What To Feed Your Fish | RSPCA - RSPCA - rspca.org.uk (2024)

FAQs

What To Feed Your Fish | RSPCA - RSPCA - rspca.org.uk? ›

You could try frozen (fully thawed first) fish, crumbled boiled egg yolk and some lettuce leaf depending on the species. Certain species of pleco need vegetables, such as potatoes, or pieces of wood that they graze on.

Finally, a handful of tips – small fish species and those with small mouth holes should be fed with flakes and microgranules. Larger species that collect food from the water surface are best fed with chips and sticks, while bottom fish eat flakes, pellets, tablets or wafers.

As you're digging through your pantry, there are a few foods you shouldn't offer to your fishy friends at any time, including bread and crackers. Dry foods like this expand and clog the digestive tract, making it a poor choice for any animal (even those ducks at the park pond).

Cooked vegetables (peas, cauliflower, pumpkin, carrots, etc.), boiled or steamed, are great food alternatives to fish food flakes once in a while for your omnivorous and herbivorous aquarium fish. You can even feed some fish (goldfish and koi in particular) cooked rice or oatmeal.

In general, most fish can go three days to two weeks without food, but you shouldn't assume that your fish can go that long without having a caretaker there while you're away. Luckily, fish are fairly easy to care for, so whether you're away for a long weekend or a month, there are ways to ensure they're fed enough.

There are special treats for fish such as bloodworms, brine shrimp, etc at any pet store that sells fish or fish supplies. Look in the freezer next to the fish and reptile section. A couple frozen thawed peas (or almost any organic produce) with the skin removed now and then are also a healthy alternative.

Live fish food include earthworms, sludge worms, water fleas, bloodworms, and feeder fish. Food for larvae and young fish include infusoria (Protozoa and other microorganisms), newly hatched brine shrimp and microworms.

It may include detritus*, bacteria*, plankton* , worms, insects, snails, aquatic plants and fish. Their abundance greatly depends on water quality. Liming (see Chapter 5) and fertilization (Chapter 6), in particular organic fertilization, can help you to provide a good supply of natural food to your fish.

Some species, like Betta fish, can survive up to a week without food. Others, like Angelfish, can make it two weeks. Again, this isn't recommended and typically only applies to healthy adult fish. But it's a reminder that a day or two isn't bad.

This depends on what kind of fish you have. Most cold water fish will be fine for one week without food, however tropical fish usually need to be fed more often. There are a few options for keeping your fish fed while you're on holiday.

Will fish stop eating when they are full? ›

Yes, like many other animals they will eat until they are full and the rest of the food will go un-eaten in the aquarium. What can happen if you give them too much food? All excess un-eaten food will begin to decompose releasing organics and ammonia into their water environment.

Most fish only require a once-a-day feeding, though some people like to split it into two smaller feedings. Consult your veterinarian or the fish experts at your local aquarium to learn about the daily requirements for your particular breed. But be aware that a fish will eat even when it's not hungry.

How Often Should I Feed My Fish? For the most part, feeding your fish once or twice a day is sufficient. Some hobbyists even fast their fish one or two days a week to allow them to clear their digestive systems. Larger, more sedentary fish can go longer between meals than smaller, more active fish.

The most common staple diets for aquarium fish are flakes, pellets and wafers. This is because they can be formulated for different types of fish. Aquarium fish flakes are ideal for small fish because they can be crushed easily. Pellets come in various sizes and in both floating and sinking varieties.