Which Fish Food Is Right For My Fish

With so many types of fish food made available for our fish, it’s no wonder new hobbyists are baffled with the varieties or lost in confusion. Let’s take a closer look on three common fish food and a feeding accessory.

1. Automatic Feeders

Most fishkeepers rely on a neighbor or relative to drop in and feed their fish when they go on holiday. Unless that caregiver is experienced in fish rearing, this will inevitably lead to overfeeding.

With an automatic feeder, the feeding quantity and frequency can be controlled—the device can be programmed to deliver a precise amount of dry food (preferably pellet form) at any set interval.

It not only provides fish hobbyists with peace of mind during holidays, but is also useful for those who work late and want to give their fish an early food.

2. Frozen Feed

Fresh raw materials are washed, cut and ground to the correct size and mixed as fast as possible to minimize leaching of nutrients. They are then fortified with specially formulated vitamin premix to ensure that your fish will be supplied with the complete range of required nutrients.

The type of freezing method employed can affect the quality of the final product. More advanced techniques using liquid carbon dioxide drastically lower the temperature to about -85°F. This improves product quality as the smaller-sized ice crystals which form do not puncture the cell membrane like large ice crystals do, thus minimizing the leaching of nutrients upon thawing.

3. Brine Shrimp

Brine shrimp, also know as artemia, are harvested from ponds, lakes or oceans. They can be used as food for fish of all sizes, and may be fed live, frozen or freeze-dried. They are an important ingredient in most formulated fish foods.

Due to the nature of their diets, different strains of brine shrimp have different lipid compositions. These determine the nutritional quality of the shrimp. The most nutritious brine shrimps are those that are newly hatched. Their lipids, which are energy reserves, are mostly depleted within the first 48 to 72 hours.

Processed brine shrimp can be obtained from most aquarium dealers. The live shrimp may be a little harder to find, but they are worth it. Live baby brine shrimp are the best source of food for fry. The eggs can be hatched in a solution of salt water, and then strained through a fine net and fed to the fry.

4. Spirulina Powder

Spirulina is used primarily as an additive in fish food to promote their growth, strengthen their immunity to diseases, and improve their skin and coloring.

It is a great source of amino acids, pigments, vitamins and minerals, and is particularly rich in carotenoid and xanthoplyll pigments—important factors in attaining bright skin colors in captive fish.

Mermaid Highly Recommends: