5. Foods & Feeding How often and when to feed varies from tank to tank depending on its inhabitants. Types of fish have different feeding habits and nutrition requirements. Carnivores have larger stomachs and tend to gulp larger quantities of food once a day and some only 3 times a week. Herbivores have small stomachs and longer intestines and feed here and there throughout the. day. Omnivorous fish, some of which are active at night, spend the day hunting for food. In a community tank feed twice a day and only what the fish consume within 5 minutes.   Feeding a variety, including flake, frozen, freeze dried and live foods, ensures that fish get the balance of nutrients they require and is most likely to match some of the foods they eat in their natural habitats.   What to feed: Characins Loaches Carp-Like fish Angelfish Bettas Livebearers Barbs African Cichlids Gouramis Goldfish Catfish Rainbows Other Cichlids Discus Koi   Below is a list of community fish and the diets best suited to meet their nutritional requirements.   Characins Most characins are active in the day and travel in schools. Tetras are included in the group. Examples: Pristella Tetra (Pristella maxillaris), Cardinal Tetra (Paracheirodon axelrodi), Rummynose Tetra (Hemigrammus bleheri). Members of this group that have red, orange or gold colorations can be brightened by supplementing the Vivid Color Flake. Freeze dried blood worms dripped with vitamins, Vita Chem Freshwater or frozen bloodworms should be included as a treat to maximize growth and health. Feed a combination of: OSI Marine Labs Vivid Color Flakes OSI Marine Labs Freshwater Flakes Supplementing with these 2-3 times a week:   Blood Worms, Freeze Dried Frozen Baby Brine Shrimp Aqua Yums Frozen Bloodworms Livebearers This is one group of fish that shows off its splendor when fed a healthy, varied diet. Quality color enhancers combined with a diet heavy in Sprirulina make a huge difference in the long term health and vitality of these fish. Mollies, in particular, should be fed Spirulina. The secret to healthy Swordtails is a varied diet. Color enhancers and bloodworms make the most difference in Platys. Examples: Guppies (Poecillia reticulata), Black Molly (Poecillia latipinna), Swordtail (Xiphophorus helleri), and Platy (Xiphophorus macalatus) . Feed a combination of:   OSI Marine Labs Spirulina Flakes OSI Marine Labs Freshwater Ultra Flakes Supplementing with these 2-3 times a week:   OSI Vivid Color Flakes Blood Worms, Freeze Dried Jack Wattley Community Formula Aqua Yums Frozen Bloodworms Catfish This group includes many night feeders and does best when fed diets specific to each species. Remember, the difference between healthy and dying Plecos is Spirulina wafers and driftwood for them to feed on. Cory cats, as well as other species in this group, sift through gravel and scavenge for uneaten food. Examples: Cory cats, Plecos, Pictus Cat(Pimelodus pictus). Feed a combination of:   Spirulina Sinking Wafers Shrimp Pellets, Sinking Frozen Bloodworms Loaches These are aquarium favorites, and include Clown Loaches, Redtail Sharks (Epalzeorhynchus bIcolor), Zipper Loaches (Botia fasciata) and many more. Clown Loaches (Botia macracanthus) and other loaches grow large and colorful with the right combinations of nutritious foods. Feed a combination of:   Sinkable Wafers 8.8oz Aqua Yums Frozen Bloodworms Supplementing with these 2-3 times a week:   Live Blackworms, if available Barbs Some members of this active and interesting family are fin nippers and should be kept in schools of 5 or more to minimize aggressive behavior. All Barbs grow healthy and full with Vivid Color Flakes for color enhancing and brine shrimp treats. Examples: Tiger Barb (Barbus tetrazona), Tinfoil (Barbus schwanefeldi) and Cherry Barbs (Barbus titteya). Feed a combination of:   OSI Marine Labs Vivid Color Flakes Staple Granules, Fine or Staple Granules, Tiny or OSI Marine Labs Freshwater Flakes Supplementing with these 2-3 times a week:   Aqua Yums Frozen Brine Shrimp Aqua Yums Frozen Bloodworms Rainbows Many species of Rainbow fish are available for the home aquarium. Examples: Boesemani Rainbow Fish (Melantaenia boesemani). Proper feeding with quality, nutritious foods helps make this of the most exciting and colorful fish available for the community aquarium. As they grow larger, introduce them to pelleted food like New Life Spectrum. Feed a combination of:   OSI Marine Labs Vivid Color Flakes Staple Granules, Fine or Staple Granules, Tiny 3oz or OSI Marine Labs Freshwater Flakes Supplementing with these 2-3 times a week:   Aqua Yums Frozen Brine Shrimp Aqua Yums Frozen Bloodworms Carp-Like Fish This group is characterized by its sucker-type mouth. Most members of the group feed on algae but also delight in a frequent meaty treat. Example: Chinese Algae Eater (Gyrinocheilus aymonieri). Feed a combination of:   Spirulina Sinking Wafers Frozen Bloodworms African Cichlids Color and intensity are what these fish bring to an aquarium. Hardiness, striking color, morphology and unique behaviors make this one of the most interesting groups for the home or office aquarium. For maximum results use trace elements Cichlid Gro or AF Cichlid Rift Lake Trace Elements and African Cichlid Salt. Feeding twice daily, once with frozen and once with other foods is recommended. At least feed two different foods daily. Examples: T Electric Blue Johannii (Melanochromis johannii), Cobalt Blue Cichlid or Zebra Malawi Cichlid (Pseudotropheus zebra), Auratus (Melanochromis auratus), Labidochromis (Labidochromis caeruleus "yellow"), Pseudotropheus (Pseudotropheus socolofi) and Frontosa (Cyphotilapia frontosa). Feed a combination of:   OSI Marine Labs Cichlid Flakes or OSI Marine Labs Cichlid Pellets or OSI Marine Labs Cichlid Pellets, Sm and OSI Marine Labs Cichlid Premier Floating Pellets, Large or OSI Marine Labs Cichlid Premier Floating Pellets, Medium Supplementing with these 2-4 times a week:   Ad Konings Frozen Cichlid Omni Formula Ad Konings Frozen Cichlid Vegi Formula Frozen Plankton Other Cichlids These fish very do well on flakes and small pellets when young. As they grow and become fuller, introduce larger foods like frozen, freeze dried and pellets. Color enhancing foods bring out red, yellow and orange colorations. Feed frozen instead of live food. Proper nutrition keeps these fish healthy and robust for many years. Examples: Oscars (Astronotus occellatus), Red Devil Cichlid (Amphilophus labiatus), Firemouth Cichlid (Thorichthys meeki), Dempseys (Nandopsis octofasciatus), Blood Parrot Cichlids (Amphilophus "Red Parrot" hybride). Feed a combination of:   OSI Marine Labs Cichlid Flakes or OSI Marine Labs Cichlid Premier Floating Pellets, or OSI Marine Labs Cichlid Premier Floating Pellets, Medium OSI Marine Labs Cichlid Premier Floating Pellets, Small OSI Marine Labs Spirulina Pellets, Medium Supplementing with these 2-3 times a week:   Frozen Krill Frozen Plankton Aqua Yums Frozen Silversides San Francisco Frozen Silversides Krill, Freeze Dried Angelfish (Pterophyllum scalare) These graceful cichlids can be picky eaters and sometimes difficult to feed. The foods listed below contain all the nutrition for daily activity, reproductive cycles and caring for fry. Feed a combination of:   OSI Marine Labs Angel Flakes Supplementing with these 2-3 times a week:   Aqua Yums Frozen Brine Shrimp Aqua Yums Frozen Blood Worms Jack Wattley Frozen Community Formula Gouramis Feed a combination of:   OSI Marine Labs Vivid Color Flakes OSI Marine Labs Staple Granules, Fine or OSI Marine Labs Staple Granules, Tiny or OSI Marine Labs Freshwater Flakes Supplementing with these 2-3 times a week:   Aqua Yums Frozen Brine Shrimp Aqua Yums Frozen Bloodworms Discus Discus people know what they want. They simply look for the best looking, most exotic fish in freshwater. Keeping these fish is a little challenging. Nutrition is the first step in reducing the challenge. An all-frozen diet is the best choice for these fish. Some keepers have good luck with dried foods. Along with the supplement, Discus Essential, the pros use the foods listed below. Feed a combination of:   Jack Wattley Frozen Discus Formula Jack Wattley Frozen Community Formula Supplementing with these 2-3 times a week:   Aqua Yums Frozen Bloodworms Live Blackworms, if available, if needed Bettas (Betta splendens) Feed a combination of:   OSI Marine Labs Betta Food Atison's Betta Food Atison's Betta Pro Betta Food Freeze Dried Bloodworms Supplementing with these 2-3 times a week:   Aqua Yums Frozen Bloodworms Live Blackworms, if available (if needed) Goldfish Orandas. Goldfish need plenty of vegetable matter to stay healthy. Supplement feedings with frozen foods. Feed a combination of:   OSI Marine Labs Goldfish Premier Floating Pellets, Med OSI Marine Labs Goldfish Premier Floating Pellets, Small OSI Marine Labs Goldfish Flakes OSI Marine Labs Goldfish Pellets, Md OSI Marine Labs Goldfish Pellets, Sm Supplementing with these 2-3 times a week:   OSI Marine Labs Goldfish Ultra Koi   See Pond Solution 18 Log In | Customer Service | Home | Aquarium Store | Pond Store How to Order | My Shopping List | Shopping Cart | Contact Us © Aquatic Connection 2003 all rights reserved