, can feed on them.
• If the fish are very delicate, they have a weak digestive system, then it will be necessary to pre-soak the granules. A quickly swallowed dry and dense composition will damage the stomach tissue. Granular food for aquarium fish is nutritious and can supplement daily diet pets
• Decorative fish of any kind love to eat chips. They contain nutritional components and vitamin composition. Besides environment they do not cause pollution. The fish can be fed with them daily.

Types of auxiliary compounds

This supplement contains useful substances and, besides, the diet is enriched with them. In what quantity and at what frequency it is better to use this fertilizer depends on the purpose of use.

Dense nutritional composition sticks should be eaten by large individuals that require an enhanced diet. This is food for active and large pets in the form of barbs and cichlids. In some cases, soaking the sticks is required to prevent any injuries to the pet. This great option additional nutrition, but it is not suitable for fry.

It is better to supplement the diet of bottom dwellers with plates and tablets. They come in a dense and heavy shape and are capable of sinking to the bottom in an instant. There may be plant origin. In addition, such food is suitable for shy individuals who are unable to feed due to aggressive neighbors. This option can be used with other additives.

Wonderful nutritional properties has a jelly made from special fat additives, larvae, crustaceans and krill. This supplement is necessary for individuals who require increased nutrition due to illness.

Good live food for aquarium inhabitants

Despite the fact that aquarium pets artificial nutrition may be enough, without living and natural ingredients predators find it difficult to get by. In addition, live food is very nutritious compared to dry food. Especially if the aquarium contains predatory inhabitants or spawning, recovering individuals.

All fish love to eat bloodworms, especially bottom fish. The appearance of a living bloodworm resembles a moving mass. For a week, bloodworms can retain their qualities in a damp container with periodic washing in cold water. To keep the product longer, it needs to be frozen.

The long, thin brown worms of the tubifex worm do not lose their freshness for a month. Such fatty foods Do not overload the fish's stomach. Since the tubifex's habitat is sewers, its odor is unpleasant. In addition, this food has the property of accumulating harmful substances. To store this product, use a flat, closed container with water. The temperature inside should not exceed 10 C. Constant rinsing is necessary of this composition. Drying and freezing can be done at home. Then you will get frozen food for aquarium fish.

You can breed live food for aquarium fish yourself. This is useful to know for those who want to save a little money and always have food on hand for their aquarium inhabitants.

In order for the fry to develop well, they should be fed daily with live dust from crustaceans. Decorative fish, when fed this way, acquire a bright color. Water is used to store this product. Do not place too many crustaceans in a storage container. Individuals should be fed this product after thoroughly rinsing them in water.

Rules for using live food

1. When frozen fish food is stored, it should not be given to pets frozen. Preliminary defrosting is required to avoid injury to the stomach.
2. Large bloodworms or tubifex worms should not be fed to your pets right away. First, preliminary cutting using a razor is required.
3. Frozen food for aquarium fish should not be thrown away along with blood to avoid a bacteriological explosion in the aquarium.

Of course, frozen food for aquarium fish is best used as daily nutrition. But if the fish get used to such a diet, it will be difficult to accustom them to the artificial composition.

Homemade food for aquarium fish

The following products can fully replace artificial protein nutrition:

Special composition for nutrition

In order for the coloring of aquatic individuals to improve, and also for the fry to grow properly even under special circumstances, it is necessary to use a special composition with carotenoids.

Herbivores require the use of an enhanced plant component contained in algae. Many fish cannot do without plant fiber.

Fighting breeds require a special diet. A special composition is necessary for pets when their owners are absent. They do not need to be calculated exactly before serving.

Goldfish love their diet to contain plenty of protein. In order for their color to be bright, the use of natural substances contained in AniMin Goldfish is also required.

Cold-blooded fish swimming in the pond also use a special TetraPond line.

Malawian cichlids, cockerels, and red parrots also use a special feeding mixture. Growing juveniles also require special treatment.

Pecilia, swordtails and cichlids, as well as mollies are used feed mixture containing plant fiber. This option will preserve the beauty of young leaves and tops of vegetation in the aquarium.

Sinking tablets are used for aquarium pets who like to chew the tails of their neighbors.

Proper nutrition for aquarium fish

Just like any living creature, fish should have a varied diet that will suit their needs. It is harmful to feed your pets too much. Health is preserved in hungry fish. True, this does not mean that you need to use extreme methods. It is enough to feed the individuals in the morning, afternoon and evening so as not to overfeed. In this case, the portions should be small. Naturally for large fish use large number feed mixture.

If you raise your pets correctly, as aquarium science says, then they will grow up healthy and beautiful and their body will be able to resist diseases.

Properly selected food for aquarium fish is important for their development, the formation of the skeleton and muscle corset. There is a huge selection of different treats that should be chosen according to the rules, focusing on the preferences of the aquarium inhabitants.

Types of food for aquarium fish

Keeping fish requires compliance proper nutrition, so the food should be rich in protein, necessary for growth, fats and carbohydrates, important for energy. Useful types Aquarium fish food must contain vitamins and minerals. It is recommended to choose a variety of foods for your “silent” pets’ menu, as they will often get sick. Daily ration adult fish should be 2-5% of their weight, and for fry - 30%.

Live food for aquarium fish

1. Bloodworm. Mosquito larvae contain up to 60% protein. When choosing, keep in mind that they should have a deep red color and the same size, and also be mobile, which indicates freshness. Divide the purchased batch into portions, remove the dead larvae, rinse several times in running water and keep in the refrigerator for three days.


2. Koretra. Colorless larvae of a non-bloodsucking mosquito. This option is safer, but its protein percentage is about 40%. It is recommended to combine it with other foods and give it no more than 1-2 times a week. When choosing such food for aquarium fish, keep in mind that the larvae should not have unpleasant odor and cloudy plaque, and they must also be mobile. The core does not spoil water and does not fall on the ground. Larvae need to be stored like bloodworms.


3. Tubifex. ringed worm is the most nutritious, and it has a red body up to 4 cm long. Ideal option for restoring fish after transportation. It is worth giving food through special floating feeders. After purchase, the pipe maker must remain in quarantine for a week. This type of food is dangerous because worms can carry different bacteria. Should be stored in water in the refrigerator. Wash the worm ball twice a day and remove dead worms.


4. Daphnia. This is a freshwater crustacean that is found in all water bodies during the bloom period. It contains up to 50% protein. Daphnia can be used to feed young animals. This food for aquarium fish should be stored in water in the refrigerator.


5. Earthworms. An option for large individuals and such food can be obtained independently. They need to be stored in wooden containers with sand and turf. They will keep for up to several months. First, the worms should be kept for 2-3 days without food so that they are cleansed and only then given to the fish.


6. Frozen food for aquarium fish. Almost all the types discussed above are frozen and sold, which is convenient to use. These are rectangular briquettes and cubes.

Dry food for aquarium fish

Many aquarium owners choose dry food for their inhabitants because they are convenient to use and store. The stores offer a wide range and each is suitable for different fish.

What food is best to feed aquarium fish?

When choosing food, it is necessary to take into account what class the fish belong to, so there are predators who prefer live delicacies, herbivores who prefer algae, and omnivores. It is necessary to choose food for aquarium fish based on some recommendations:

1. Fish have their own preferences in food, and it is also worth considering how they feed: from the bottom or grabbing treats from the surface.
2. Pay attention to the size of food your new pets can eat.
3. Great value has the composition of food for aquarium fish, so when buying mixtures, read what is written on the packaging so that there are no prohibited ingredients.
4. You also need to take into account the age of the fish, since fry and adults need different food.

Food for viviparous aquarium fish

Such inhabitants of aquariums are undemanding when it comes to nutrition. In nature, they eat live food, which is why bloodworms, tubifex worms, and others are also suitable for aquarium cultivation. Plant food for aquarium fish is of great importance in the diet, and dried nettle and spirulina are suitable for this. It is best to buy special food, as it will not pollute the water. Dry treats include cereal and chips. It is important that the food is not too large. They can feed at any level of the aquarium.

Food for predatory aquarium fish

Many people buy an aquarium to start one that needs good nutrition. The basis of the diet is live food, but it can be replaced raw meat or different surrogates. If predators are hungry, they can attack each other. It is recommended to include such aquarium inhabitants in the diet live fish. Various aquarium foods are suitable for them: live bloodworms, worms, larvae and others.

Food for bottom aquarium fish

For such inhabitants of the aquarium, you should choose food that falls to the bottom, for example, the most popular are dry tablets. If the species is preferred, it is necessary to feed with proteins of plant and animal origin. If it is noticed that the pets are hungry, then food for aquarium catfish and other types of bottom fish must be lowered through a funnel with a tube to the bottom and in this case you should choose bloodworms, tubifex and coretra. Regarding suitable plant food, then this is spirulina, lettuce and cucumbers.

Food for fry of aquarium fish

To grow healthy fish, it is necessary to take into account the specifics of each species. Good aquarium fish food can be chosen from the following options:

1. Living dust. Contains ciliates, rotifers, daphnia and others. They catch it with a net and then sort it.
2. Ciliate slipper. A good replacement for the first option and, importantly, it can be grown at home.
3. Pot worms. These are small worms that live on moist pressed pieces of peat. Dry crushed cheese is used to feed them.
4. Nematodes. Roundworms are used to feed fish fry. They can be divided into parts.
5. Egg yolk. It needs to be prepared: grind it well in a glass with boiled water and then wash until transparent. Feeding is carried out using a pipette.

The best food for aquarium fish

Not many aquarium owners are ready to prepare their own food, especially for animal options. In such a situation, ready-made dry products from different manufacturers. It is impossible to say which dry aquarium food is better, since it all depends on the preferences of the fish, which have their own taste preferences.

Tetra food for aquarium fish

One of the leading manufacturers is located in Germany and other countries. The company appeared on the market in the middle of the last century and developers are constantly improving the composition, offering new products. Products are exported to more than 80 countries. Aquarium fish food flakes, tablets, balls and granules stand out because they contain infection-fighting beta-glucan and Omega-3 acids. The manufacturer offers universal and specialized food, for example, for fry and to improve the color of ornamental species.

Food "Sulfur" for aquarium fish

A popular German manufacturer that has been exporting its products since the beginning of the 21st century. In this country special attention They emphasize the quality of products, so Sera aquarium fish food has a balanced composition. The manufacturer produces a wide range of products in the form of tablets, granules, flakes and chips. Among the options presented, you can choose food for any type of aquarium inhabitants. This manufacturer has plant foods for aquarium fish that contain willow bark and alder wood, which is beneficial for digestion.

Biodesign food for aquarium fish

Famous Russian manufacturer, which offers a wide range of products to the market. It will be possible to select dry treats for all types of fish in different forms. Biodesign aquarium food is multi-component and fortified. The manufacturer uses natural ingredients plant and animal origin. Contains vitamins, amino acids, proteins, fats, carbohydrates, mineral salts and vitamins. Based on this, we can conclude that such ready-made food is suitable for daily feeding.

How to make food for aquarium fish?

There are several foods that can be used to feed, creating complete diet. Aquarium food at home can be like this:

1. Beef heart. Grind the frozen offal on a grater. You can give the heart once every few days, in small portions.
2. Egg. You can use the preparation option presented above, and you can also give a hard-boiled and grated yolk.
3. Semolina. Another option for food for aquarium fish, for which pour boiling water over the cereal and boil for 20 minutes. After this, rinse the porridge and serve in small portions.
4. Bread. Give your aquarium fish crumbs of stale white bread.
5. Vegetables. Feed boiled carrots, broccoli, zucchini and zucchini. Grind the prepared vegetables and rinse.
6. Oatmeal. Grind the flakes thoroughly in a blender to a powder, brew with boiling water, and then rinse.

Currently, pet stores offer a huge range of food for our pets, cats, birds and aquarium fish. It is often difficult to understand this diversity. Let's understand a little about food and start with their main types.

Dry artificial food for aquarium fish

The range of dry artificial food for aquarium fish is varied. Their quality has also improved significantly: containing many necessary substances and balanced in composition (some foods combine three to four dozen animal and plant components), these foods will satisfy the needs of almost all popular types of aquarium fish. When choosing food, you should pay attention to the product manufacturer, composition, expiration date, as well as what group of fish it is suitable for.

Keep in mind that the information provided by manufacturers of artificial food is not enough to compare and evaluate them. When choosing food before today the main criteria were the practice of use and the authority of the manufacturer.

Feed for various groups fish differ in the shape and size of particles, composition, they can swim for a long time (chips and flakes, floating sticks) or sink (pellets and tablets) in the aquarium.

Let's look at the nutritional features of common groups of aquarium fish.

• We will start with goldfish, which many aquarists love. Their diet should contain less protein than food intended for tropical fish. In addition, it is good if the food for them includes natural substances that increase the brightness of the color. The brands Nutrafin Golgfish (Hagen), AniMin Goldfish (Tetre), etc. best meet these requirements.
• For cold-blooded fish kept in ponds (goldfish, koi carp, etc.), special food is also produced, for example, the TetraPond food line.
• Special food is also produced for such fish as Malawian cichlids (Nutrafin Cichlid, TetraCichlid), red parrots (Tetra RedParrot), guppies (Tetra Guppy), and cockerels (Tetra Betta). The composition of such feeds is selected taking into account biological features various types of fish. For example, food for red parrots contains special substances that maintain the brightness of the color of these fish.
• We should also remember about fish that naturally have plant components in their diet, for example, some cichlids, labeos, platies, swordtails, and mollies. There are foods especially for them that contain increased plant fiber content, for example, Tetra Phyll. Such foods may contain spinach, spirulina or other algae. Food containing herbal additives will help you in cases where your fish bite young leaves and tops of aquatic plants. In this case, it is better to combine plant food with regular food.
• Delicate and finicky discus require food that not only enhances color, but also contains many vitamins and easily digestible protein (for example, Tetra Discus).
• Bottom fish (bots, various types catfish), crayfish and shrimp eat food in the form of sinking tablets, which the rest of the aquarium inhabitants cannot chew right away. These foods often contain increased amounts of spirulina and plant fiber to suit the taste of bottom dwellers (Wardley Spirulina Discs).
• To enhance the brightness of the colors of yellow, orange and red fish (or those that have stripes or spots of these colors), for example, fire and Sumatran barbs, guppies, platies, swordtails, red neons, etc., we recommend foods such as TetraPro Color Crisps or TetraRubin. They contain natural carotenoids, which also affect color.
• If your aquarium is “hodgepodge”, then the fish need to be fed with universal food, for example, Nutrafin Basix Staple Food, TetraMin Pro or TetraMin.
• For growing juveniles and fry, there are also special foods that contain all the substances necessary for growth (for example, TetraMin Mini, TetraMin Baby).

Most dry food comes in the form of floating flakes or sinking granules. How do you know what might suit your fish? Look at their mouth!

• Upper mouth fish love food that floats on the surface.
• It is convenient for fish with a terminal mouth to collect food in the water column. Both sinking granules and floating flakes are suitable for them.
• Fishes with lower mouth They love to collect food from the bottom.

When purchasing food, you need to remember that you need to store an open jar for no more than two to six months, otherwise the food begins to oxidize and some of the substances that make up it, primarily vitamins, begin to deteriorate. Therefore, it is better to buy a jar of a size that the fish can “eat” within the specified time. If you still give the fish food that has been open for a long time, then it’s worth adding some vitamins to it: in any case, it won’t make it worse.

Natural food for aquarium fish

Live food must be used carefully. After all, it comes to pet stores and, accordingly, to your aquariums from natural reservoirs. That is, there is a danger of introducing fish pathogens into the water; in addition, most benthic invertebrates (for example, tubifex and bloodworms) can accumulate various harmful substances if they live in industrial waste discharge areas. When purchasing such food, you should ask the seller where it comes from. And before you feed it, you need to rinse it several times!!!

When purchasing live food, some aquarists freeze it in the freezer, destroying pathogens. It is more convenient to buy frozen food in the store.

Sometimes some particularly picky fish eat only live food; it is necessary to gradually retrain them to frozen or dry food. One of the most beloved and valuable types of live food for fish is bloodworms. Koretra is slightly inferior to it in popularity, but it is absolutely indispensable for fish that do not take food from the bottom. A very valuable type of food is cyclops, which contains many vitamins, especially a lot of carotene and vitamin A, which give the fish a bright color. Tubifex is a very fatty and high-calorie food, often leading to obesity, and is capable of accumulating many harmful substances, for example, heavy metals. Therefore, first of all, before feeding live tubifex to your pets, you should keep the worms for 4-7 days. cool water, rinsing it daily in running cold water (naturally, it’s even better to arrange a “constant” rinse for the tubifex). Daphnia contains a large amount of ballast substance that improves digestion; it is especially good to combine it with protein-rich foods, such as bloodworms or tubifex. Often the larvae of Artemia, rotifers and ciliates are used to feed the fry.

Often, other types of aquarium fish are used to feed predators: juvenile goldfish (“navels”), zebrafish, and guppies. It is not recommended to use fish that are caught independently in natural reservoirs; they may contain pathogens of dangerous diseases.

In addition to frozen food, you can also give your pets gelled food (Tetra Freshdelica), which retains more nutrients.

Food from your table

It turns out that fish do not mind diversifying their diet with human food. For example, ampullaria snails, shrimp, and catfish will be happy with pieces of cucumber and pumpkin, apple and carrot, and corn kernels from a jar. They and other fish will be grateful to you for scalded leaves of nettle, spinach, and lettuce. Most people will be happy with squid and shrimp meat, as well as oyster and mussel meat. sea ​​fish and large cichlids. The attention of most will be drawn to scraped turkey or chicken meat. But beef meat is not very suitable for feeding fish, the fact is that the protein contained in it is absorbed by the fish only by three percent, the rest begins to decompose and spoil the water! Also not very suitable white bread, it is better to offer the fish semolina or oatmeal. Very good for fry good food- this is boiled mashed egg yolk. But you need to be careful: it is given in small portions, and this food also pollutes the water!

Fish in an aquarium, for the most part, have a completely different diet than their wild relatives living in nature, so the main task for the aquarist is to provide their pets with balanced food. It is recommended to use commercial foods purchased at a pet store or online. They are safer, easier to store and use than live products, such as daphnia or bloodworms, caught from the nearest pond.

Based on the main component of the food taken by certain fish, they are conventionally divided into three groups: herbivores (herbivores), carnivores (predatory) and omnivores. Manufacturers use approximately the same principle to make their food.

Omnivores

They eat everything they can swallow; the daily diet can include both plant components and animal products

Carnivores

They feed on insects, their larvae, small crustaceans, worms and other invertebrates. If it is a predator, then other fish

Fishes not only prefer various products, but also consume them in their own way. True predators hunt for prey. “Vegetarians” graze peacefully on leaves, snags or at the bottom, where catfish and other bottom inhabitants collect pieces of food. Based on the region/places of food intake, three groups can be distinguished: those that feed at the surface, throughout the entire volume, or at the bottom, on the lower tier.

Important! Any aquarist needs to know what and where your fish eats in order to choose suitable type food. For example, some catfish will never come to the surface in search of food, and predators will not accept dry flakes or granules.

Kinds/types of feed

The choice of food for aquarium fish is huge. There are a large number of manufacturers on the market producing the most variety of products, in almost all price categories. This industry is no worse developed than for cats and dogs. Usually isolated the following types or types of feed.

Flakes / Granules - the most popular and varied type of food, which are particles of a dried mixture in the form of flakes, granules, powder (for fry), tablets, sticks, etc. They are supplied in a variety of packages. Typically stored at room temperature.

Fresh frozen- frozen fresh invertebrates, zooplankton, such as bloodworms, brine shrimp, daphnia, etc., or minced meat from the same products. Supplied in vacuum blister packs, tubes, boxes, bags. Stored in the freezer or refrigerator.

Gels - are a paste-like substance in tubes, similar in appearance to toothpaste or cream. Manufacturers position such food as an alternative to frozen food, having similar nutritional value, but at the same time they differ favorably in that an opened tube can be stored at room temperature for a long time.

Weekend food— designed for those who leave the aquarium for a long time, for example, going away for the weekend or on a short vacation. The food is mixed with a special water-soluble substance, which is shaped into a ball, pyramid, stick, etc. It is placed on the bottom or attached to the side glass. As the food dissolves, it is gradually released, providing the fish with food. It lasts from several days to a week.

Fresh vegetable- some herbivorous fish, such as and, need them. Green vegetables and fruits are usually used. For example, pieces of cucumber, apple, peeled zucchini, blanched spinach, peas, etc.

How much and how often to feed the fish

The question is not as simple as it seems. The most common and generalized option is

2-3 times a day in an amount eaten in about 5 minutes.

However, there are many nuances associated with specific types of fish. For example, some herbivores feed almost continuously and need constant access to food. In their case, it is advisable to stimulate the growth of algae or place pieces of green vegetables and fruits at the bottom. Predators, on the contrary, feed rarely, but take in large amounts of food at one time. Behavioral traits also play a role. Some species are overly active during feeding and will not allow fish that are too timid and/or slow to approach the feeder. Others feed exclusively at night or at dusk, hiding in shelters during the day; therefore, for them, food must be served before turning off the lights.

Important! It is always worth remembering that it is better to underfeed than to overfeed, since all uneaten food remains will become a source of water contamination.

When keeping fish in one aquarium that have different ways nutrition, it is important to ensure that all pets receive the required portion of food. Otherwise, there is a high risk of malnutrition, which can ultimately lead to health problems or even death from exhaustion. Fortunately, there are many commercially available products to suit the dietary needs of all fish species. The main thing is to choose correctly.

What should you not feed your fish?

Very often there is information that bread, cookies, cheese, egg products, etc. can be used as alternative food. However, this is a misconception; under no circumstances should they be fed to fish. The source of this information is old literature on aquarium husbandry, which is often copied by some printed publications and Internet sites. It is possible that in earlier times, when food chemical industry was not developed, such products could indeed be used, but at present it is not worth doing this. The composition of modern food products is very extensive and a number of ingredients are potentially hazardous to the health of fish.