Freshwater Fish Food

Freshwater Fish Food

Freshwater fishes live in lakes, rivers and ponds. They are fishes that can survive living in less salty environment. Mainly, freshwater fishes still need salt to maintain their healthy body. It’s just that freshwater fishes undergo adaptation, physiologically, in order to balance their ion needs inside their body. We know that most fishes are living in the sea or ocean. That is why only 41% of the water species are found in freshwater.

Not all fishes can adapt to fresh water environment. There are some capabilities that a fish must have in order to adapt with the fresh water surroundings. Fishes’ gills must be capable to distribute water inside their body while keeping their salts balanced. In scientific process, their scales also play a big role. Fishes that tend to lose their scales cause uncontrolled water distribution to their body that causes them death. Another is that they should have bigger kidneys. This is because there is too much water that passes through their body.

Fresh water fish food and sea water fish food does not have a big difference. More or less, they only differ in protein, fat and potassium content. Well, of course, sea water fishes get their protein and potassium content in salt. Fresh water foods are also sea animals or creatures. They are also foods for sea water fish sometimes.

Some known fresh water foods are:
•    Shrimps (Brine and river)
•    Water fleas (daphnia)
•    Cyclops
•    Worms (black, white, earthworm, tubifex)
•    Insect larvae (bloodworms, black mosquito, white mosquito, meal worms)
•    Insects (fruit flies, flies, crickets, beetles, back swimmers)
•    Snails
•    Feeder fish
•    Frogs & tadpoles

There are more foods for freshwater fish. They can also be fed by frozen foods like plankton, krill, meat, squid, and vegetable. Frozen dried foods are highly recommended for fresh water fishes because they retain the nutrients of live foods without any need to keep or take care of them. Pellet foods, flakes and tablets are also good for fresh water fish. This type of fresh water fish foods are the most common and widely used. It has more advantage than other foods mentioned above. These are less expensive; well- balanced when it comes to nutrition; and can be easily found.

Another fresh water food is micro foods. They are called micro because they can only be seen through a microscope. Examples are green water or suspended algae.

Infusoria are microorganisms that grow inside aquariums. Rotifers are eggs that can be bought at pet shops. These and other protists can be easier to culture or collect than to buy. Egg yolk is also a food for freshwater fish and mixture of it is being dropped in the freshwater.
Depending on the number of fish that you have, food must be considered equally. If you are more convenient to use the commercial type of fresh water food, you may chose so. What’s important is that you should know the dos and don’ts in taking care of your freshwater fishes.