Floating flake food is the optimal choice for small tropical fish species that feed off of the surface, such as those species which feed off of an aquarium surface. There is an array of specially tailored flakes available that contain ingredients designed to improve color or fulfill nutritional requirements.
Pellets are an ideal food choice for mid-water or bottom dwelling fish species, such as fancy guppies or mbuna cichlids, that require mid-depth or bottom feedings. There are even specifically tailored pellet foods designed to meet specific species requirements such as fancy guppies or mbuna cichlids.
Contents
Flakes
Flakes are one of the most widely available fish foods on the market, often tailored specifically for specific species of aquarium fish and providing an easy source of sustenance. Flakes contain stabilized forms of vitamin C to support an effective immune system as well as proteins and fats to promote growth and ensure overall good health in their tanks.
This food also features carotenoids to enhance colors. Tetras and other small surface feeders will find this a tasty choice.
Bottom feeders will find special flakes which remain airborne for longer before sinking, providing the perfect solution. Another alternative may be thicker-structured crisps which retain their shape better.
Pellets
Pellets and granules are thicker than fish flakes, so they tend to sink (although you may find floating varieties). Pellet food provides an excellent alternative for most freshwater and tropical tank species and usually contains protein which provides vital nutrition for all forms of aquatic life, even herbivorous ones!
B4 Best Reviews has identified these semi-floating fish foods as “an ideal balanced diet for most tropical fish”. Their blend of meat and plant ingredients, plus vitamins fortification make this food popular with mid-level swimmers such as catfish and loaches in aquarium environments.
New Life Spectrum has developed this food that blends high-grade animal proteins with algae and spirulina for color enhancement, making it suitable for freshwater and tropical fish species alike.
Crisps
Crisps are an ideal food choice for top feeders as their longer floating time makes them less likely to dissipate quickly into the environment and cloud up the water. Although less widely distributed than their flake counterparts, crisps still offer some options available to choose from.
Tetra’s Betta Crisps provide nutritionally-balanced nutrition to top feeder betta splendens, as well as other top feeder fish species, while providing natural color enhancers that also produce less waste, helping maintain clearer aquarium water quality. Other brands produce similar products designed to benefit various freshwater fish types including mini crisps and micro pellets from Tetra that are great choices for small ornamental fish or young, growing cichlids; with one even offering growth diet support options to increase finned friends nutrition.
Stick-on Tabs
Raising fish babies in home aquariums can be challenging for pet parents. Babies need the appropriate nutrition in order to flourish quickly and thrive quickly – providing this with them early can prevent high levels of newborn mortality due to poor water quality or predators.
Small tropical fish require food in several forms – from flakes and pellets, to freeze-dried food. Flakes like Omega One are suitable for most tank species and provide an excellent source of protein; their slow sinking formula enables the fish to find it easily while the added krill, garlic and spirulina helps bring out blues and greens in their coloration. Crisps have similar nutritional value but float longer before sinking; thus making them better suited to top feeders but their additional vitamins makes them suitable for mid water feeders too.
Freeze-Dried Food
Processing can degrade many vital ingredients such as proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals that provide bioavailable nutrition (2). Degraded components won’t fulfill their intended function in fish bodies so bioavailability decreases as a result (2).
Freeze-dried food maintains its original flavor, texture, and nutrition by directly freezing into a vapor state without first turning liquid (3). Furthermore, this process decreases water availability so the product lasts longer (4).
Most fish food brands freeze and dehydrate crustacean larvae, zooplankton, insects and krill to remove all water (5). Many brands also include nutritious spirulina as a boost of extra proteins and vitamins; certain plecos and discus fish require sinking foods that stay at the bottom of their tanks (6).
