Catfishes, like other bottom feeders, are omnivorous fish species. This means that they consume both meaty and plant-based foods – some feed shops even suggest feeding catfishes feeder guppies every now and then!
Make sure that any food purchased for the aquarium sinks to its base. Bread can easily contaminate water as it rots, leading to ammonia poisoning in your aquarium and even potentially poisonous effects on fish.
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Fish Foods
Aquarium catfish can be fed most forms of freshwater fish food – including pellets, flakes and tablets – including live bloodworms or brine shrimp; however these should only be given occasionally as treats as their consumption could lead to overfeeding.
As providing algae as food is similar to what fish would eat naturally, and many loricariids feed on it in nature; commercial products designed specifically for pet store and tropical fish have also emerged that provide this source of sustenance.
Choose fish food that sinks quickly to prevent other tankmates from taking away its content before the catfish can. Avoid feeding anything that might float or get stuck to aquarium decorations, and avoid feeding bread and crackers which expand in their digestive systems and could clog their system.
Vegetables
Freshwater aquarium fish species often enjoy eating vegetables. While providing vegetables as part of a balanced diet can be beneficial, too much of one kind of food could interfere with digestion, nutrient absorption and parasite reproduction.
Most common household vegetables, including zucchini (and other squashes), romaine lettuce and green beans can be fed to freshwater aquarium fish as food sources, provided they have been cleaned properly and lightly cooked prior to being offered up as fish food.
Algae eaters such as plecos require a diet rich in vegetables as scavengers that naturally consume algae and plant matter from their environment. A diet consisting of spirulina flakes, kelp wafers and fresh or frozen vegetables such as radish tops and green peas may help. If they suffer from constipation issues, blanching or weighting down a small sprig of lettuce might provide relief from constipation issues.
Live Foods
Though it is best to avoid giving catfish processed foods like bread (which expand and clog up their digestive tract), providing your fish with an array of live food will ensure a more varied and balanced diet.
Live foods can also provide essential nourishment to certain fish species with specific dietary needs, such as pictus catfish which must eat blackworms and earthworms that have not been exposed to pesticides.
Other common live foods for freshwater herbivores are daphnia (water fleas), bloodworms and brine shrimp. Brine shrimp is often fed to smaller fish such as guppies; brine shrimp is often given to fry. Some catfishes can also be plant eaters and will consume anything such as algae, aquatic plants, wood or fruit that makes its way into their natural environments. Hobbyists feeding such species should offer such fish items such as zucchini slices or cucumber spears as well as lightly cooked (or raw) Romaine lettuce leaves or spinach leaves as part of their feeding.
Supplements
Some species of catfish require supplements for optimal growth. Minerals like calcium and phosphorus as well as vitamins A, C, E and K are crucial. Other nutrients that support fish health include amino acids, omega 3 & 6 fatty acids as well as plant-based foods like spirulina. These may be added directly into freeze dried or pellet food or provided as stand-in food sources.
Aquarists sometimes feed their aquarium fish a diet including insect larvae or mealworms from crickets, dubia roaches or red wigglers as feeder insects. You can purchase these at pet stores or reptile retailers or culture them yourself for cultured mealworms from your own insects such as these.
Most aquarium cat supplements are easy for aquarium cats to digest, helping reduce waste production and nutrient levels in the water. Just as with any food, be wary of overfeeding; feed your fish only as much food as they can consume within minutes for best results in terms of preventing diseases and keeping your tank water clean.
