Ranking of the best fish food in 2022

In order for the inhabitants of the aquarium to feel comfortable, they need quality care. In addition to the necessary equipment, you should be knowledgeable about feeding. Fish food companies provide a huge selection of food. Before purchasing them, you should understand the existing types of feed, as well as which manufacturers are considered the best.

Types of food for fish

 There are many food products for aquarium inhabitants. They should have not only nutritional properties, but be rich in all microelements and vitamins necessary for the health of fish.

To determine the selection criteria for products, you should know what type of food is used for certain breeds. There are the following types of food for aquarium fish: live, dry, vegetable and frozen. Consider how they differ from each other, what are the advantages and disadvantages.

Alive

A product that is of animal origin is considered the most nutritious and beneficial for aquarium inhabitants. If other food products lose some of their nutrients after processing, then live food contains the necessary amount of protein for the full development of pets. Its advantages include the fact that the contamination of the aquarium after feeding is much less than after dry food for fish.

Products from living organisms are recommended for growing fry, as they contain all the microelements and vitamins necessary for health and growth. It is also often used during the spawning period of fish to improve reproductive functions.

But this feed has several significant disadvantages - when purchasing such products, you should pay attention to its quality. If stored improperly, dangerous bacteria multiply in it, which can harm all the inhabitants of the aquarium. In addition, the shelf life of such a product is very short - about 2-3 days, and only some organisms can be allowed to be consumed for about a week.

The cost of live food for aquarium fish due to the composition is much higher than other feeds. Under unfavorable conditions for the reproduction of live food, the cost of such food can increase significantly.

If there is any doubt about the quality of an animal product, it is better to freeze it for a while - this will help to destroy almost all harmful bacteria contained in the product.

The most popular live food models are bloodworms, tubules, daphnia, earthworms and cyclops.

1. Moth is a mosquito larva that is most often used as live food. Compared to other products, it contains more protein in its composition. When purchasing, you need to pay attention to the color of the bloodworm - a bright red tint indicates the high quality of the product.
2. Worms of a pale pink hue, about 3 cm long, are called tubules. They are a source of the amount of amino acids necessary for the health of fish. But, besides this, more often than other living organisms are carriers of unwanted bacteria. To prevent infection of all the inhabitants of the aquarium, you must follow the tips for storing them: for this you need to put them in a container of water and place in the refrigerator. Every day, rinse 2 times and get rid of dead tubules. This procedure should be done within a week. If all recommendations are followed, the live product will not be dangerous to fish.
3. Cyclops and Daphnia are very small crustaceans that reach a maximum length of 5 mm. Due to their tiny size, they are used to feed medium-sized fish or fry. Adults are simply not interested in them.
4. Earthworms are considered the most affordable food for feeding.A healthy worm is brown or dark pink in color. You can also breed them at home.. They are very large in size, so they are used only for feeding large fish. You can send to the aquarium as a whole individual, and after dividing into several parts. Rinse thoroughly under running water before use and check for odors.

In addition to the listed varieties of live foods, gammarus, coretra or brine shrimp are used for feeding. These living organisms have the necessary vitamin composition and energy value.

To understand how to choose the right fresh and high-quality live food, you need to follow certain recommendations. Live products for fish should not have a sharp and unpleasant odor. It is important to pay attention to the color of the organisms - they should not differ significantly from the indicated shades. If a living food product does not show activity at all or moves little, this may indicate a disease. Products with the listed disadvantages should not be purchased.

Such selection errors can cause significant damage to the health of all aquarium inhabitants: lead to their illness or even death.

Dry

It is very convenient to use: it is easy enough to store and feed it to your pets. This variety has a long shelf life, so you can buy a large package and not worry about the expiration date.

Dry type ingredients include herbal supplements, fishmeal, daphnia and bloodworms. In other words, these are dried organisms of living foods. This list is enough to maintain a balanced diet of fish.But this type of feeding has some disadvantages: it is low-calorie for aquarium fish, so you have to feed them with special vitamin supplements.

In addition, due to the free-flowing state, the aquarium will become dirty faster and possibly clog the cleaning equipment, since a lot of waste remains after feeding. All of them settle on the bottom and walls of the aquarium. Therefore, it is worth paying special attention to caring for him after feeding.

Forms of release of this nutrition are produced in tablets, powder, chips, granules or flakes. Due to this diversity, it is suitable for both bottom inhabitants of the aquarium and fish that feed in the upper and middle layers of the water.

Food in tablets is used for catfish or other bottom fish. Due to its heavy weight, the tablet sinks quickly and begins to soften under the influence of water. The composition of such feed includes both vegetable and animal components of nutrition.

Powdered is used to feed fry or small fish. For the smallest inhabitants, it contains all the trace elements necessary for health. It has very small particles for easy feeding. But uneaten leftovers, having absorbed water, settle to the bottom of the aquarium jar, thereby polluting the habitat of the fish.

Chips plates are recommended for feeding large individuals. After lowering into the aquarium, the chips begin to fill with water, while increasing in size.

When using pelleted feed, special attention should be paid to the following factors: when interacting with water, the pellets slowly but significantly increase in size. If the fish begins to feed on it before it swells completely, then the granule will increase in the pet's stomach. Subsequently, this can lead to the death of the fish.Therefore, before feeding, the granule should be lowered into water until it swells completely, and only then fed into the aquarium.

Flakes are quite versatile, suitable for many breeds. When they enter the aquarium, they quickly absorb water and break up into small particles. But this food product does not have all the necessary nutritional properties, so it serves more as a vitamin supplement, rather than the main food.

Vegetable

Plant foods are usually dried seaweed with seafood and fishmeal added. This food contains a lot of fiber, which has a positive effect on the digestive system and the metabolic process. Therefore, plant foods must be present in the diet.

Instead of dry plant food, live plants can be used - the most suitable are elodea, riccia, ambulia, fern or vallisneria. This diet is most suitable for goldfish.

In addition to algae, in the summer you can use dandelion, lettuce, slices of cucumber or pumpkin. Before use, they should be poured over with boiling water and finely chopped. If the aquarium fish are large, then you can give whole leaves of plants.

Semolina and oatmeal can be attributed to nutrition of plant origin. But before feeding, they need to be soaked in water so that the food does not swell in the stomach of the fish.

Frozen

Such food is essentially live food, but only in a different form. You can buy it at a store that sells pet supplies, or you can cook it yourself at home, from living organisms purchased in advance. Fresh products are divided into portions and frozen.

Before feeding the fish, it is taken out of the freezer and allowed to fully or partially defrost. In the case when the thawed food remains, it is impossible to re-freeze the process - this will destroy all the remaining beneficial trace elements. Therefore, it is better to leave it until the next feeding.

How to make your own food for aquarium fish

 In addition to the listed herbal supplements, which you can cook at home with your own hands without much difficulty and material costs, there are several more recipes for home-made fish.

You can make similar foods with fresh ingredients. For this, the same plants or boiled vegetables are used, they are crushed and frozen. After 2-3 hours, the resulting product is divided into portions. Vegetables can be replaced with boiled fish or shrimp.

For dry food, you can use turmeric, paprika and egg. The resulting crushed mixture is laid out on a battery or electric dryer until completely dry. After that, they are placed in a container for further storage.

One of the favorite treats of fish is an omelet. Cooking it is very simple: add an egg to boiling water and wait until it curdles. You can also add herbal ingredients to it. The resulting mass is crushed through a sieve and immersed in small portions into the aquarium.

Homemade food products are no different from purchased ones, if all the cooking conditions are observed correctly. After feeding, uneaten food should be removed to prevent the growth of bacteria.

 Where to buy fish food

 At present, answering the question of where to buy food for aquarium fish is very simple - just visit a store that specializes in selling pet products. They provide a huge selection of popular models of goods. You can find almost any product of interest.

In the pet supply store, experienced consultants will provide the necessary information on how often to feed aquarium fish, what types of products are available, which is better to buy for a particular fish breed. In addition, they will advise on the price category - they will explain the differences between budget feeds and more expensive ones.

If the necessary goods are not currently available in the pet store, you can use the services of online stores. The sites provide many more different types of fish food, both inexpensive and high-end models.

The online store contains all sorts of information about products: in addition to a detailed description of each product, you can get acquainted with the recommended models depending on the price, as well as find out which companies are considered the best manufacturers of pet products.

Products are constantly updated on the sites, novelties in the field of feeding appear, as well as an overview of the necessary equipment for maintaining an aquarium.

In addition, you can read the reviews of other users of the product of interest. Often they have a great influence on the further choice - if, in the opinion of buyers, a certain brand has negative characteristics, then they will not want to purchase such food.

After the choice is made, you should place an order online - payment can be made both through a bank transfer and upon receipt of the goods.After completing the application, you can find out how much the entire order costs, including delivery.

Rating of the best feeds and their manufacturers in 2022

 There are a lot of companies that produce fish food. Therefore, it is quite difficult to make the right choice when buying. To understand which company is better to entrust the health of your aquarium pets, we will rank the highest quality manufacturers who have already won the trust of many buyers.

Feed is produced in many types and for different breeds of aquarium inhabitants. Consider the most popular, according to buyers, types of food, fish food companies, for which fish they are intended, as well as their advantages and disadvantages.

 Popular dry food

Tetra Betta Granules

Produced in granules, it is used to feed labyrinth and fighting groups of fish, including cockerel fish. A package weighing 5 grams costs about 60 rubles.

• The composition includes all vitamins and microelements necessary for health;
• It has a positive effect on the brightness of the color of the fish;
• Long shelf life;
• Low price.

• Not detected.

Tetra Pond Variety Sticks

Produced in granules, recommended for freshwater fish living in a pond or reservoir. You can buy in volumes of 1 l, 4 l, 7 l, 10 l or 25 l.

• Contains in its composition all the necessary complex to maintain health;
• Improves color;
• Does not pollute water;
• Easy absorption.

• Not detected.

Tetra TetraMin XL Granules

It has a granular form, designed for feeding large freshwater fish. Both small plastic packages and 10-liter buckets are produced.

• Favorably affects the immune system;
• The composition includes all vitamins and microelements necessary for health;
• Low cost.

• The granules quickly sink to the bottom;
• Contaminates the aquarium.

Tetra Pond Multi Mix

It is unique in that it consists of all types of dry food: flakes, granules, tablets. Thus, it is suitable for both bottom catfish and small fish that feed in the upper or middle layers of water.

• Due to its composition, it can be used as a main and permanent food;
• Convenient packaging;
• Suitable for all inhabitants of the aquarium;
• Low cost.

• Not detected.

Sera Goldy Nature

Flakes intended for feeding goldfish. The composition is rich in protein and vegetable components, which is especially necessary for such breeds. The manufacturer produces products in small packages and large buckets.

• Due to its composition, it can be used as a main and permanent food;
• Wide choice of packaging;
• Economical expense.

• Contaminates water;
• Has an unpleasant smell.

JBL NovoStick XL

Food sticks for large cichlids and catfish. Packages are available in different sizes. A complete composition that allows you to use it as the main food.

• Nutritious and tasty, thanks to its ingredients;
• Suitable for different inhabitants of the aquarium;
• Does not pollute water.

• Doesn't dissolve well.

live food

Aquamenu Artemia-C

This is a dry type from which live Artemia can be grown. It contains Artemia eggs (cysts). The package contains step-by-step instructions for obtaining the desired result.With proper cultivation, after 1-2 days, tiny crustaceans appear that can be fed to aquarium fish.

• Low cost;
• Useful composition;
• The result is a large number of small crustaceans;
• An easy and quick way to create live food at home.

• Not detected.

Food of vegetable origin

Dajana Flora

Used to feed herbivores, Malawian cichlids. Available in flakes.

• Increases immunity;
• Has a positive effect on reproductive functions;
• Low cost.

• Not detected.

Gels and flavors

In addition to the listed basic types of nutrition, flavoring and vitamin supplements can be used. Food in the form of jelly is very attractive to fish, especially since they look like small worms. Available in bloodworm, daphnia, krill and favorite artemia flavors.

Tetra FreshDelica Brine Shrimps

Allows you to diversify the diet of fish, while it has a useful composition.

• Different taste types;
• Very fond of aquarium fish;
• Long shelf life.

• High price.

After the comparison, we can safely say that the German brand Tetra is the clear leader in the aquarium food market. The manufacturer produces a huge number of different types of food, while it has a different price range - from low to expensive.

Conclusion

 After studying the types of food, as well as getting acquainted with the most famous manufacturers, you can decide on the choice of feeding your pet and not worry about his health.

With proper care, aquarium fish will feel healthy and delight their owner with an attractive appearance and bright color.