jayjay
The BE-Team Fighting For Betta Extermination
Since when were platies and swordtails a natural part of an angelfish's diet? Also I'm guessing but fry would make up only a small section of an angelfish's diet in the wild as well.
Would My Angelfish...
- Thread starter DiscusKeeper403
- Start date
The August FOTM Contest Poll is open!
🏆 Click to vote! 🏆
Since when were platies and swordtails a natural part of an angelfish's diet? Also I'm guessing but fry would make up only a small section of an angelfish's diet in the wild as well.
spAcE mOnkEy
Fish Addict
- Joined
- May 12, 2004
- Messages
- 921
- Reaction score
- 0
I think he means that fish eat smaller organisms as an instinct... Cichlids that sees something small moving around usually goes for it.
vancouver
- l l a m a s -
Most fish will eat anything that fits into their mouth..
nmonks
A stroke of the brush does not guarantee art from
Kinda, sorta...
For many fish (just like kids) what they will eat is not always what's good for them. Plecs will eat dead fish and prawns quite happily, but neither should be a staple, and fed too often can lead to problems with their internal organs getting covered in excess fat. Puffers will eat feeder fish if you provide them, but fish don't do anything to wear down their teeth, and the best diet for most puffers contains mostly snails and crustaceans. Catfish will eat bits of chicken or beef, but the fat in the meat clogs up their internal organs and can cause harm over the long term. Angelfish have evolved to eat almost exclusively mosquito larvae and other aquatic insects, so while guppy fry are probably a perfectly serviceable treat, the best balance of nutrients will come from frozen bloodworms and the like.
All in all, with any fish, you should feed fish according to the following:
[1] Flake or pellets. These have the 100% best balance of nutrients. If your fish will eat them, you don't need anything else, and you needn't worry about vitamin or mineral deficiency.
[2] What they eat in the wild. Give them what they would catch for themselves, and you can't really go far wrong. Bear in mind though that a pike cichlid isn't catching goldfish in the Amazon, and surprise surprise, goldfish aren't a good diet for this fish. Frozen alternatives are usually cheaper and safer.
[3] Experiment and improvise, but only as a treat. There's all kinds of stuff that can be safe. Woodlice, spiders, flies, and so on you find in the house will be happily eaten by many fish. Snails are enjoyed by many fish if you crush their shells. Seafood and fish meat is always worth trying, and fruit and vegetables shouldn't be ignored either. Try a little and see how your fish react. Ask about and see if other aquarists have used these items. Obviously avoid potential hazards such as pesticide and herbicide residues: if you can't be sure the food is 'clean', don't use it.
Cheers, Neale
For many fish (just like kids) what they will eat is not always what's good for them. Plecs will eat dead fish and prawns quite happily, but neither should be a staple, and fed too often can lead to problems with their internal organs getting covered in excess fat. Puffers will eat feeder fish if you provide them, but fish don't do anything to wear down their teeth, and the best diet for most puffers contains mostly snails and crustaceans. Catfish will eat bits of chicken or beef, but the fat in the meat clogs up their internal organs and can cause harm over the long term. Angelfish have evolved to eat almost exclusively mosquito larvae and other aquatic insects, so while guppy fry are probably a perfectly serviceable treat, the best balance of nutrients will come from frozen bloodworms and the like.
All in all, with any fish, you should feed fish according to the following:
[1] Flake or pellets. These have the 100% best balance of nutrients. If your fish will eat them, you don't need anything else, and you needn't worry about vitamin or mineral deficiency.
[2] What they eat in the wild. Give them what they would catch for themselves, and you can't really go far wrong. Bear in mind though that a pike cichlid isn't catching goldfish in the Amazon, and surprise surprise, goldfish aren't a good diet for this fish. Frozen alternatives are usually cheaper and safer.
[3] Experiment and improvise, but only as a treat. There's all kinds of stuff that can be safe. Woodlice, spiders, flies, and so on you find in the house will be happily eaten by many fish. Snails are enjoyed by many fish if you crush their shells. Seafood and fish meat is always worth trying, and fruit and vegetables shouldn't be ignored either. Try a little and see how your fish react. Ask about and see if other aquarists have used these items. Obviously avoid potential hazards such as pesticide and herbicide residues: if you can't be sure the food is 'clean', don't use it.
Cheers, Neale
qwikimpss
Fish Addict
Yes, all I meant by "doing what nature intended" was what space monkey said.
I'm sure, if they came from the same natural habitat that Angels would have no qualms whatsoever about sucking down some platy/swordtail fry in the wild!
I'm sure, if they came from the same natural habitat that Angels would have no qualms whatsoever about sucking down some platy/swordtail fry in the wild!
dwarfgourami
Fish Connoisseur
Yes, but "some" is a key word here. Not all the time, not even a major part of the time. I think partly because you so often see threads warning against keeping angels with neons, with the motivation that they are their natural food in the wild, it leads people to think that small fish are the mainstay of wild angels' diet, instead of being, as Neale said, just an occasional snack.
qwikimpss
Fish Addict
Such is True!
Similar threads
Most reactions
-
380 -
238 -
201 -
171 -
144 -
143 -
130 -
116 -
110 -
68 -
66 -
66 -
58 -
56 -
52