Fish Food Matters! - Ensuring Fish Health Through Thoughtful Feeding

[00:00:00] Welcome to this episode of The Aquarists Edge, a podcast for home aquarists just like you. Learn more about how to keep a thriving aquarium and discover ideas and tips to give your aquarium the edge. And now over to our host, Arthur Preston. Have you ever noticed that your fish are looking a bit dull? Perhaps they're a bit sluggish or just not as active as they used to be. It may be that their diet is missing some crucial nutrients.

[00:00:29] And so today we're going to take a look at varied diets, DIY food options, feeding techniques and commercially available supplements that can make a huge difference to the health of your fish. So let's get into this episode. Before exploring specific foods or supplements, I want us to take a moment to understand why fish nutrition is so important. Just like us, fish need a well-balanced diet to maintain energy, growth and immune function.

[00:00:59] Their diet needs vary greatly depending on their species. Carnivores, herbivores, omnivores, they all have unique requirements and understanding these needs is the foundation of ensuring their long-term health. For fish to thrive, they need a balance of the following nutrients. Proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, fiber and various pigments.

[00:01:25] Proteins are important because they're essential for growth, for tissue repair and muscle development. Carnivorous species such as bettas or cichlids need higher protein levels compared to herbivorous species like plecos. Fats and omega-3 fatty acids support brain function, immune system strength and healthy scale development. While carbohydrates, although not essential in large amounts, provide energy. Bear in mind, however, that excessive carbs can lead to digestive issues.

[00:01:54] Immune function, bone strength and metabolic efficiency are assisted by feeding our fish the correct vitamins and minerals. And fiber is crucial for digestive health in herbivorous and omnivorous species. When it comes to pigments, these are important to enhance natural coloration and support the vision health of the fish. Particularly pigments such as chlorotenoids and astaxanthin. Each nutrient plays a vital role in maintaining your fish's well-being.

[00:02:23] A deficiency in any of these areas can result in poor coloration, weakened immunity, stunted growth or lethargy. So let's talk about the variety in the fish's diet. Why it matters and how it can transform your aquarium. Imagine if you were to eat the same meal every day. It might sustain you but it won't provide the full range of nutrients your body needs. And the same applies to fish. A varied diet ensures that they receive all the essential nutrients for vibrant health.

[00:02:53] We've spoken a bit about what that good diet should include. The proteins, the fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, fiber and so forth. But how do you rotate that? How do you make sure that there is a variety of these things in the food you feed your fish? Well, I'm going to suggest that perhaps you consider a weekly rotation plan to keep things interesting, varied and healthy for your fish. If you were to take a week for example, you could perhaps feed high quality flakes for the first two days.

[00:03:21] Followed on day three by frozen or live food. On day four you could feed blashed vegetables or protein rich options like krill for a carnivorous fish. On day five could be a day where you don't feed them anything. You have a fasting day. This is good for fish. It helps with their digestion, particularly carnivorous fish such as bettas. And day six and seven could be a mix of dried and fresh foods. Rotating the foods mimics natural feeding patterns and ensures your fish receive a full spectrum of nutrients.

[00:03:53] Now, you might say, well, you know, that's lovely. But, you know, going ahead and buying all that stuff is going to be quite expensive. If I need to go and buy a whole bunch of different foodstuffs and I've got to feed those on a rotation basis, that's going to put a dent in my pocket. Well, you can also make your own fish food. And I'm now going to share with you two simple recipes, one for herbivores and one specifically for carnivores that's more protein rich. That could help, you know, to reduce the cost of having a rotated diet.

[00:04:22] So let's start with the herbivorous friendly gel food. For this, you're going to need spinach, carrots, peas, baby cucumber or zucchini, garlic powder. You're going to boil those vegetables until they're soft. You're going to blend them into a paste. You mix that with unflavored gelatin. Pour it into ice cubes, freeze it. And when it is frozen, you can pop those little ice cubes out, those little food cubes, and you pop them into your tank. The fish will love them.

[00:04:51] They're healthy and it's a really easy way to make sure that they're getting all the nutrients they need from the plants. Particularly, this is for herbivorous fish such as your plecos. But what about a protein rich gel food? Well, here you could take something like frozen shrimp. You could take spirulina powder and you blend the shrimp with the spirulina. You dissolve the gelatin in boiling water. You mix it thoroughly. Then you refrigerate until it's firm.

[00:05:19] And then these little gel food squares, you pop out and you use them for your fish. Now, obviously, you can add in all other kinds of things should you wish to. And there are plenty of ideas for this and tutorials for this available on YouTube and online. So, if making your own food is something that you see yourself doing that would be helpful to you, use these basic recipes. Adapt them as you need to. Just make sure that all your produce is organic.

[00:05:48] Make sure that you wash any vegetables to take any possible pesticides and other treatments off the vegetables. But this is really a simple way to make sure that your fish are getting great food. So, even though you might have now gone ahead and provided some great fresh food to your fish. You've made your own food perhaps. You're really trying to make sure that there's a variety in their diet. It is possible that some micronutrients may still be missing with all the best intentions in the world.

[00:06:16] And this is where commercially available supplements come in handy. Because these products are designed to fill nutritional gaps and enhance overall health. So, what makes a good supplement? Well, when you're looking for a supplement, make sure it has essential amino acids for muscle growth. Make sure it contains omega-3s for immune support. Check for colour enhancing ingredients such as astaxanthin. And avoid any artificial fillers or preservatives.

[00:06:43] How would you then make sure that the supplement that you're looking at is either an average supplement, a good supplement or an excellent supplement? Well, an average supplement will contain fillers such as wheat or corn or soy. It will have minimal natural ingredients and be heavily processed. It will also lack essential vitamins or have artificial additives. A good supplement on the other hand will contain natural proteins and some added vitamins. There will be a limited use of fillers and therefore better digestibility for the fish.

[00:07:14] There will also be some inclusion of colour enhancing ingredients. And if you really are looking for an excellent supplement, a high quality supplement, make sure that it contains a high percentage of whole food ingredients. It's rich in bioavailable vitamins and minerals. There are no artificial colourants or unnecessary preservatives. And it is specifically formulated, freshwater fish. Now, there are some basics when it comes to aquarium fish feeding that you probably know.

[00:07:41] But in the light of the topic of this episode, perhaps these are just worth mentioning again. And the obvious one that I'm sure most of you would think of first is overfeeding. It's actually the number one mistake aquarists make. Uneaten food decomposes quickly and this leads to ammonia spikes that are going to harm your water quality. And remove any uneaten food that may be lying on the bottom of your tank, such as uneaten vegetable matter and so forth. You also want to make sure that you are feeding appropriate foods.

[00:08:08] And you want to make sure that the food matches the species needs. For example, goldfish shouldn't eat tropical flakes because they lack the right nutrient balance. And yet, we know it's very easy if you've got a goldfish in your tank and you have a couple of other tanks in your fish room or in your home, and you only have tropical flakes or pellets. It's really easy just to grab the tropical foods and chuck it into the goldfish tank. But that's not a great idea because that is not going to be healthy for those goldfish.

[00:08:36] You also want to make sure that you are watching how your fish eat. You've heard me say this a hundred times on this podcast. Watch your fish spend time at the tank. Watch how your fish eat. Sluggishness or refusal could indicate stress or illness. And then don't skip variety. Even if you only have two different types of food, alternate them. Alternate brands. Alternate different types. Keep that rotation going.

[00:09:01] It promotes the nutritional diversity that the fish need and your fish will thank you. Another thing to bear in mind is that you need to feed according to the level at which your fish live. If you have a community tank, you want to make sure that you're feeding enough food for your top surface drilling fish, those in the middle of the tank and those who reside at the bottom. So, use sinking pellets for bottom dwellers. Don't expect them to wait for the food at the top to sink to the bottom.

[00:09:29] You want to make sure that your nocturnal species such as plecos are fed just before lights out. You want to avoid overstocking your tanks because that leads to competition for food and stress amongst your fish. And just another little tip is to try and incorporate garlic-based supplements. Garlic boosts immunity and also entices picky eaters. It's a lovely thing to put into your food. So, incorporate garlic-based supplements.

[00:09:55] Find food that has garlic in it or have a garlic-based supplement such as C-Chem Garlic Guard. So, that wraps up today's episode and I hope it has been helpful to you. I hope that you're encouraged to feed your fish a varied diet, that you are perhaps motivated to try and make your own fish food and that you've picked up some valuable tips to keep your aquariums thriving.

[00:10:19] I'd love to hear some ideas about favourite foods or recipes that you've tried in terms of making your own food. Please go ahead and leave a comment if you're watching this on YouTube. If you are listening on a podcast app, please go ahead and leave a review. Follow us and I certainly look forward to sharing more with you on the next episode. So, be sure to subscribe, share the podcast with fellow aquarium keepers,

[00:10:44] stay tuned for our next episode, keep curious, keep discovering and keep enjoying this incredible hobby. Until next time, happy fish keeping. That's it for this episode of the Aquaris Sedge. Please consider subscribing to this podcast so that you don't miss further episodes. We would love it if you would also rate and review the podcast as this helps make it visible to others. Until next time, keep learning and discovering and keep finding your Aquaris Sedge in this captivating and fascinating hobby.