The Importance Of Proper Nutrients In Fish Diets – Part 1

Fish are especially efficient at converting food into the building blocks of their body tissues, so they need less food to grow, as compared with many other animals.

Generally, fish require relatively little in the way of carbohydrates and a high level of protein in their diet. To ensure healthy growth, it is important to feed your fish the right amount and types of nutrients.

The Functions Of Nutrients In Fish Diets

Protein: The essential components of proteins are amino acids, which are used to synthesize new body tissues and enzymes. Proteins are also a significant source of energy.

Protein builds, repairs, and maintains body tissues—skin, bone, and muscles—and is the major nutrient required for growth. On a dry-weight basic, protein makes up most of the body structure. The importance of proper protein nutrition cannot be over-emphasized.

The amount of protein required by your fish depends on a few variables, including the species, growth rate and the amount of natural food available. Excessive dietary protein is ultimately excreted as ammonia by the fish.

Fish larvae and fry (very young fish) require a protein-rich diet for growth and survival. In the wild, protein makes up 50 per cent or more of their diet, on a dry-weight basis. As the fish grow larger, their protein requirement is reduced.

Temperate can also dramatically affect protein requirements. When fish are kept at cool temperatures, their growth rate falls and thus they can be sustained by lower levels of protein in their diet.

Fats and Essential Fatty Acids: Fats and carbohydrates supply energy for normal bodily functions, spacing proteins for growth.

The reproductive success of some fish is reduced when non-essential saturated animal fats or vegetable oils make up a large part of the diet. Some carnivorous species require a source of fish oil in their diet to supply essential polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Tank-raised fish are especially prone to fattiness because they expend little energy searching for food. Dry commercial feeds are thus usually balanced to provide different species of fish with the appropriate amount of nutrients for their needs.

Carbohydrates: Comprising components like starch and sugars, carbohydrates make up 20 to 40 per cent of most commercial feeds. They are essential sources of energy.

Most fish can tolerate a diet that is 30 to 40 per cent carbohydrate, but a condition similar to diabetes results when their diet is unbalanced. Too much carbohydrates can prevent young fish from obtaining enough of other essential nutrients. High levels of raw starch, like those in cereal grains, can cause incomplete digestion and even interfere with the digestion of other nutrients.

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