Correctly 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, being guided by the preference of aquarium inhabitants.
Types of feed for aquarium fish
The maintenance of fishes means observance of a correct food so the forage should be rich with the protein necessary for growth, fats and carbohydrates, important for reception of energy. Useful types of food for aquarium fish should have vitamins and minerals. It is recommended to choose a variety of food for the menu of your "silent" pets, as they will often get sick. The daily diet of adult fish should be 2-5% of their weight, and for fry, 30%.
Live food for aquarium fish
For health and good development, it is better to choose a live food that contains a lot of protein and is nutritious. With the proper organization of feeding, live food for aquarium fish does not pollute the water. Thanks to such food, the fish reaches puberty and reproduces. It is important to consider that it can tolerate infections and parasitic diseases. The main types of live food for aquarium fish:
- Bloodworm. Mosquito larvae contain up to 60% protein. When choosing, keep in mind that they must have a rich red color and the same size, and still be mobile, which indicates freshness. Bundle the purchased batch, remove dead larvae, rinse several times in running water and soak for three days in the refrigerator.
- Corretra. Colorless larvae are not a blood-sucking mosquito. This option is safer, but the percentage of protein in it is about 40%. It is recommended to combine it with other foods and give no more than 1-2 times a week. When choosing such a feed for aquarium fish, please note that the larvae should not have an unpleasant odor and turbid plaque, and they must also be mobile. Corretra does not spoil the water and does not fall on the ground. You need to store larvae, as well as bloodworms.
- Tuber. Ringworm is the most nutritious, and it has a red body up to 4 cm. Ideal for restoring fish after transport. Giving food is through special floating feeders. After buying a tuber should stay in the quarantine for a week. This type of food is dangerous because worms can carry different bacteria. Keep it in the water in the refrigerator. Twice a day, wipe the worms and clean dead individuals.
- Daphnia. It is a freshwater crustacean that occurs in the period of flowering of water in all water bodies. It contains up to 50% protein. Daphnia can be used to feed young animals. Store this food for aquarium fish you need in the water in the refrigerator.
- Earthworms. Option for large individuals and such feed can be obtained independently. Store them in wooden containers with sand and turf. They will last up to several months. First, worms should be kept for 2-3 days without food, so that they are cleaned and only then give to the fish.
- Frozen food for aquarium fish. Almost all of the above types are frozen and sold, which is convenient to use. These are rectangular briquettes and cubes.
Dry food for aquarium fish
Many owners of aquariums 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.
- Pills. The feed in this form gradually descends in the water, so it is better suited for bottom fish and hydrobionts. Tableted dry food for aquarium fish is a dense substance, so you will not be able to completely swallow such food. They consist of natural ingredients and vitamins. Like other dry food, the tablets spoil the water.
- Flakes and chips. The first option is brittle in structure, so it almost immediately decomposes on contact with water. Suitable for all types of fish. Chips have a more dense structure, so they soak slowly. The feed of this group has a small nutritional value due to the content of agar, gelatin and gluten. They make the water turbid and pollute the plants and the filter, so it is often not recommended to use flakes and chips.
- Sticks and granules. It is a granular substance, which is presented in different forms, suitable for different fish. There are granules floating and drowning. They are dense in structure and slowly decay. The features of granules include the fact that they increase in size, so do not overfeed the water animals.
- Microcourses. These are small pieces of food, frayed into dust. Use it to feed the young. The main drawback is that water quickly gets dirty.
What is the best food to feed aquarium fish?
During the choice of feed, it is necessary to take into account which class the fish belong to, so there are predators preferring live delicacies, herbivorous, giving preference to algae, and omnivores. Choosing feed for aquarium fish is necessary, focusing on some recommendations:
- Pisces have their preferences for food, and yet it is worth considering how they eat: from the bottom or grab a treat from the surface.
- Pay attention to what sizes of food new pets can absorb.
- Of great importance is the composition of the feed for aquarium fish, so buying the mixture, read what is written on the packaging so that there are no prohibited ingredients.
- It is necessary to take into account the age of fish, as fry and adults need different foods.
Feed for viviparous aquarium fish
Such inhabitants of aquariums are undemanding to feed. In nature, they eat live food, so for aquarium breeding suits bloodworms, tubulars and others. Great value in the diet has a vegetable feed for aquarium fish, and for this purpose, dried nettle and spirulina will do. It is best to buy special feeds, as they will not contaminate water. Among the dry treats, flakes and chips are suitable. It is important that the food is not too large. They can eat at any level of the aquarium.
Feed for predatory aquarium fish
Many people buy an aquarium to have predators that need a full meal. The basis of the diet is a live food, but it can be replaced by raw meat or various surrogates. If predators are hungry, then they can attack each other. It is recommended to include live fish in the diet of such aquarium inhabitants. Suitable for them are different aquarium feeds: live bloodworm, worms, larvae and others.
Feed for bottom aquarium fish
For such aquarium inhabitants, one should choose food that falls to the bottom, for example, the most popular are dry tablets. With species preferences, it is necessary to carry out top dressing with proteins of vegetable and animal origin. If it is noticed that pets are hungry, then feed for aquarium catfish and other species of bottom fish should be lowered through a funnel with a tube to the bottom and in this case it is necessary to choose a bloodworm, tubule and corpuscle. As for suitable plant foods, it is spirulina, lettuce and cucumber.
Feed for fry of aquarium fish
To grow a healthy fish, you need to take into account the specifics of each species. A good feed for aquarium fish can be selected among the following options:
- Live dust. Contains infusoria, rotifers, daphnia and others. Catch it with a net, and then sort it.
- Infusoria shoe. A good replacement for the first option and, importantly, it can be grown at home.
- Potterworms. These are small worms, living on wet pressed pieces of peat. To feed them, use dry powdered cheese.
- Nematodes. Roundworms are used as feeding fry of fish. They can be divided into parts.
- Egg yolk. It must be prepared: grind well in a glass with boiled water, and then, wash it to transparency. Feeding is carried out with a pipette.
The best food for aquarium fish
Not many owners of aquariums are ready to prepare food independently, especially for animal variants. In such a situation, ready-made dry products from different manufacturers come to the rescue. It is impossible to say which dry aquarium feed is better, because everything depends on the preferences of fish that have their own taste preferences.
Feed "Tetra" 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. The products are exported to more than 80 countries. Fish feeds for the aquarium with flakes, tablets, pellets and granules are distinguished by the fact that they contain beta-glucan, which fights infections, and Omega-3 acids. The manufacturer offers universal and specialized feeds, for example, for fry and for improving the color of decorative species.
Feed "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 is given to the quality of products, therefore the feed for aquarium fish "Sera" has a balanced composition. The manufacturer produces a wide range of products in the form of tablets, granules, flakes and chips. Among the presented options, you can choose food for any species of aquarium inhabitants. There is this vegetable plant food for aquarium fish, which contain bark of willow and alder wood, useful for digestion.
Feed "Biodesign" for aquarium fish
A well-known Russian manufacturer that offers a wide range of products to the market. It will be possible to choose a dry treat for all types of fish in different forms. Aquarium feeds "Biodesign" are multicomponent and vitaminized. The manufacturer uses natural ingredients of vegetable and animal origin. There are in the composition of vitamins, amino acids, proteins, fats, carbohydrates, mineral salts and vitamins. Proceeding from this, it can be concluded that such ready-made food is suitable for daily feeding.
How to make food for aquarium fish?
There are several products that can be used for feeding, creating a full-fledged diet. Aquarium food at home can be as follows:
- Beef heart. Grind the inter-product by grating. You can give the heart every few days, in small portions.
- Egg. You can use the cooking option presented above, and it is still allowed to give a hard-boiled yolk and grated yolk.
- Semolina. One more variant of a forage for aquarium fishes, for what groats fill in with boiled water and cook 20 minutes. After that, rinse the porridge and give in small portions.
- Bread. Give the aquarium fish a crumb of stale white bread.
- Vegetables. Feed the boiled carrots, broccoli, zucchini and zucchini. Finished vegetables grind on a grater and rinse.
- Oatmeal. Flakes carefully chop in a blender to the state of powder, boil with boiling water, and then, rinse.