Fish And Theri Diet
Fish can vary in shape, size, and colors, and basically, there is no universal or general food they can intake.
Since they are found in different ecosystems worldwide, their diet schemes might be different from one another. Fish can be divided into three subgroups: Omnivores, Carnivores, and Herbivores.
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Omnivores
They are the fish that can eat both flesh and plants or quickly get used to commercial products. It would help if you ensured that the foods’ nutrients include Vitamin C, B2, B6, and B1.
Carnivores
Carnivorous fish are not meant to be isolated in an aquarium because they need a large environment to hunt for food, and they need more protein-rich diet foods that are present in meat.
To determine predatory fish, they usually have a larger mouth and pointed teeth, such as a piranha. They usually lived in the wilderness areas to feast on live fish, insects, and crustaceans.
Commercialized foods are not meant for a carnivorous diet because of insufficient proteins it contains. They needed to have at least 45 to 70% of proteins in their bodies.
Herbivores
Herbivores can only consume plants that are more unmanageable to digest than meats because they long digestive tracts.
Recommended food for herbivorous fish is plants and algae. Placing them in the aquarium would be a good idea; however, they’re not precisely the pet kinds of fish because they would likely suffocate in a smaller environment with a smaller natural plant around them.
Some fish also eat leafy vegetables like lettuce and fruits like pears, which are minerals and vitamins.
Freeze Dried, Frozen, and Live Foods
There were some debates on the internet about what would be the better choice for fish. But gushing over the comments, many preferred frozen foods, although they have the same nutritional value.
98% of the water content is removed from freeze-drying foods. Even though the color and texture are compromised, it will cause the food not to spoil quickly and preserve its nutrients.
Here are some examples of top-rated freeze-dried fish food on Amazon; I have not tried these, but they seem like people love them according to the customer ratings.
Flake Fish Foods
Flake Fish food is available for almost all types of fish, like Betta and Goldfish, sprinkled on the water surface for fish breeders.
There are a couple of good-quality flakes that can be bought online or in the retail store.
TetraMin Tropical Flakes
Tetramin Tropical Flakes have a well-balanced nutrient considered one of the premier flake fish foods with 47% crude protein, making them one of the most recommended flakes.
Other nutrients include 1% phosphate and 6% moisture with omega-three acids, biotin, and antioxidants to enhance their growth and digestion.
This is best to feed your fish two times daily, as they can entirely consume it within 5 minutes. The food is also easily digested, so you do not need to worry about your fish immunity and uncompromised digestion.
Tetramin Tropical Flakes does not float on the water since it does not stay on the surface long enough.
Tetra 16162
Tetra 16162 is hailed as the best tropical fish food for the high-end nutrients that it carries and its affordable cost. Available in pink and orange color, the fish would find this delightful and delectable to the eyes.
This product also carries almost the same nutrients that Tetramin Tropical Flakes have, but the protein is 2% higher than the latter. Its nutrients include Vitamin C, minerals, and 6% fiber, which can also be the most suitable for omnivorous and carnivorous fish.
One thing that highlights Tetra 16162 is the ProCare formula to prevent sickness and boost immunity. Tetra 16162 can make the water stay clean as it quickly dissolves in the water.
API Tropical Green Flakes
Like any other fish food product, API’s tropical fish food can also boast the complete nutrients needed by your pet. An added ingredient called spirulina is the primary key to improve the skin color of your fish.
It’s also easily digested and dissolves quickly, thus leaving fewer clouds and ammonia in the water.
When To Feed Them
Overfeeding is one of the owner’s most common mistakes because little did they know, it could create toxic all over the parts of their body and eventually lead to their fateful death.
That is why the fish owners need to follow food packaging guidelines to be fed twice a day with a certain amount of food to avoid such a mistake.
If given a chance, the fish takes every opportunity to eat, and when someone sprinkles their food, they will grab it immediately even if they don’t need to.
Generally, fish can digest their food in 16 to 24 hours, so it has already been enough even if you feed them only once a day. Many aquarists suggested keeping a tiny serving when feeding them since most flake fish foods can quickly dissolve into water.
The busy people out there or lazy like myself have plenty of automatic fish feeders, like the Torlam Auto Fish Feeder.
However, herbivores are an exception because they do not have the stomach for digestion. All you need to do is to set up a live plant, so when they go hungry, they can eat and pick it up as they wish.
Keep the food fish in either a dry container or in a cool place to keep its nutritional value. A small bottle of Tetra 161612 can last for a month if kept appropriately.
Conclusion
You have to be knowledgeable in researching the specific type of food your fish needs according to its type of species. With thorough research, it would help you to keep your fish healthy and immune to unwanted illnesses.
When buying products, it is vital to look at the nutritional value so you would know if it’s healthy for the fish to intake or not.
