Keeping an aquarium filled with tropical fish is an interesting hobby and a pretty relaxing one at that. You certainly can’t beet the feeling of tranquility as you gaze at the crystal clear water and the colorful fish. However you still need to be aware of the dietary needs of your fish if you really want to enjoy your aquarium. The keys to a successful aquariums are proper environmental conditions and knowing what to feed your hungry fish. If you don’t feed your fish the right food , your lovely aquarium won’t last very long.

You need to know exactly what species your fish belong to so that you can feed them the appropriate diet. Once you know their species it is relatively simple to do some research either online or at your local library and then to find a pet shop that stocks the appropriate food. You need to keep in mind what diet your fish enjoys in its natural habitat – herbivore , carnivore or omnivore.

Some vegetarian fish only eat algae flakes and would avoid flakes that contain meat. Some of these include Mollies , Silver Dollars and Pacu. You can also feed fresh greens like lettuce leaves and spinach. Carnivores like Archerfish , Oscars and Angelfish thrive on flakes containing fish/shrimp. You can also substitute their diets with live food like earthworms , insects , bloodworm and brine shrimp. Omnivores like Discus , Goldfish , Gouramis and Guppies will thrive on any diet , however that do very well on live food as well.

You need to concentrate on feeding your fish a balanced diet. Fish also like a bit of variety in their diets. The most important component in your pet fish’s diet is protein. When shopping for fish food at your local fish dealer always scan the label to make sure that the food contains the right elements. You particularly want foods that contain real fish-meal or shrimp. Ideally you want as low a fat content as possible. Too much ft in their diet can cause damage to a fish liver. Just like humans they also require some fiber in their diet.

If your tank or aquarium is very small then you should only feed flakes or freeze dried bloodworms to prevent clouding the water. Never over feed and only provide a small amount of flakes at each feeding session. You should only feed so that they can eat fore a few minutes. Too much food will sink to the bottom and pollute the tanks as it decomposes. Overfeeding is the leading cause of death in aquarium fish.

A good brand of fish flakes will have a shelf life of about one month. As the flakes age they lose their nutritional content , so avoid using flakes that are past their shelf life. Provide your tropical fish with a variety of lakes so as to balance their diet.

Larger fish should also be fed a diet consisting of pellet foods. These pellets do provide bulk for your larger hungrier fish. Some fishkeepers don’t like the freeze-dried foods – you should then use the freh equivalent. Live food can include , worms , insect eggs , bloodworm , brine shrimp and daphnia. A good substitute for live food is the freeze-dried equivalents. Some of these include tubifex , krill and river shrimp.

Your fish will come to recognize the person that feeds them on a regular basis. When they see you at feed time some of your more hungry fish will literally jump out the water. Be sure to keep the aquarium covered to prevent any mishaps.