| There is more to feeding fishes than just putting | | | | fishkeepers would find it a great problem to feed |
| food into the aquarium. Not only will you find it | | | | their fishes. |
| enjoyable, but it will also give you an insight into each | | | | There are also great advantages with dry foods, |
| fish's normal behaviour pattern. In time to come you | | | | they are always available, they can be easily stored; |
| will be able to spot any differences in behaviour, | | | | which saves on regular trips to buy them, although it |
| which could indicate a possible health or aquarium | | | | should be noted that the vitamin content does have |
| problem. | | | | a limited shelf-life, vitamin content is usually |
| Your fishes should be interested in the foods that | | | | guaranteed until the best before date, this will be on |
| you offer them, and should not hesitate in consuming | | | | the container. |
| it readily. Indeed, all of my fishes come to the | | | | On the other hand, minerals and trace elements, do |
| surface as soon as they see me approach the tanks | | | | have a long shelf-life, and are not adversely affected |
| with their food. The most important point to be | | | | by prolonged storage. The risk of disease or |
| made is not to over feed. The more food the fishes | | | | parasites being introduced into the aquarium with |
| eat the more waste they will produce, this may | | | | food is completely eliminated with dry foods. |
| sound obvious, but when this is combined with any | | | | It should however be remembered that not all fishes |
| uneaten food that is undoubtedly left over from | | | | will thrive if fed on the same diet. For example, you |
| feeding too much, it causes a problem. | | | | wouldn't think of feeding a cat with lettuce, or a |
| All of this waste will fall to the aquarium floor, and | | | | rabbit with beefsteak, it's much the same with fishes. |
| start to decompose, in turn this will produce | | | | Some species of fish require a vegetable diet, while |
| pollutants that fishes can't tolerate, and could | | | | some need live food, on the other hand there are |
| ultimately lead to fatalities. In simple terms, the | | | | species that do well when fed on both. |
| easiest way to aquarium mismanagement is through | | | | Meat-eaters are referred to as Carnivores |
| overfeeding. Another important factor is diet; it is a | | | | Vegetable-eaters are referred to as Herbivores |
| fact that a poor balanced diet will be responsible for | | | | Fishes that eat a general diet, i.e. a little of both, are |
| a fish's inability to fight off diseases. If a fish is to live | | | | referred to as Omnivores |
| a healthy life it must have a well balanced diet. | | | | Mud-eaters are referred to as Limnivores |
| There was a time when dry foods were only used | | | | There are many different types of dry foods, such |
| out of necessity, because its grade could not always | | | | as: tablets, sticks, granules, wafers, and of course |
| be assured. Even now modern flake foods are all too | | | | flakes, as well as others. All of these dried foods can |
| often ignored or dismissed as being less than a | | | | be bought in various compositions, depending on the |
| complete diet. It's also surprising that many | | | | type of fishes you want to feed. |
| fishkeeping books seem to take a sceptical view of | | | | For example, I use sinking algae wafers, or plant |
| dry foods. | | | | chips, for my Plecostomus (mainly Herbivore, although |
| There's no need for this negative attitude. Nowadays | | | | they will eat various worms etc.), and the surface |
| it's not too difficult to provide good quality flake | | | | feeders such as my Gouramis, are fed on a high |
| food, most flake foods now are of unquestionable | | | | quality flake food, whilst at the same time, my Green |
| origin, they are scientifically developed, and are | | | | Terror (Cichlid, usually Carnivore) likes to feed on the |
| without a doubt a complete diet. | | | | algae wafers and the flake, as well as live food. |
| Commercial foods have progressed to the point now | | | | So, there is a vast choice of foods available for your |
| were most species can live a lifetime on a varied diet | | | | fishes, make the most of them and keep your fishes |
| of high quality dry foods. Indeed, if it weren't for the | | | | healthy, colourful and happy. |
| readily available range of staple flake foods, today's | | | | |