Which Fish Foods!
General Guidelines for Choosing Fish Foods
It may surprise you to find out that almost no scientific studies have been done using tropical fish, when
studying the nutritional
needs of fish. What an ideal angelfish diet consists of versus what a guppy needs, is not known. Even those like
ourselves, who have raised these fish for decades, can only guess and use our experience as guidelines. Some will hold very
strong opinions, but keep in mind, it's only an opinion, not
fact.
We don't want to leave you hanging on that bit of bad news, so we'll give you some general guidelines and suggestions
for choosing fish foods based on our
experience. In the long run, if you don't make the best
choice, it won't make that much difference. Most foods, that are
made with quality ingredients and are fresh, will do a good job
on most fish. With our foods, the ingredients are fantastic and
they don't come any fresher - we guarantee it.
Nutritional Guidelines for Fish
In general, young growing fish need more protein.
Carnivorous fish also evolved requiring more protein. Your first
challenge is to find out how much animal protein is in their
natural diet. Many would not think of a guppy as carnivorous,
but it is, So are discus and angelfish. Their prey is simply
small enough to fit in their mouths.
Some fish have long digestive tracts. These are fish likely
needing more plant material in their diet. Without it, fish food
can compact in the digestive tract and eventually cause
infections leading to death. You're not likely to find much
information on digestive tract length, so you'll have to see if
you can find out what they eat in nature.
Most fish do best with a more moderate level of protein and
plants in their diet. Remember, it's an average, not what has to
be fed at every meal. For instance, you can feed a 70% protein
plankton at one feeding and a 30% protein pellet at another.
It's just that some fish will do better with a higher percentage
of either low-protein or hi-protein meals.
Young, Growing Carnivorous Fish
These are the ones requiring the highest amount of protein. Our
high protein flake and fry starters are good examples of fish
foods that meet this criteria. Any of the high protein freeze
dried fish foods are a great addition. Protein is used to build
cells, something growing fish are doing a lot of. Excess protein
is simply eliminated from the body in the form of ammonia, so it
does no good to overfeed protein.
Adult Breeding Fish
The females are using a lot of energy to produce eggs, requiring
larger than normal amounts of fats and protein. One problem can
be males that are overeating on a diet more suitable for an
egg-laying
female. It's best for them to be kept active with dither fish or
close-by neighbor fish to keep them occupied. Most of our flake
foods fall into this category. They are formulated with breeding
fish in mind. Typical pet shop fare is too low in fat to be a
great food for breeders.
Vegetarian Fish
Surprising few fish fall into this category. Even bristlenose do
not survive best on just plant material. They need a fair amount
of protein - especially when growing. You just have to be
careful not to overdo it with these fish. Some plant material in
their diet is essential. They not only need less protein, but
the fiber in the plant material is essential to keeping their
digestive tract moving properly.
How Many Different Foods to Feed
Variety will generally make up for our lack of
scientific study in this area. We feel it's best to feed at
least 4-5 different foods. Rotating foods every few days will
keep your fish more adaptable to eating a new food. We can't
give you specific fish food recommendations for your fish - it's
simply too subjective to say one is better than another.
After time, you may come to prefer some foods over others, based
on your own experiences.
