The Do's and Don'ts of Fish Nutrition

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The Do's and Don'ts of Fish Nutrition

Left to themselves in nature, fish look after their own nutrition pretty well. But once you put fish in your aquarium, you become their dietician as well as their owner. And if you have a complex community of different kinds of fish, meeting their different dietary needs can seem like a rather daunting responsibility. But not to worry - here are a few tips to get you started.

The Do's

DO find out whether your fish is a carnivore (eats meat and fish), an herbivore (eats plants and algae) or an omnivore (eats both). If you don't find out in advance which type of fish you have, you may discover decorative plants and other fish in the tank may start to disappear! Before buying a fish, you should investigate what its needs are and know what type of food to feed it.
DO feed small amounts of food at regular intervals, rather than one large meal once a day. This is the only way to make sure all food is eaten within three to five minutes of being dropped into your tank. Uneaten food will decay and possibly overload the filter in your tank. As a result, the water quality will suffer and your fish may even die. Overfeeding can literally kill your fish with kindness.
DO watch your fish while they feed to make sure all of your fish are eating. If you spot a fish that doesn't seem to be getting enough food, you need to find out why. Is the fish sick? Is it being bullied by bigger fish so it doesn't reach the food in time? Or, if it is a new fish, does it not like the food you are feeding it? Once you can ensure all of your fish are receiving adequate nutrition, you will be well on your way to maintaining a healthy aquarium.

The Don'ts

DON'T feed your fish the same food every day of every week of every month. If you do, you will end up with malnourished, sickly fish. Like humans, fish need a varied diet that includes proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. Even fish that eat other fish need variety in the types of fish they eat. Good commercial fish foods do provide many of these elements, but you should still vary the food you serve. Your fish will appreciate a mix of dried food, frozen food and live food. Vitamin supplements are also available for fish.
DON'T let live or fresh foods introduce parasites and diseases into your tank. You must make sure any food you use is clean. You need to thoroughly wash worms and scrub marine foods before you feed them to your fish. Some fish owners refuse to use certain types of worms, such as tubifex worms, because they may carry diseases in their gut, but other owners say the fish thrive on these worms and the risk is worthwhile.
DON'T overfeed your fish. Uneaten food is dangerous to your fish, as mentioned above, but even the food they eat can be dangerous if your fish gets too much of it! Like humans, fish can become obese and, like humans, their health will suffer. Certain types of fish (particularly cichlids and catfish) are more inclined to overeating than others.

Keep It Natural

To further simplify what you should and shouldn't feed your fish, always remember the first rule of aquarium keeping: Maintain a natural environment.

Your fish have had thousands, even millions of years to acclimate to the water and food available in their native habitats. Obviously, you wouldn't think of placing freshwater fish in a saltwater tank. But when it comes to food, many people assume that a flake is a flake is a flake, and a fish is a fish is a fish. That is categorically untrue. Remember the do's and don'ts of sound nutrition, but also remember where your fish have come from. For best results, keep species from similar environments together and be mindful of prey and predator relationships.

By avoiding stress and feeding the proper food in the proper amounts, you'll find your fish will not only live longer and seem happier, but they will also be brighter, more colorful and more interesting for you to watch.