Treats for fish

[WilliamG]

I have seen many posts where the people say they give a "treat" to their fish. What I would like to know is that treat a substitute for a meal or in addition to a meal. My community tank-mates love the frozen blood worms and shrimp.

 

[Uberhoust]

As far as I know, frozen blood worms are a great treat for fish. I used to feed grated beef heart as a treat too, but it is a fair amount of work to process the heart and remove all the fat before freezing, but the fish really liked it.

 

[GaryE]

Most of the time, what we call a treat is actually just better quality food given occasionally. Frozen bloodworms, for example, are better food for some fish than processed pellets or flakes. Live foods aren't a treat, but a better alternative - again, for many species. You have to do your homework to see what your fish needs - bloodworms (insect larvae) for a herbivore/plant eater aren't a treat.

Treats on top of regular feeding are a bad idea. A major killer of aquarium fish is overfeeding. Once a day for adult fish, with one or two days a week skipped is far better.

 

[Boundava10]

I guess you can consider foods not often fed as treats, for example I feed my fish fruits and vegies occasionally as a treat, but to clarify I don't give it as an addition to food I would have fed-but as a replacement or supplement.

However I regularly feed my guys shrimp and jumbo bloodworms, so those aren't treats but staples.

 

[WilliamG]

Thanks to all who replied. It appears that what most of you mean is that a treat is just something different/better as a regular meal. I appreciate the clarification.

 

[GaryE]

When you're a fish and you eat something extra, the fat isn't stored between your skin and muscle as it is with us. It's inside the body cavity, around the organs. This can interfere with the workings of their bodies rather quickly.

I've kept fish for close to 6 decades, and I still enjoy feeding them. When I was new at this, my fish got treats and they went for them. Now, I'm boring and give no extras but one. If I swat a mosquito, it goes into a fishtank and someone gets a high fibre extra. Otherwise, I feed sparingly no matter how much the fish beg. They don't need food as we do, as they don't have to run an internal, energy burning temperature regulation system. They're cold blooded, and they can get by on much less (hence no mechanism for safely storing fats).

This was a really good question because I think we've all gone there and wanted to give treats to the animals in our care. Or, if I'm honest, we still want to give them treats. You have to channel that into improved daily nutrition.

 

[WilliamG]

When you're a fish and you eat something extra, the fat isn't stored between your skin and muscle as it is with us. It's inside the body cavity, around the organs. This can interfere with the workings of their bodies rather quickly.

I've kept fish for close to 6 decades, and I still enjoy feeding them. When I was new at this, my fish got treats and they went for them. Now, I'm boring and give no extras but one. If I swat a mosquito, it goes into a fishtank and someone gets a high fibre extra. Otherwise, I feed sparingly no matter how much the fish beg. They don't need food as we do, as they don't have to run an internal, energy burning temperature regulation system. They're old blooded, and they can get by on much less (hence no mechanism for safely storing fats).

This was a really good question because I think we've all gone there and wanted to give treats to the animals in our care. Or, if I'm honest, we still want to give them treats. You have to channel that into improved daily nutrition.

Well spoken GaryE