When buying food for the inhabitants of your aquarium, do not take the first universal one that comes along. After all, fish, like any pets, need a balanced diet, which only the owner can provide.
Live food
Of course, in the wild, fish prefer to feast on live algae and small crustaceans, or to hunt insects and other fish. That is why live food will give great pleasure to aquarium fish - after all, it brings their living conditions as close as possible to natural ones. This food contains all the necessary nutrients and vitamins, its freshness is the very first, and it will also affect the mood and condition of your fish in the most favorable way.
One of the significant disadvantages of such food is the inconvenience of storage for the aquarists themselves. After all, live worms or crustaceans must be constantly maintained in a viable state, and this is additional time and, frankly, a headache. In addition, live food may contain pathogens that cause disease in fish.
Frozen feed
Frozen food, of course, is not live and wiggling crustaceans or worms, but it is also eaten by fish with great appetite. When properly frozen, such food retains almost all nutrients and trace elements, while the taste and aroma remain just as attractive. Store frozen fish food in the freezer of the refrigerator, and immediately before feeding - defrost it in the necessary portions. It should be noted that, unlike live food, crustaceans and bloodworms are subject to a mandatory disinfection procedure before freezing. Therefore, the risk of contamination of fish from such food is practically zero.
Dry food
Convenient and most practical, as it is well stored and does not require any additional manipulations before feeding. A jar of such food can stand next to the aquarium and any of the family members will feed the hungry fish at a convenient time. However, using dry food, it should be understood that they will not be able to provide a full-fledged diet for fish.
Pay attention to the form of release of dry food. Manufacturers now offer pellets in various sizes, as well as chips and feed that looks more like powder or dust. Large pelleted food is intended for bottom dwellers: a heavy pellet falls on the bottom, gradually swells and can be eaten by catfish or snails. Small to medium sized pellets are much lighter and are suitable for feeding larger fish. Remember that the smaller the food, the smaller the fish should be. So, with dusty dry food, fry and young fish are usually smelled, but for adults or large fish, it is necessary to purchase chips or granules of the middle fraction.
