A Beginner's Guide to Selecting the Right Fish Food for Your Aquarium

I will give you some easy rules and guide to follow when choosing your next packet of fish food. Firstly, let’s start with the things that get you confused and unsure where to even start choosing a fish food.

• Do your research before coming into the shop.
• Don’t be scared to bring in a list of fish you keep.
  
• Not all fish food brands are the same.
  
• Packet or tub doesn’t matter it’s just the housing for the food.
  
• Pellet and flakes are the same food just different design, neither is better than the other.
  
• Staple food verse colour food in most cases is the same base formula.
  
• Price does mean better, the better quality the ingredients the higher the cost.
  

Below is a list of what you need to know when choosing the right fish food.

• Know what your fish eat. For example, are they herbivorous, omnivorous, or carnivorous.
• Understand where in the water the fish like to feed? For example, at the surface of the water, as the food is slowly sinking or are they bottom feeders.
  
• If you have a mixed community aquarium and have fish with multiple food needs, you can feed several types of food at the one time.
  
• Know if your fish eat when the lights are on or off. This will tell you when to feed.
  
• Have a brand of food that you know and trust as well your fish like and eat. But don’t be scared to try new food as this can provide your fish with variety.
  
• In most cases flakes float, pellets and crumbles are slow sinking with wafers and tablets are fast sinking fish food.

When you understand the dietary needs of your fish it is not that hard to choose the right fish food. I have noticed that most quality fish food brands have been moving away from using seafood proteins in their fish foods and instead using insect protein and this can make a huge difference to the smell and oil in your aquarium water.

Here are a few brands of quality fish food I use and recommend in the shop.

• Sera, made in Germany since 1970 using the highest quality natural ingredients.
• Hikari, Japanese company which has extensive research and knowledge of fish dietary requirements.
  
• Dymax, Singapore based using new and innovative technologies.
  
• Ocean Nutrition, originally founded in San Diego, USA. Premium fish food for marine and freshwater fish.
  
• White Crane, develop supplements from probiotic and natural ingredients for aquarium fish and the aquaculture market.
  

Choosing the correct fish food can now be a little bit easier, so the next time you are standing looking at the large selection of fish food remember what you have read and of course please don’t be afraid to ask for help from the staff as they will know which food is the best for your type of fish.

Written by Amanda Czarnuszewicz

Who is Amanda Czarnuszewicz

I have been keeping fish since a young child, everything from freshwater Goldfish and Cichlids to marine reef tanks. Over 11 years ago I discovered freshwater dwarf shrimp and took a keen interest immediately. I started breeding and sourcing products over seas to maintain all types of shrimp which was the start of my business Shrimplovers. Today my passion for all things aquatic is still a true obsession.  Getting to work in a job that is also my hobby gives me great joy.