Flake foods are ideal for small fish up to four or five inches long, if appropriate. These foods are produced
from the meat of fish, fish eggs, wheat, and vegetables. They usually contain additional vitamins and minerals.
These food materials are also processed into pellet form for larger fishes; floating fish sticks are for large,
top-feeding fish, whereas small pellets that sink slowly are for middle-feeders, and sinking tablets are for
bottom-feeders.
Several live foods are also available; among these are small crustaceans called water fleas, Daphnia. Brine
shrimp, Artemia, are small shrimp that live in salt lakes or brackish waters. These shrimp should be rinsed
off and may be fed to both small and large fish. River shrimp and bloodworms are available for still larger
fish. Earthworms, flies, maggots, wood lice, caterpillars, crickets, and grasshoppers are other live foods that
can be used. One problem with feeding live foods is the parasites and diseases that they may carry can be
harmful to fish.
Freeze-dried and frozen foods are basically the same as live foods, except they are in a safe form.
Some freeze-dried or frozen foods available are Mysis shrimp, Pacific shrimp, tubiflex worms, krill, and
plankton.
Carnivorous fish can be fed minced or chopped meat; common foods include beef heart, liver, raw fish
meat, and shellfish meat. Pieces of turkey and chicken can also be used. Meat pieces can also be thinly sliced
and frozen; these can then be broken and fed. Some of the larger carnivorous fish may need to be fed other
fish; small goldfish may be used for this purpose.
Many fish also require vegetative material in their diets. Chopped or shredded lettuce, chopped spinach
leaves, canned peas, wheat germ, and oat flakes can be used. Any vegetables not consumed within eight hours
should be removed.
Marine species of invertebrates are of four types:
(a) Those that feed on plankton that is filtered from the water, including stone and horny coral, tube worms,
bivalves, some species of sea cucumbers, and crustaceans. Commercially prepared plankton foods and
frozen foods are available for the plankton feeders.
(b) Those that feed on plant material, including sea urchins, mollusks, and sea slugs. A diet of lettuce and
spinach will hopefully prevent them from feeding on aquarium plants.
(c) Those that are carnivorous, including crabs, starfish, sea anemones, shrimp, and lobsters. They can be fed
small pieces of crab, fish, shrimp, and flake foods. Sea anemones should be fed only when their tentacles
are out (in bloom). Drop the food onto their tentacles.
(d) Those that are scavengers, including sea cucumbers. They feed on debris and uneaten foods on the
bottom of the aquarium.
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