What do angelfish eat? This is the question most beginners have when they are planning to keep Angelfish in their aquarium.
And in this article, I am going to answer the same question.
So let’s get started.
Angelfish can eat cichlids flake and protein-rich pellets. You can also feed it frozen or dried bloodworms, black worm,s brine shrimp, mysis shrimp, white worms, daphnia, mealworms feeder guppies, small insects, and crustaceans.
Table of Contents
What do freshwater angelfish eat in the wild?
In the wild, freshwater angelfish feed on invertebrates, small insects and small fish.
They usually feed at the surface or mid-water.
But in the wild, they also forage along the surface to feed on worms and small crustaceans.
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What can you feed your angelfish in the aquarium?
Angelfish are omnivorous but their diet mainly consists of meaty foods.
For their proper growth and development, you should feed them a variety of food.
Now we are going to look at various types of food you can feed to your angelfish.
Flakes and pellets
You can feed cichlids flakes and protein-rich pellets to your angelfish.
While choosing flakes or pellets, just make sure that it has a good amount of protein because the angelfish diet is primarily a protein-rich diet.
Live food
You can treat your angelfish with live food such as bloodworms, brine shrimp, blackworms, white worms, mealworms, etc.
You can also feed it feeder guppies which is its primary food in the wild.
Live food is the most nutritious food you can feed to your angelfish.
When it comes to live food, you should be very careful and only get it from a reputable source.
Because live food can contain harmful parasites that can make your angelfish sick.
Besides, you should also feed the live food within 2 to 3 days of getting it.
Frozen food
You can feed Frozen food such as brine shrimp, bloodworms, etc to your angelfish.
They may not be as nutritious as live food but still, they are very nutritious.
And the best part is they have a very long storage life and they don’t carry any risk of transferring harmful parasite into your tank.
While feeding the Frozen food just make sure to soak it in the water of your tank and then feed it.
Vegetables
Angelfish are omnivorous so you can feed them vegetables.
But angelfish don’t really like vegetables and they will eat very little if any.
You can feed them vegetables like peas, zucchini, lettuce, cucumber, spinach, etc.
Before feeding the vegetables make sure to boil it and cut it down into small pieces so that it will be easier for them to consume.
Besides, angelfish may sometime nibble on the live plants if you have them in your tank but it’s very rare. If you are curious about which plants you can keep in an angelfish tank then you can check out my detailed article on this topic here.
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Best fish food for angelfish
1. Tetramine large tropical flakes
If you are looking for the formula for the best health of your angelfish then this fish food is a good choice for you.
It has received a very good positive response from aquarists who have tried it with their angelfish.
This formula comes with prebiotics that helps to enhance the health of your angelfish.
This flake food comes with Omega 3 fatty acid that helps to increase energy in the fish.
Angelfish diet is primarily a protein-rich diet and this flake food contains a good amount of proteins which helps for the proper growth and development of your angelfish.
Besides, it also has all the essential vitamins for the proper growth and development of your angelfish.
It is very easy to digest lake food so it will provide a complete balanced diet to your angelfish without coloring or clouding the water.
As this fish food contains all the essential nutrients that an angelfish require, it will help to enhance its coloration.
2. Omega one freeze dried bloodworms
Angelfish diet is primarily a protein-rich diet so protein is the one of is one of the most important nutrients you have to provide to your angelfish in a good amount.
And this is the best product that provides high-quality protein through blood worms to your angelfish.
It also provides natural fats and fiber which encourages breeding.
Also, it provides vitamin E which is good for the development of angelfish.
The best part is, this product is made using the latest freezing technology and it does not contain any kind of bacteria or harmful parasite.
Besides, this fish food does not cloud the water.
Overall if you are looking for high-quality protein-based food then Omega one freeze dried bloodworms is a good choice for you.
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3. San Francisco Bay brand freeze dried bloodworms
If you are looking for protein-packed fish food for your angelfish then there is no better choice than San Francisco Bay brand freeze dried bloodworms.
This fish food gets at least 51% of its all the calories from just protein.
And the remaining calories come from other ingredients like crude fiber, crude fat, and crude Ash.
Besides, the blood worms are very easy to digest and it does not leech color so it will keep your tank clean and clear.
Overall, if you are looking a fish food to feel the protein needs of your angelfish then this is a good choice for you.
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FAQ
How long can angelfish go without food?
Angelfish can go up to a week without food. How long your angelfish will go without food really depends on its size.
Smaller angelfish may not survive without food for a week but an adult Angelfish can easily go without food for up to a week and even more.
If you are going away from your home and worried about feeding your angelfish then there are a few things you can do to feed your angelfish.
The most reliable way is to ask someone like your neighbor or friend to feed your angelfish when you are away.
You should also tell them how much quantity they should be feeding to the fish.
The best way is to get a pillbox and add the amount of food you feed to your angelfish at a time in each box and ask them to empty one box every time they feed the angelfish.
Another way is to get an automatic fish feeder.
You just have to load it up with the fish food and it will dispense the food accordingly.
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How often should angelfish be fed?
For adult angelfish, you should feed at least twice a day. And to young angelfish, you should feed eat 3 to 4 times per day.
You should also feed three to four times per day to the mated pair of angelfish that you are trying to breed.
When Angelfish are young they require more live food.
As they grow up, you can cut back on live food and feed them flakes and pellets.
Also, when angelfish are young you should feed them more times per day. And as they grow up you should cut down on the feeding.
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Do angelfish eat vegetables?
Yes, angelfish can eat vegetables. You can feed it garden vegetables, zucchini, spinach, boiled peas, romaine, lettuce, cucumber, etc.
Angelfish diet is high protein and high fiber diet. So feeding them vegetables along with meaty foods is very beneficial for their proper development.
You can also feed them flake food that contains raw plants to fulfill their fiber needs.
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Will angelfish eat flake food?
Yes, angelfish can it flake food.
But while choosing the flake food for angelfish make sure that it has a high amount of protein in it.
You should also feed them flake food that contains raw plants to fulfill their fiber needs.
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Can I feed my fish once a week?
An adult angelfish can live for a week or even more than that without food.
But feeding the fish only once per week is not a good idea.
It can decrease its longevity and overall development.
Ideally, to a young angelfish, you should feed at least three to four times per day.
Also, young angelfish require more live food than adult angelfish.
For adult angelfish, you can feed it twice a day. And you can mostly feed it flake food, pellets, and frozen or dried meaty food.
There is no need for feeding live food on a regular basis to adult angelfish.
You can feed live food once in a while as a treat to your angelfish.
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Do Angelfish eat other fish?
Yes, Angelfish eat other small fish that are small enough to fit into the mouth of the angelfish.
In the wild, it is their natural behavior.
They eat fry and other small fish like Tetra that fits into their mouth.
Can angelfish eat Tetra?
Yes, angelfish can eat Tetras that are smaller than the size of the mouth of the Angelfish.
Angelfish belongs to the Cichlids family which is known for its aggressive behavior.
Fish like Neon tetra, Cardinal Tetra live in the same habitat and areas where angelfish live.
So it is very common that Angelfish eat small Neon tetras, Cardinal tetras or any other small fish that can fit into their mouth.
It is just their natural behavior.
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Conclusion
Angelfish can eat a variety of food.
It can eat live food such as bloodworms, brine shrimp, etc.
You can also feed it frozen or dried bloodworms, brine shrimp, blackworms, mealworms, etc.
You can also feed protein-rich flake food.
As angelfish is omnivorous and it requires a fiber-rich diet, you should occasionally feed it vegetables such as zucchini, spinach, boiled peas, romaine, etc.
