Flake food, pellets, frozen and freeze dried food are all good for fish but many aquarists sooner or later ask themselves what else they can feed their fish as a treat or if there are cheaper alternatives to the sometimes expensive frozen food they can by in their local fish shop. The truth is that you can fin a number of suitable fish foods in your local grocery store and that this food often is cheaper than the one you can by in the fish store as well as better for your fish. But remember flake food and pellets have been designed to contain everything you fish needs so it is still good to use this as the basis of your fish diet. Food bought in the grocery store on the other hand might not fulfil all your fish needs.
Exactly which foods that is suitable for your fish depends on which fish you keep. What is suitable for a predatory fish might not be suitable for an herbivore. I am here going to tell you about different items that are suitable for fish but you will have to consider which of these items are suitable for the fish you keep.
You can find a long row of suitable foods in the vegetable section of your grocery store. These items are mostly suitable for herbivores and omnivores but can also be a good variation for some predatory fish.
Lettuce: Lettuce is an appreciated food for many fish species. You can make the lettuce easier to eat for the fish by dipping in boiling water or freezing it before serving it. Many catfish species such as plecos and bristlenose catfish loves lettuce nut some find it hard to get the lettuce to stay at the bottom where it is easily accessible for the catfish and other fish. The answer to this is very easy. Put a small rock on a part of the lettuce to keep it down. Don’t leave the lettuce in the water for to long (1-2 hours max) as it will start to pollute the water.
Peas: Frozen peas are appreciated by most fish. Let the peas defrost before using them as food.
Brussel sprouts: Frozen Brussel sprouts are a very good food to feed to plecos and other algae eaters. Tbe brussel sprouts sink to the bottom where the plecos can find them and can be left in the tank over night for the plecos to feast on if they are put into the tank at night.
Rise: Many fish like boiled rise and this is a particular favourite among mystery snails. (They also love pasta)
You can however also find a number of food items suitable for predatory fish in the grocery store and one of the best and most underused of these are frozen shrimp.
Shrimps: Frozen shrimps are as I used said an excellent fish food and very appreciated by many species. Defrost the shrimp before feeding and it is also recommend that you divide the shrimps into smaller parts if your fish are to small to eat whole shrimp. A common question is whether to use shrimps with out without shell. The answer to this is that the shells help improve colour in fish but can sometimes cause digestive problems. The choice of whether you want to take this small but real risk with your fish is up to you and what fish you keep. A large predatory fish is of course more suited to digest shrimp shells than a small omnivore or herbivore. It is good to feed most herbivore species shrimps once in a while sine they usually get this as a part of their regular diet while gracing on plant and algae.
Other shellfish: Other shellfish such as crabs, crayfish and clams can be thought of in much of the same way as shrimps and all make good fish food. You should however keep in mind that mussel sometimes can contain a relatively high amount of toxins and should therefore not be used too much.
Frozen fish: Frozen fish fillets can be a good food for predatory fish even if it shouldn’t be their only food. Avoid feeding your fish fatty fish.
This was just a few examples of items from the grocery store that make good fish food. There are many more. You can experiment yourself to find more suitable food just remember to avoid processed food and fatty food. Pork as an example is too fatty to be a suitable fish food. Most suitable food items can be found in the seafood and vegetables section of your store. Don’t forget to always give your fish a varied diet.