Angelfish are quite flexible when it comes to their choice of food. They are one of the most common species of fish in the aquarium. So what do angelfish eat?
It is recommended to feed angelfish fish flakes or pellets as this is the best way to supply them with a balanced diet. Angelfish are omnivorous they can feed on both plants and animals such as bloodworms and shrimp.
While many believe Angelfish to be omnivores, they are, however, largely carnivores. They feed on diverse food sources, including many fish flakes, frozen foods, vegetables, and live foods. They often enjoy a meal of bloodworms, brine shrimp, white worms, mealworms, small insects, and other crustaceans.
List of Food Your Angelfish Can Eat
Angelfish is one of the easiest fish to keep. They are hardy and flexible in their food and other environmental demands. Nevertheless, Angelfish requires a balanced diet for proper growth and healthy living.
Angelfish are omnivorous; they can feed on both plants and animals. What Angelfish requires is proper feeding with an optimal diet, not overfeeding. Below is a list of food Angelfish can eat
Tropical Fish Pellets
Tropical fish pellets are one of the meals Angelfish prefers. Aside from the immense nutritional benefits of tropical fish pallets, many aquarists also prefer it over tropical fish flakes because they require lesser air to guild the food. Fish pellets are only suitable for larger fish.
Tropical Fish Flakes
Tropical fish flakes are similar to pellets. It is ideal because it contains the right amount of protein, vitamin, and other essential nutrients that the Angelfish needs to live healthily. It is recommended as a daily diet because it contains all basic fish nutrients.
Oatmeal
Angelfish can also eat oatmeal. However, it cannot serve as a complete replacement for their actual diet because oatmeal does not contain all essential nutrients for fish. It lacks vitamins, fiber, protein, and other essential vitamins. It would be best if you boiled the oatmeal before feeding it to your fish.
Earthworms
Angelfish love to feed on many live foods, and earthworms are certainly a big part of them. They particularly hunt for earthworms in the tank, but you can still make it available for them in captivity. They can also eat it frozen or dried.
Prawn
Prawn is another impressive food to feed your Angelfish with. It is a live food that is suitable for Angelfish because it is rich in protein. Besides, prawn also contains the right amount of fat for Angelfish. However, you have to defrost the pawn, make it clean, and boil it to make it edible for your fish.
Meaty Foods
Meaty foods are also suitable for Angelfish because they contain the right amount of protein and minimal fat for Angelfish. They can hunt for meaty foods like insects and crustaceans in the wild while you can also feed it to them in the tank.
Algae
Angelfish can eat Algae, just like every other member of the Pomacanthidae family. They are omnivorous, and algae are one of the plants that they can feed on. It contains several elements that supply Angelfish with the nutrients they need.
Boiled Eggs
A hardboiled egg is another suitable treat for Angelfish. It is particularly suitable for fish fry as a major source of protein for their active growth. All you need is the yolk; hence, you can break off the egg’s white part.
List of Vegetables Your Angelfish Can Eat
Angelfish are omnivorous, which means they can feed on vegetables. Vegetables can serve as a key source of fiber and vitamins for Angelfish. Below is a list of some vegetables Angelfish can eat.
Peas
You can consider treating your Angelfish with peas sometimes. It is a great source of dietary fiber for Angelfish, and 2-3 peas are sufficient for each Angelfish. It would be best if you considered boiling the peas to make it soft enough for your Angelfish.
Lettuce
Angelfish can cruise pretty well on lettuce. They particularly prefer red lettuce because it is soft enough for them to chew. You can wash the lettuce and ensure it is clean before feeding it to your fish. Boiling or cooking the lettuce is not advisable because it can lead to the loss of nutrients.
Cucumber
Angelfish can also eat cucumber, but not too often. You can feed it to them once a week to avoid it, causing more harm than good. You should ensure the proper cleanliness of the cucumber before dropping it in the Angelfish tank.
Spinach
Spinach is another suitable for Angelfish. It is not advisable to cook spinach because it will remove the nutrient in the vegetable. However, you can rinse the vegetable in warm water to clean and make it edible for the Angelfish.
Zucchini
Zucchini is one of the perfect vegetables for Angelfish, particularly during summer. Ensure that the zucchini vegetable is clean enough before dropping it in the fish tank. Similarly, you should chop the vegetable into thin slices to make it edible for the fish.
List of Fruit Your Angelfish Can Eat
Fruits are particularly rich in essential vitamins. Some of them even serve as a rich source of fibers, which are all essential for the overall well-being of the Angelfish. Below is a list of some fruits Angelfish can eat.
Apple
Apples can form an integral part of Angelfish’s diet. It is rich in various nutrients and low in fat; thus, making it ideal fruit for your fish. Cut the apple into small pieces, and wash it to make it edible for your Angelfish.
Pears
Angelfish will not have any problem eating pears as long as you’ve peeled and cut it into sizes that are small enough to fit into the mouth of our fish. Pears particularly contain high sugar levels; hence, you must feed them in a regulated amount.
Mango
Angelfish will happily eat mango because it contains sugar. However, this high sugar content might be of more disadvantage than advantage if the rate at which you feed mango to them is not duly regulated. It would be best if you only fed mango to Angelfish at most once a week.
Banana
Banana is another suitable fruit for Angelfish. They particularly love it because it is soft and easy for them to chew. Like mango, bananas also contain a high amount of sugar. Therefore, it is best to only feed your Angelfish with bananas at most, once in a month.
Grape
Angelfish will eat grapes, but grapes contain a high sugar level, but very little nutrient. Consequently, it is best to only feed them a treat and not the main diet. It would be best if you fed it to them at most once a week.
List of Foods Your Angelfish Cannot Eat
Even though Angelfish are greedy eaters, there are still some foods that they cannot eat. These foods might be difficult for Angelfish to eat, or they may cause more harm than good to the fish’s health. Some of these foods can also leave the fish tank with a high concentration of toxic compounds. Below is a list of some foods Angelfish cannot eat.
Grains
Angelfish need a high protein level, and it is inappropriate for them to eat grains like rice, soybean meal, and millings. Likewise, Angelfish finds it difficult to digest grains, which can cause constipation and other food disorders.
Bread
Bread is one of the most difficult foods for Angelfish to eat. Bread contains yeast that can be swelled up in the fish’s stomach upon coming in contact with water. This action can cause a major disorder in the digestive system of the fish. Likewise, bread leaves crumbs in water that can form a high concentration of organic waste.
Cat Food
Never make the mistake of mixing up your pet foods. Feeding Angelfish with any cat food is grossly inappropriate because your fish cannot digest the cat food’s major ingredients.
Dog Food
Dog food also has a similar effect as cat food. Aside from the fact that it might be difficult for the fish to swallow, they cannot digest its ingredients. They can also constitute a high level of organic waste in the fish tank.
Weetabix
Feeding Weetabix to your Angelfish is a waste of resources. Aside from the fact that it does not contain any nutrients needed by the fish, it will also pollute the tank with so much organic waste because most of it will be left uneaten by the fish.
Biscuit
Biscuits have similar effects as bread. It will expand upon coming in contact with water; hence, it is difficult for the fish to digest it. Likewise, it can cause major digestive disorders for the fish.
What Live Food Can I Feed My Angelfish
Live foods are one of the essential nutritional components of Angelfish. They contain a high level of protein essential for the growth and overall well-being of your fish. Angelfish will eat every live food they find in their tank before even thinking about any other food.
Below is a list of live food you can feed to your Angelfish.
Brine Shrimp
Brine shrimp is one of the live foods that can make your Angelfish go crazy. They love the taste of it, and it also offers a high nutritional benefit. Brine shrimp contains protein, and they will easily be fit into the mouth of your fish. You will easily find them in various pet stores.
Earthworms
Earthworms are another live food that Angelfish love to have. They particularly hunt for earthworms in the wild, but you can still make it available for them captive. Angelfish fry will also love to have a taste of earthworms as long as it fits into their mouth.
Prawn
Prawn is another live food Angelfish love to eat. Prawns are particularly rich in protein, which is very beneficial to the Angelfish. Besides, prawn also contains the right amount of fat for Angelfish. However, you have to defrost the pawn, make it clean, and boil it to make it edible for your fish.
Other worms
Angelfish do not only feed on earthworms; they can also munch on other worms like white worms, bloodworms, mealworms, blackworms, and so on. These foods contain high protein that is beneficial for Angelfish.
Daphnia
Daphnia is not only suitable for adult Angelfish; they are also small enough to fit the mouth of your Angelfish fry. Therefore, Daphnia serves as a rich source of protein for both adult Angelfish and fish fry.
What Plants Do Angelfish Eat
It is not completely strange to find Angelfish eating plants. They particularly eat plants when they are bored, malnourished, or already used to eating vegetables. Nevertheless, they are less likely to eat plants compared to most other fish.
Below are some of the plants Angelfish can eat.
Algae
As much as algae are an unwanted plant in the fish tank, Angelfish will still eat them when they find them in the tank. In fact, some aquarists often introduce Angelfish to the fish tank to control the excessive growth of algae in the fish tank. Algae are quite nutritious to the fish, and it won’t do them any harm.
Seaweed
Seaweed is another interesting plant that Angelfish see as food. They often feed on them in the wild, and you can also introduce it to them in captivity. It is best to buy plain seaweed that does not include salt or any flavoring.
Salvinia
Salvinia is a soft floating aquatic plant that is highly nutritious. It contains vitamins and some essential nutrients that are beneficial to Angelfish. Most Angelfish love Salvinia because it is soft and easy for them to eat.
Duckweed
Duckweed is another floating plant that offers suitable snacks for Angelfish. It is one of the most common aquarium plants, and it contains vitamin C, which is one of the vital nutrients for the wellbeing of Angelfish.
Watercress
Watercress is one of the few plants that Angelfish will naturally feed on in the wild. Therefore, introducing it to your Angelfish tank does not only offer dietary value, but it also helps you mimic their natural habitat.
What Can I Feed My Angelfish If I Run Out Of Food
There are some unavoidable situations when aquarist runs out of food to feed their pet fish. In this case, an aquarist might not have the most preferred diet of the Angelfish. While it is not advisable to leave Angelfish to go hungry, it is also inadvisable to feed them with the wrong diet.
Here are some of the foods you can feed to your Angelfish in case you run out of food.
Plant Matters
If you had at some points introduced plant matters to your Angelfish, you might consider doing it again if you run out of food. Plant matters like peas, lettuce, spinach, cucumber, and other plant matters will serve as perfect diet replacement for Angelfish if you run out of food.
Fruits
If you are lucky to have certain fruits within your reach, you might as well feed them to Angelfish when you run out of food. You can feed them with fruits like apples, grape, pears, and so on. However, fruits are the only temporary solution to Angelfish food problems.
Boiled food
You can improvise some boiled food at home and feed them to your Angelfish if you run out of food at home. Some boiled foods suitable for Angelfish include hard-boiled eggs, oatmeal, etc.
Live Foods
You can search your home for some live foods to give to your Angelfish. They will happily munch on various live foods like crustaceans, insects, and different types of worms. You can take your time to search around the house to find some.
What Do Angelfish Eat In The Wild
Wild, the natural home of Angelfish, has more than enough food in stock. However, they have to hunt for their food in the wild compared to when you feed it to them in captivity. This mode of sourcing for food allows them the liberty to choose anything they feel like eating.
Here are some of the most common foods Angelfish feed on in the wild.
Feeder Guppies
Feeder guppies are one of the most common foods for Angelfish in the wild. They are usually small enough to fit the Angelfish’s mouth, and it offers a lot of nutritional benefits.
Crustaceans
Crustaceans like shrimps and pawns are another group of live foods that Angelfish love to prey on in the wild. They share a similar natural habitat with this fish species, which makes them vulnerable. They also have a relatively small size that makes it easy for Angelfish to snack on them.
Aquatic Invertebrates
Aquatic invertebrates are also similar to crustaceans. They are live foods that offer Angelfish a valuable source of protein. They are easy prey because they are usually small, even for Angelfish fry to snack on. Common examples are mosquitoes and larvae.
Sea Plants
The natural habitats of Angelfish in the wild are blessed with so many plants that the Angelfish can munch as food. These plants are readily available, and they form a rich source of vitamins. Common examples of these plants include duckweed, seaweed, and algae.
Other Smaller Fish
It is typical of Angelfish to prey on smaller fish as long as they can fit in their mouth. Angelfish will hunt for smaller and vulnerable fish in their habitat and eat them.
How To Feed Your Angelfish
Like every other aquarium fish, what you feed your Angelfish can be a huge determinant of the quality of life. The nature of the food they eat can affect their health and immunity. Likewise, it can also affect their rate and extent of growth.
Properly feeding your Angelfish can increase their life span and growth rate. The quality of food you give them is not the only factor to consider. It would be helpful if you also were careful about how often you feed them.
How much and how often you should feed Angelfish is dependent on several factors. These factors include; the developmental stage of the fish, present health condition, or other environmental factors. There might be a need to adjust the feeding schedule as they grow.
It will help if you feed young or growing Angelfish with more live foods than the adult fish. You can feed adult Angelfish with more pellets and flakes. You can also consider feeding them some specific vegetables.
The feeding schedule of Angelfish is also essential. It would help if you fed growing or developing Angelfish more often than the fully-grown fish.
You can feed younger or growing Angelfish as much as 3-4 times a day. This frequency of feeding is because they need active energy for their growth.
The scenario might slightly vary for adults. Once your Angelfish is mature, you have to cut their feeding to strict regulation. By that time, you should consider feeding them only once or twice a day.
It is, however, very crucial to avoid overfeeding Angelfish. Overfeeding Angelfish can be detrimental to their health. If you overfeed them, you place them at the risk of becoming overweight or having to deal with constipation.
How Long Can Angelfish Live Without Food?
How long Angelfish can survive is one of the most frequently asked questions among aquarists. However, you don’t have to be overly scared about the feeding of your Angelfish if you intend to be out for a couple of days.
Angelfish can live up to 7-12 days without food. If you have been taking proper care of your fish in the past and are in good health condition, they can live more.
However, how long each Angelfish will survive can vary with individual fish. This variation is because their survival is dependent on several factors. These factors include; environmental factors, age of the fish, size, genetics, previous diets, underlying health conditions, and so on.
Also, it would help if you didn’t leave your growing fish for an extended period without food. More substantial and older fish can go for a more extended period without food. This longer stay is because they are no longer undergoing active growth.
Younger fish, on the other hand, need a constant supply of nutrients. They need these nutrients for their active growth. Starving them for a long time without food will negatively impact their dynamic growth, leading to further health complications or even death.
Nonetheless, you should avoid overloading your fish tank with food because you won’t be available for a few days. Angelfish will not eat food that has stayed too long in the water, and they often consume their food within 2-3 minutes. The remains of such food will only pollute the tank and make it unclean.
Can Angelfish Feed on Other Fish?
First off, you should be aware that Angelfish are primarily carnivores. This reason is why Angelfish prefers live foods over other available options. They are greedy eaters that can devour anything when they are hungry.
Angelfish can hunt and eat up smaller fish. That is why it is not advisable to keep Angelfish with smaller fish in the same tank or community tanks. They can snack on neon tetras fry, and other smaller fish.
However, they have a lower probability of feeding on other fish if you supply them with enough food. You can also reduce the consumption of smaller fish by Angelfish by keeping them with floaters.
Angelfish dwell in mid or bottom tanks. They either have a gallant swim in the middle of the fish tank or spend time at the base of the tank looking for insects and worms. Therefore, they might not look in the direction of smaller fish floating at the top of the tank.
How Big Can Angelfish Grow?
One of the significant factors that affect the growth of Angelfish is its food. Feeding Angelfish with quality food at regular intervals will undoubtedly enhance their growth. They even need this diet more while they are actively growing.
If you feed your Angelfish properly, they can grow up to 6-8 inches. Some can even grow up to 10 inches, provided they are not limited by genetics. However, 10 inches Angelfish is more common in the wild than aquariums.
An average Angelfish reaches adulthood in about 18 months. At this stage, they should be at least 5-6 inches long, provided that they enjoy proper care.
If you want your Angelfish to grow correctly, you need to be cautious about some factors. Avoid keeping them in overcrowded tanks and feed them properly. Ensure they grow under proper tank conditions with suitable tank mates, preferably other Angelfish.
Conclusion
Angelfish are easy to care for compared to other cichlids. They are not rigid with their choice of food and tank mates. They also add beauty and exclusiveness to fish tanks.
Nevertheless, you need to properly feed Angelfish if you want to get the best out of them. You should pay special attention to the feeding of fry and growing Angelfish. Ensure that you feed them with quality and varied diet at suitable time frames.
With proper feeding, stable tank conditions, suitable tank mates, and appropriate tank size, you can be sure of getting the best out of your Angelfish.
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