Feeding your fish: how much, how often, and what kind

Short answer: feed your fish a small amount once or twice a day — only what they finish in a couple of minutes — and skip a day now and then. That is enough for almost all community fish. Overfeeding is the single most common mistake new keepers make: uneaten food rots, drives up ammonia and nitrate, and fuels algae. Choose a good staple — flake for general community fish, pellets sized to the fish, sinking foods for bottom-dwellers — and add variety with frozen foods a couple of times a week. Match the food to the fish, keep portions small, and you will avoid most water-quality problems.

How much, and how often

Most fish do well on one or two small feedings a day. The rule of thumb is to offer only what they clear in about two minutes, then stop. Their stomachs are tiny — roughly the size of their eye — so they need far less than it feels like. A weekly fast day does no harm and helps digestion. If food is settling uneaten on the bottom, you are feeding too much.

Overfeeding does not just waste food; it directly harms water quality. The waste and decaying food raise ammonia and nitrate, which stresses fish and feeds algae. If you find yourself fighting algae or cloudy water, feeding is often the first thing to look at — our guide on beating algae covers the link.

Flake, pellet or frozen

• Flake is the easy staple for general community fish that feed at the top and midwater. It is convenient and complete, but goes stale once opened — buy a size you will use within a couple of months and keep the tub sealed.
• Pellets come in floating and sinking forms and in many sizes. Choose a pellet the fish can actually fit in its mouth, and sinking pellets or wafers for fish that feed on the bottom. Pellets tend to hold their quality a little better than flake.
• Frozen foods — bloodworms, brine shrimp, daphnia and mixes — add variety and protein, and many fish relish them. Thaw a small portion and feed a couple of times a week as a supplement rather than the whole diet. We keep a range of frozen foods in the freezers here in the shop.

Browse dry foods in our fish nutrition range, with basic nutrition staples and premium nutrition formulas for fish with particular needs.

Match the food to the fish

Different fish are built to eat in different ways, and a single flake at the surface does not feed all of them. Surface and midwater fish take flake and floating pellets; bottom-dwellers like corydoras and plecos need sinking food that actually reaches them — see feeding corydoras and other bottom dwellers. Herbivores such as many Mbuna want a vegetable-based diet, while predators want more protein. A varied diet built around the right staple keeps colour and health up across a mixed community.

A few practical habits

• Feed by hand in small pinches so you can see what is actually being eaten.
• Watch quieter or slower fish get their share — bold fish will hog the food otherwise.
• Going away? A weekend without feeding is fine for healthy adult fish; a reliable neighbour or an auto-feeder beats a well-meaning over-feeder.

Getting feeding right sits at the heart of a stable, healthy tank — the same balance we talk about in building a peaceful community.

Written by the team at Tropical Fish Imports in Lethbridge, Alberta. Last reviewed August 2026.

Not sure what to feed your particular fish? Tell us what you keep and we will suggest a staple and a treat or two — visit the shop, call 403-380-4506, or send us an email.