What Food Should You Get for Your Freshwater Fish?

Fish owners who have freshwater tanks understand the importance of diet for their pets, and nutritious food is one of the most essential freshwater aquarium supplies. To keep your fish healthy and their colors bright and vibrant, they have to follow a diet that best suits them. One important aspect you need to understand is the specific kind of diet type your specific breed of fish requires, which is dependent upon whether your fish is a carnivore, omnivore, or herbivore. This article will help you find the right kind of freshwater fish food for your pet fish.

For Carnivorous Fish

Some popular carnivores are bettas and discus. Their natural diet includes crustaceans, insects, invertebrates, and other fish fry, and their staple food should be fish-protein based, which means you’ll want to look for freshwater food that has fish meal, squid meal, krill, bloodworms, and shrimp included in it. It’s also a good idea to feed carnivorous fish supplements three times a week. The supplements should include fish and invertebrates. You should avoid mammal proteins, because they contain saturated fats. You should also be wary of vegetables for carnivorous fish and keep their intake to a minimum.

For Omnivorous Fish

If you have omnivorous fish like goldfish or gouramis, you should feed them a variety of both animal and vegetable matter. Their staples are a balanced meal of meat and proteins from plants. You can find this combination in a good tropical or marine staple food like TDO balanced pellets:

https://www.aquaticwarehouse.com/food-for-fish-and-invertibrates/Reef-Nutrition-TDO-Chroma-BOOST-Large-3-oz

Also give them meat and vegetable supplements three times a week and rotate them so the fish receive a good dose of each. One important note about omnivorous fish is that most of them cannot digest grains. They may even have difficulty digesting some plants. Choose a grain-free food.

For Herbivorous Fish

Herbivorous fish options include catfish, otos, and even some African cichlids. These fish need vegetables and plants since they can’t digest meat easily. Their natural diet is seaweed, algae, and live plants in their aquatic environment. For their staple food, give them algae, spirulina, or soybean meal. Essentially, look for freshwater food that has proteins specifically from plants. For their supplements, feed them live aquatic plants, seaweed, lettuce, or dried algae three times a week. With herbivores, you should avoid meat-based proteins and meals. You’ll also need to make sure you’re not feeding them land-based plants because they can’t digest those as well.

By understanding which kind of freshwater fish you have, you can select the appropriate food for them. If you have any questions about the most nutritious foods to get for your fish, contact the aquarium experts at Aquatic Warehouse. In addition to high-quality food, we also carry a wide array of other important aquarium supplies, from aquarium monitors and controllers to LED lighting and filtration systems. Check out our website, stop by our store in Kearny Mesa, or give us a call at 858-467-9297.