BY BETH ANN BATES
Keeping fish is endlessly interesting. There is so much to learn, but that complexity is
one of the challenges. New hobbyists can feel overwhelmed by the wealth of information
and products available. One area in which this is especially true is fish food. By reviewing
some basics of feeding and aquatic cuisine, you can avoid the most common mistakes
made by well-meaning but under-informed fish keepers.
The most common blunder that new hobbyists make is overfeeding their fish. Why?
There are several reasons, some of which lie in fish behavior and some in the human
psyche. In the wild, tropical fish are scavengers. They eat what they can get, whenever
they can get it. They are always looking for food. Hence, they always appear to be
hungry. Some new fish-keepers respond to this and overfeed their fish, thinking that the
fish will stop begging for food when they are full. This is not true, so don’t use your fishes’
behavior as your guide. If you do, you will almost certainly overfeed them.
Another reason we humans tend to overfeed our fish is that feeding time is often the
most interactive time spent with our aquatic pets. When the fish tank is a family project,
the children often want to keep feeding the fish to watch them eat. This is a lot of fun for
all fish-keepers, but beware. If you overdo it, your fish will pay the price.
An added problem we pet-lovers have is indulging our beloved animal companions with
the same reasoning that causes our own waistlines to bulge. The “a little treat won’t hurt”
mentality causes unhealthy weight gain for us and our dogs, cats and fish. Like our furry
pets, fish can suffer from diseases related to excess weight. So put down that cookie and
set a good example for Fido and the fish!
Overfeeding also causes other problems in your tank. Excess food can degrade the
water quality in two significant ways. First, it can sink to the bottom uneaten and decay
there. The decaying food dirties the water and its chemical breakdown causes the rise of
ammonia, toxic to your fish. Toxic ammonia is also created by the excess food that is
consumed by the fish. Like humans, fish excrete waste matter relative to the amount of
food they have eaten. Too much food means too much waste products discharged into
the water by your fish.
So, how much is too much? The basic rule of thumb is to feed your fish only once or
twice a day, not more than they can consume in about five minutes. If you are raising fry
(baby fish) you will feed them smaller amounts more often. If you accidentally dump too
much food into the tank, you should remove excess uneaten food with a clean net, much
like you would clean a swimming pool. It is always better to err on the side of too little
food rather than too much. Your fish will be much healthier. Some hobbyists even
advocate skipping a day’s feeding now and then, claiming that a fast is of benefit to the
fish.
Another mistake is to feed the wrong type of food. This is an easy error to make, because
the variety of fish food products on the market is amazing. Manufacturers work hard to
duplicate the nutritional composition of wild fishes’ diets. Different species of fish prefer
different foods. Some fish eat only vegetation (herbivores), while some will eat only meat
and many will eat both (omnivores). It’s important when buying fish that you know what
type of diet that species has. Always do some research before you purchase. Your local
public library or bookstore is a splendid place to start. Many good books are available, as
well as magazines like this one, that give useful information.
Also, I recommend that you find a store in your area that specializes in tropical fish. The
employees there are often dedicated hobbyists themselves and can be quite
knowledgeable. The pet supply store giants can be notoriously unqualified as experts
this area.
The various types of food can be purchased in a number of different formations. The
most common and well-known is flake food. Flake foods usually come in cans and are
dried flakes of animal or vegetable matter. Flake foods are nutritious, inexpensive and
come in a mind-boggling variety.There are flake foods especially designed for a
particular species, such as goldfish or cichlids, or foods that almost all species can
enjoy. Some are specifically vegetable, such as spirulina. Some are formulated for either
marine or freshwater fish in particular.
One serious mistake many people make is to allow flake foods to become stale. Unlike
people food, the package usually does not indicate an expiration date, but once the can
is opened, the food quickly becomes stale. Therefore, it is best to buy flake food in small
quantities, even though large cans are more economical. Many hobbyists keep flake food
in the freezer to maintain its freshness.
Frozen fish food products are right now becoming very popular. Foods purchased frozen
can be wonderful, convenient versions of the natural animal and vegetable diets that fish
eat in the wild. One favorite frozen food is brine shrimp, which most fish will enjoy. Some
brands come frozen into tiny cubes — a mini TV dinner for your fish. Do not heat them!
Slowly defrost them slowly by running warm water over a cube in a clean net.
The freshest food is live food. Advanced hobbyists often become involved in culturing tiny
insects that fish love to eat. This is especially true of those hobbyists that are passionate
about breeding their fish. Some harvest insects and/or larvae at local streams or ponds.
Tropical fish stores may also carry live foods. One word of caution: live foods can carry
bacteria and parasites that will infect your fish. This is perhaps an option best left to
master fish-keepers.
A safer way to give your fish the benefit of fresh natural foods is to serve them fresh
vegetables. Unless your fish are strict carnivores, they will likely enjoy a piece of lettuce or
zucchini. Wash it with water only. My friend Sarah, who keeps cichlids and catfish, will cut
a small zucchini in half and then down the middle. She attaches a piece (with the white
side exposed) to the bottom of the tank with plant anchors. Her fish gobble it up in short
order!
Another characteristic of the food to consider is where within your tank the fish will
encounter the food. Flake foods, for example, in general float near the top of the tank, so
that fish that normally swim near the water’s surface will encounter and eat this food.
Catfish and other bottom-dwellers will go hungry if this is the only food given. An easy
alternative more suited to them is a pellet or tablet designed to sink to the gravel where
they can nibble on it.
Choosing only one food for your fish is another avoidable mistake. Like you, your fish
need a varied menu to achieve a healthy, balanced diet. Feed them an assortment of
foods within the type that is appropriate for the species. Experienced hobbyists often feel
that flake food alone, even a variety of it, is not good enough. “How would you like to eat
cereal for breakfast, lunch and dinner?” asked Ray Wetzel, an accomplished angel fish
breeder.
Consider the time of day and lighting in your tank. Some species like to eat in daylight,
others in the dark. You need to feed them accordingly. For those that normally eat in dusk
or dark, turn off the tank lights shortly after you put the food in. The size of your fish is also
something to think about. Small fish may need food crumbled into tiny bits in order to eat
it.
As with everything in fish-keeping, the proof of good practices is a healthy tank. If your fish
are growing and free of illness, you must be doing it right. If, on the other hand, your tank
suffers from poor water quality and your fish are not healthy, how you feed them can be
the cause. Getting the balance right may require some experimentation. It’s always a
good idea to keep notes on what you do regarding the care and feeding of your tank. If
you experience a problem such as a fish appears ill or the water has ammonia, you
should review your notes to see what practices might need adjusting. Cutting back on the
food might be the right place to start.
First published December 2006 in The Animal Companion.
Keeping fish is endlessly interesting. There is so much to learn, but that complexity is
one of the challenges. New hobbyists can feel overwhelmed by the wealth of information
and products available. One area in which this is especially true is fish food. By reviewing
some basics of feeding and aquatic cuisine, you can avoid the most common mistakes
made by well-meaning but under-informed fish keepers.
The most common blunder that new hobbyists make is overfeeding their fish. Why?
There are several reasons, some of which lie in fish behavior and some in the human
psyche. In the wild, tropical fish are scavengers. They eat what they can get, whenever
they can get it. They are always looking for food. Hence, they always appear to be
hungry. Some new fish-keepers respond to this and overfeed their fish, thinking that the
fish will stop begging for food when they are full. This is not true, so don’t use your fishes’
behavior as your guide. If you do, you will almost certainly overfeed them.
Another reason we humans tend to overfeed our fish is that feeding time is often the
most interactive time spent with our aquatic pets. When the fish tank is a family project,
the children often want to keep feeding the fish to watch them eat. This is a lot of fun for
all fish-keepers, but beware. If you overdo it, your fish will pay the price.
An added problem we pet-lovers have is indulging our beloved animal companions with
the same reasoning that causes our own waistlines to bulge. The “a little treat won’t hurt”
mentality causes unhealthy weight gain for us and our dogs, cats and fish. Like our furry
pets, fish can suffer from diseases related to excess weight. So put down that cookie and
set a good example for Fido and the fish!
Overfeeding also causes other problems in your tank. Excess food can degrade the
water quality in two significant ways. First, it can sink to the bottom uneaten and decay
there. The decaying food dirties the water and its chemical breakdown causes the rise of
ammonia, toxic to your fish. Toxic ammonia is also created by the excess food that is
consumed by the fish. Like humans, fish excrete waste matter relative to the amount of
food they have eaten. Too much food means too much waste products discharged into
the water by your fish.
So, how much is too much? The basic rule of thumb is to feed your fish only once or
twice a day, not more than they can consume in about five minutes. If you are raising fry
(baby fish) you will feed them smaller amounts more often. If you accidentally dump too
much food into the tank, you should remove excess uneaten food with a clean net, much
like you would clean a swimming pool. It is always better to err on the side of too little
food rather than too much. Your fish will be much healthier. Some hobbyists even
advocate skipping a day’s feeding now and then, claiming that a fast is of benefit to the
fish.
Another mistake is to feed the wrong type of food. This is an easy error to make, because
the variety of fish food products on the market is amazing. Manufacturers work hard to
duplicate the nutritional composition of wild fishes’ diets. Different species of fish prefer
different foods. Some fish eat only vegetation (herbivores), while some will eat only meat
and many will eat both (omnivores). It’s important when buying fish that you know what
type of diet that species has. Always do some research before you purchase. Your local
public library or bookstore is a splendid place to start. Many good books are available, as
well as magazines like this one, that give useful information.
Also, I recommend that you find a store in your area that specializes in tropical fish. The
employees there are often dedicated hobbyists themselves and can be quite
knowledgeable. The pet supply store giants can be notoriously unqualified as experts
this area.
The various types of food can be purchased in a number of different formations. The
most common and well-known is flake food. Flake foods usually come in cans and are
dried flakes of animal or vegetable matter. Flake foods are nutritious, inexpensive and
come in a mind-boggling variety.There are flake foods especially designed for a
particular species, such as goldfish or cichlids, or foods that almost all species can
enjoy. Some are specifically vegetable, such as spirulina. Some are formulated for either
marine or freshwater fish in particular.
One serious mistake many people make is to allow flake foods to become stale. Unlike
people food, the package usually does not indicate an expiration date, but once the can
is opened, the food quickly becomes stale. Therefore, it is best to buy flake food in small
quantities, even though large cans are more economical. Many hobbyists keep flake food
in the freezer to maintain its freshness.
Frozen fish food products are right now becoming very popular. Foods purchased frozen
can be wonderful, convenient versions of the natural animal and vegetable diets that fish
eat in the wild. One favorite frozen food is brine shrimp, which most fish will enjoy. Some
brands come frozen into tiny cubes — a mini TV dinner for your fish. Do not heat them!
Slowly defrost them slowly by running warm water over a cube in a clean net.
The freshest food is live food. Advanced hobbyists often become involved in culturing tiny
insects that fish love to eat. This is especially true of those hobbyists that are passionate
about breeding their fish. Some harvest insects and/or larvae at local streams or ponds.
Tropical fish stores may also carry live foods. One word of caution: live foods can carry
bacteria and parasites that will infect your fish. This is perhaps an option best left to
master fish-keepers.
A safer way to give your fish the benefit of fresh natural foods is to serve them fresh
vegetables. Unless your fish are strict carnivores, they will likely enjoy a piece of lettuce or
zucchini. Wash it with water only. My friend Sarah, who keeps cichlids and catfish, will cut
a small zucchini in half and then down the middle. She attaches a piece (with the white
side exposed) to the bottom of the tank with plant anchors. Her fish gobble it up in short
order!
Another characteristic of the food to consider is where within your tank the fish will
encounter the food. Flake foods, for example, in general float near the top of the tank, so
that fish that normally swim near the water’s surface will encounter and eat this food.
Catfish and other bottom-dwellers will go hungry if this is the only food given. An easy
alternative more suited to them is a pellet or tablet designed to sink to the gravel where
they can nibble on it.
Choosing only one food for your fish is another avoidable mistake. Like you, your fish
need a varied menu to achieve a healthy, balanced diet. Feed them an assortment of
foods within the type that is appropriate for the species. Experienced hobbyists often feel
that flake food alone, even a variety of it, is not good enough. “How would you like to eat
cereal for breakfast, lunch and dinner?” asked Ray Wetzel, an accomplished angel fish
breeder.
Consider the time of day and lighting in your tank. Some species like to eat in daylight,
others in the dark. You need to feed them accordingly. For those that normally eat in dusk
or dark, turn off the tank lights shortly after you put the food in. The size of your fish is also
something to think about. Small fish may need food crumbled into tiny bits in order to eat
it.
As with everything in fish-keeping, the proof of good practices is a healthy tank. If your fish
are growing and free of illness, you must be doing it right. If, on the other hand, your tank
suffers from poor water quality and your fish are not healthy, how you feed them can be
the cause. Getting the balance right may require some experimentation. It’s always a
good idea to keep notes on what you do regarding the care and feeding of your tank. If
you experience a problem such as a fish appears ill or the water has ammonia, you
should review your notes to see what practices might need adjusting. Cutting back on the
food might be the right place to start.
First published December 2006 in The Animal Companion.
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