Fish Food: Which Is the Best of 2023?

Ensure your fish’s health with the best fish food of 2023. Our expert guide compares top brands and helps you choose the perfect diet.

Having fish at home can be considered very normal. And, who has not had one as a child? Do you remember the illusion you had every time you fed your fish? And what about when your parents bought accessories for the fish tank? But time passes and when we are adults we must make ourselves responsible for the whole process.

That is why we have made this guide, so you can enjoy your pet for a long time. And this is mainly achieved by offering a good quality diet. Here we will show you which is the best product on the market, adding characteristics, components and everything you need to know to properly feed your pet.

The most important

• The composition of fish food is essential for your pet to enjoy good health. You should take a daily look in the tank to make sure the food you are providing is good for its health. In case your fish loses color or moves more slowly, you have to know that it is very likely that something is making it wrong.
• When feeding your pet you have to identify the breed to know the type of food it requires. A fish in warm, cold, sweet or salt water does not have the same needs. You also don’t need us to remind you how important it is not to mix animals from different habitats, right?
• Also remember not to go overboard when feeding your pet. A curiosity about fish is that they “have no bottom”, in the sense that they do not know when to stop eating. It is up to you, as its owner, to ration their food in such a way that it does not make them fat. Also keep in mind a detail: the more food you give your fish, the more often you will have to clean its aquarium.

The best fish food products on the market: our recommendations

Before running to buy any food for your pet, you must make sure what food he needs. We do not get tired of saying it, since it is a very important detail, which determines the quality of life of your fish. Below we present our selection of the best products available for your pet along with a brief characteristic of each one.

• The best granulated fish food
• The best flake food for fish
• The most complete fish food
• Best food on fish sticks
• The best food for varied fish

The best granulated fish food

210 g format. It is a granulated fish food, easy for your pet to assimilate. With it you can make good digestions, ensuring a better quality of life. The granules slowly sink into the aquarium and remain whole for a long time, preventing the water from becoming cloudy. This way, it is not necessary to constantly clean the fish tank.

The product contains all the nutrients that your pet needs for their day to day: minerals, vitamins and trace elements (due to the protein content of the granules). It is an ideal product for cold water fish, such as Xiphos, Platys, Neon or Grupys, among others.

The best flake food for fish

200 g format. Fish food in the form of flakes or flakes, which makes it possible for your fish to eat it without problems, as well as being easily digestible (as long as it is cold water). Its composition is natural, so your goldfish can achieve a beautiful color and enjoy good health. At the same time, it tastes good, so it won’t cost you much to feed it.

The mixture of flakes ensures a balanced diet. It contains the BioActive formula plus the brand’s clear and clean water formula, which is highly regarded in the sector. Ingredients: fish and by-products, cereals, mollusks and fats, among many others. A product more than recommended for carp or goldfish.

The most complete fish food

210 g format. Fish food in the shape of flakes, ideal for fish in community aquariums, with space shared between several individuals. It has more than 40 ingredients (fish meal, spirulina, herbs and algae, among others) and constitutes a complete formula for a balanced diet for your pet. The flake maintains its shape without contaminating the water.

The secret to the smoothness of each flake lies in the fine grinding, ensuring your fish will love it. Ideal for fish in tropical waters.

Best food on fish sticks

780 g package. This product consists of fish food in the form of sticks (homogeneous compressed grains 8 to 12 mm long). It is an ideal food for pond fish, so it is also valid for fish tank species with cold water. Also, the product is delivered in bag form for convenient storage.

The food in the form of sticks has several benefits: it does not stain the water, they are easy to eat (in the case that your fish is very small, you can divide each grain in two without problems), they float on the surface (thus, accumulate in the background) and do not degrade. Another advantage is that the composition helps to enliven the colors of your fish.

The best food for varied fish

1.9 kg format. The product is delivered in the shape of a cube due to its large size (27 cm high). It is provided with components that provide very complete nutrition, as it has scales (for young fish), sticks, gammarus (small prawns) and sinking food tablets, especially for bottom fish. The 4 types of food provide a balanced diet.

The bucket also comes with a good closure to be able to store the food properly and that it does not spoil. The sticks measure 1 cm, being able to break them to facilitate the feeding process. Ideal for pond or cold water fish.

Shopping Guide: Everything You Should Know About Fish Food

Do you know what they eat? Do you know the procedure? Are you familiar with the wide variety of aquatic species? Are you sure of the many types of food that exist in the market? These are questions that you often don’t ask yourself when you first buy a fish. And yes, here we answer them all, so that you have no doubt.

What is fish food?

It is evident that one of these animals, as it is cared for in captivity, cannot behave in the same way as if it were in total freedom. But we can assure you that there are many ways to offer your pet a happy and healthy life, as long as you are interested in their health and are committed to their care.

The food for your fish is usually an artificial product obtained from natural ingredients based on plankton, algae, plants, mollusks, subtypes of fish and other components. And is that, in addition to containing these basic ingredients, manufacturers add vitamins and food supplements to enhance their absorption.

What types of fish food are there on the market?

Feeding a fish can become a real torture if you don’t have the correct information. But do not worry, in this guide we will give you all the necessary knowledge so that you can carry out the work efficiently. There are several types of fish food on the market.

• Flakes or flakes: the most popular dry food. Almost 90% of the food production for your fish has this format. They are porous scales made from different ingredients that have the ability to float on the surface of the aquarium. The negative part? It is produced at high temperatures, the food losing a good part of its nutritional components.
• Granules: they are a kind of croquettes, used to increase the weight of fish. This granulated food has the characteristic of high porosity, so when the fish digests it, it expands in their stomach.
• Sticks: also called sticks, they are used for large fish, such as carp or cichlids. Being low in density, they tend to float on the surface.
• Pills: a form of food indicated for nocturnal fish, such as carp or corydoras. That is why the pellets are very dense and sink easily in the tank. The negative side is that it makes the water very dirty (it is powdered food), which means that you have to change the water very often.
• Fresh food: many pet stores sell frozen food, such as mosquito larvae, tubifex, mysis, and cyclops, among others.

What nutrients should fish food contain?

We have already seen the types of food, but do you really know the basic nutrients and organic needs of your pet? Do you still believe that food is just food? Many owners sin of ignorance. Here we show you, through a simple scheme, the nutritional components that your pet needs.

How often do I have to feed my fish?

Without ever forgetting the importance of keeping a clean aquarium or fish tank (since it is a closed water system), the common feeding frequency is between 2 and 4 times a day. We must also look at the type of fish we have. For example, small fish, such as cardinals, neon guppies, and drunks, require eating more than 4 times a day.

You must also take into account the origin of the animal. As a general rule, you can easily get it at a pet store, where they will almost always give you small or fry. In that case, the fish needs to eat more frequently, even if the total amount of food is the same. In case of many doubts, consult it with the vet.

But if you want to quickly know what you should take into account to feed your pet, calculate how much food it is capable of assimilating in 2 or 3 minutes. If part of what you gave him fell to the bottom, see if he eats it. Whatever is left, you can remove it with a gravel cleaner siphon so that it does not accumulate in the filter.

How to feed my fish when I go on vacation?

We all deserve a good vacation from time to time. Moments of relaxation and enjoyment, which can become a real headache if you don’t have everything planned. And a question that those who have a pet often ask themselves a lot: how can I feed them if I am not there? Well, there are several alternatives, you don’t have to worry.

• Do nothing: you are likely to go to town for a weekend. In that case, you could leave your fish without food because they can go a few days without food.
• Ask for help: you may have a trusted neighbor or family member who can take care of feeding your pet. In that case, you detail the instructions and give him the house keys until you return.
• Automatic feeder: it is a good option and consists of a food dispenser for your fish, with a timer. Of course, try a few days to see how your fish behaves.
• Food blocks: they are small bricks that are degraded in the water, so your fish have food for about 3 days, more or less.

Can I supplement fish food with vitamins?

Of course. On many occasions, the food you buy for your pet is not the most ideal. This can happen for several reasons: your fish is sick, you get confused about food, you buy the first product you see or your pet is simply intolerant to some component. In those cases, in addition to changing his diet, you could offer him vitamins.

They are products aimed at aquatic animals and are usually liquid, to be thrown into the water. In this way, the drops protect your pet from toxic and polluting organisms, in addition to completing a nutrient-deficient diet. They usually contain lecithin, which enhances their quality and duration.

How much fish food should I give my pet?

It is a very important question, since as a general rule, especially cold-water fish, eat a lot. The challenge is to balance your nutrition: neither starve nor gain so much weight that you become obese. That is why we have made a table in which we include the appropriate temperatures.

What kind of cold water fish food is there on the market?

You should know that especially cold water fish eat a lot, practically without measure. They are omnivorous animals, so they eat everything. Since they are so simple to feed, we can sometimes make the mistake of giving them any type of food, with what it entails. If your pet belongs to this type of fish, it needs a balanced and varied diet.

And where can we find this variety? In granulated, flaked or flaked foods, enriched with many nutrients, among which is spirulina (a blue-green algae, considered a superfood due to its high protein content), which offers your pet colorful flakes and a good appetite.

Ground fish food

If you have a ground fish like plecos or corydoras, you will know that it needs a diet based on vegetables, spirulina and fiber. And since, living up to their name, they tend to live in the deepest area of ​​the aquarium, they require food that reaches them. Hence, the product you offer must have the appropriate density and composition.

The best food formats for these fish are tablets and tablets, as they weigh enough and you can choose where you want them to fall. At the same time, do not trust yourself because not all pills are valid for all fish, since for example the plecostomus needs a food based on algae, mainly due to spirulina.

Pond fish food

If you have a pond in the garden with fish such as barbel, dorado, bream or corydoras, you have to ensure good nutrition for your pet, in addition to the level of dirt in the water. Today they sell a lot of food that is manufactured to minimize contamination of the pond. And how is it achieved? With little protein and great digestibility.

Let’s take an example: when you buy cheap dog food, it usually has a lot of bowel movements, right? This is because its digestibility is poor, in addition to having a great lack of nutrients in the long run. The same thing happens with fish, since it is not a question of offering them a lot of food, but rather that it is quality food and adapted to the type of fish.

What warm water fish food is right for me?

If you actually have a tropical fish (butterfly fish, angelfish or discus fish, among many others), you should know that the vast majority are carnivores. And what kind of food do they like? In many formats: sticks, gelatin, granules, flakes or tablets. It is important to vary the type of diet, since they get bored easily.

In case you notice that this happens, we propose two solutions: buy other products or give your pet an appetite stimulant or nutritional supplements. It is also important that their food gives them vitality and good digestion. If you opt for one of these beautiful creatures, you have to know that they are not easy to care for as they are very delicate.

How can I feed my fish if I have run out of fish food?

It can happen to all of us, since sometimes we forget to buy food for our pet with such bad luck that it happened on a long weekend or a long weekend. If something similar happens to you, you have four options: wait a few days for the pet store to open, buy the product online, wait a few days (you will not starve) or do it yourself.

If you choose the last alternative, since it will be for an emergency, we will quickly describe the ingredients: shrimp, spinach and barley. You mix the ingredients, add vitamins for fish, pass it through the blender and cook. Afterwards, you let it cool in the fridge and make small balls to throw them into the aquarium. As they say: fast, good and cheap.

How to feed fish to my pet?

Contrary to what many people think, feeding a fish is not simply taking it out of the boat and into the water. If you really want to take care of your fish, we recommend that you read this section carefully. Observe and analyze the behavior of your fish: does it jump for food as soon as you give it to it or, on the contrary, does it take a long time to start eating?

Depending on several factors, such as the one we mentioned when detailing the amount of fish you have, you should act accordingly. In addition, you would do well not to put food in a single location in the aquarium, so you get used to your fish to move. At the same time, try to leave it without eating for a day. It is not cruelty, but watching over his health to make him move more.

How can I feed fish food to my fry?

It is usually common, and more if you are used to raising fish for a long time, that some have young, called fry. In that case, you know that you have to have adequate space. First, lower the power of the filter and place a stocking on the racks. Anyway, to feed them, the ideal is to turn off the filter for a moment.

Second, try to adjust the amount of the shot as much as possible. The excess can be sucked up with a siphon. If you don’t, the fry have a much lower chance of reaching adults. As for their food, you can pour adult flakes in the form of powder into the water. You can also buy spirulina pills and crush them.

Purchase criteria

You already know the tranquility that knowledge gives. And more, if we refer to feeding a fish because it is usually a delicate matter. In this section, we are going to detail point by point what you should take into account when buying fish food. This way, you are less likely to be wrong. But remember: if you have many doubts, consult a veterinarian.

• Composition
• Lecithin
• Color enhancers
• Type of fish
• Residue

Composition

We recommend that you do not simply get carried away by brands, since always, when choosing a food, we must carefully analyze the components and nutrients that are detailed on the back of the package or bottle. On the one hand, we have the ingredients (such as fish, mollusks, vegetables, cereals, yeasts, oils and fats).

On the other hand, we also have to have analytical constituents and their percentages, such as protein, fat, fiber and ash. Finally, you will find vitamins (A, D, C and E), as well as organoleptic additives, made up of a series of colorants. All these components are positive for your pet.

Lecithin

It is an obligatory compound in fish feed. Lecithin is a generic word used to name a group of fats present in living beings, both animals and plants. It is composed of phosphoric acid, choline, fatty acids, glycerol, phospholipids, triglycerides, and phosphatidic acid, among many others.

A balanced diet is given in a diet with the presence of lipids, especially in cold-water fish, since having a low temperature, animals require food that gives energy and can move easily through the aquarium. Lecithin is often mixed with fish oil to coat the sticks.

Color enhancers

If you are one of those who have a koi or goldfish carp , you will be interested in buying fish food with a color enhancer compound. There are some products that meet these characteristics, loaded with natural colorants such as astaxanthin (a very powerful antioxidant for the skin and eyes). This food especially highlights the golden, orange and red colors.

Another benefit of these enhancers is the reinforcement of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and beta glucan (helps your pet to be calm), since they are two stimulators of the immune system. In addition to worrying about their appearance, you will also be taking care of their health. It may be a somewhat delicate balance to maintain, but it can certainly be achieved.

Type of fish

You should take this into account, in addition to the classifications of species that we did in the previous section. As you could see, a cold-water fish does not feed in the same way as a tropical one. In turn, the type of diet will be adapted to the lifestyle of your pet. If you have a bottom fish, there is no point in feeding it food that floats on the surface.

A very common mistake is mistakenly thinking that the fish will go where the food is. And this is not always the case. Of course, we also recommend that you encourage your pet to make an effort for food, so it gets motivation and exercises, in addition to increasing its brain functions by having to do research to be able to eat.

Residue

It is an important criterion because it thinks that if you choose a food that generates little residue you will have to clean the aquarium less times. It is pure logic, but many people tend to choose the first fish food they see and do not realize to invest in a quality product. Logically, the more quality, the less waste.

And the residue is not only a product of a poor quality of the stick or scale, but also a consequence of poor digestion, which causes your fish to make more stools. If this aspect is not taken care of, it could have serious consequences for the filter because it can be damaged. We cannot forget that nothing happens in the sea because it dissolves, but not in an aquarium.

Summary

As you have seen, buying food for these pets is not exactly “sewing and singing”. We must take into account many criteria and rules, in addition to being careful with nutritional procedures and having some forecasts, such as the times when we go on vacation or a weekend away from home.

However, any investment, be it energy or money, is small when it comes to caring for a pet. They make our lives happy with their simple company. And although having a domestic fish is not like living with a cat or a dog, it has its own charms and advantages: it does not make noise, it does not stain the house, it is fixed with little space and you do not have to take it out for a walk.