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How to Feed Angelfish (How Often, How Much, Preferred Food, & More)

How to Feed Angelfish (How Often, How Much, Preferred Food, & More)

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This post is written to the author's best knowledge and is not intended to be used in place of veterinary advice. In addition, this post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Have you started thinking about putting an aquarium in your home? Fish tanks can truly be very fun to observe when you get them up and running.

Angelfish are some of the most popular fish for aquariums. These pet fish are relatively easy to care for, and they’re also undeniably beautiful.

The overall look of the angelfish makes them hard to resist. They’ll look great in your home, but you’ll need to learn how to care for them properly.

How do you feed angelfish? What types of food do these visually impressive fish eat?

Read on to get all of the important information about feeding angelfish. You’ll also learn about some other things that you need to consider when putting angelfish in a fish tank.

What Do Angelfish Eat?

You’ll find that feeding angelfish won’t be all that difficult. You will need to make sure that you get the right stuff from your local pet store, though.

For the most part, people usually feed angelfish various types of fish flakes and shrimp pellets. The fish flakes that the angelfish eat are specifically meant for angelfish, so you’ll want to ask the pet store workers to help you find the angelfish food options.

Aside from flakes and pellets, some people choose to feed angelfish live shrimp or certain types of worms. When you find angelfish in the wild, they’re going to eat worms and small crustaceans.

Some fish enthusiasts claim that it’s a good idea to mix up what you’re feeding the fish. You might want to feed the angelfish flakes one day and then give it shrimp pellets the next.

If you’re fine with it, then you could give the fish live food from time to time as well. Angelfish are omnivores and they like to eat quite a few different things.

It is very important to ensure that you’re giving the angelfish foods that will give it the nutrition that it needs. If you’re at all confused about what to give the fish, then you could consult an exotic veterinarian to learn more about specific nutrition requirements.

A veterinarian should be able to give you information about recommended food for angelfish. This will help you to move forward with confidence since you’ll know that you’re feeding the fish the healthiest stuff.

Of course, it’s fine to just buy the angelfish preparations from the pet store, too. It isn’t that complicated to feed these fish, and you’re likely not going to have a problem keeping the fish healthy.

How Often Do You Feed Angelfish?

How often you’re supposed to feed the angelfish is going to depend on a few factors. If you purchase angelfish from a pet store when they’re quite young, then you might need to feed them slightly more often.

It’s said that young angelfish should be fed approximately three times per day. Of course, many people get away with feeding angelfish twice per day without experiencing any problems.

Adult angelfish are going to be able to get away with eating a bit less often. You can feed adults once or twice per day.

These fish can go a while without eating, so you could just stick to feeding the fish once or twice per day even when they’re young. Perhaps sticking to twice per day will be the safest bet and the easiest thing to remember.

It’s certainly good to feed your fish daily and to be mindful of consistency. The fish will be more likely to grow strong and remain healthy if you feed them consistently.

How Can You Tell When Fish Are Hungry?

You can tell when fish are hungry by observing them. When a fish is hungry, it might start digging around in the substrate looking for food.

Sometimes you might also notice the fish looking around at the top of the tank. It’s likely that the fish is doing this because it knows that you pour the fish flakes down from above.

That said, you don’t really need to look out for signs that your fish are hungry. Angelfish are likely going to act like they’re hungry constantly.

It isn’t necessary to feed the fish constantly. Feeding the fish every single time that they seem hungry would be bad.

Also, it isn’t practical to stand around observing the fish and biding your time for when they show signs of hunger. What you need to do is just create a schedule and stick to it.

If you plan to feed your fish twice per day, then you can develop a consistent schedule. You’ll feed the fish at the same time each day, and the fish will get used to that.

It’ll be a lot easier to remember to feed the fish once in the morning and once in the evening. Do your best to keep doing it at the same time each day and you’ll likely never encounter problems.

How Much to Feed Angelfish

Feeding the fish the right amount of food is imperative. Trying not to go overboard with feeding is for the best.

Typically, you’re going to want to give the fish only as much food as they can eat within two or three minutes. If the fish are taking longer to eat the food than that, then you’re giving them too much.

Eventually, you’re going to get used to how much food you should give the fish. This will allow you to get the fish fed in a timely fashion.

Remember that you don’t have to stand there timing the fish. It’s fine to approximate the amount of time that the fish are taking to eat all of the food.

Feeding the fish should just become a normal part of your routine. It won’t feel like a hassle at all.

What If You Feed the Fish Too Much?

It’s definitely possible to feed the fish too much. Feeding the fish more than you should is harmful to the fish in certain ways.

One thing to be mindful of is whether the fish are leaving uneaten food in the tank. If you see food floating in the tank, then you need to take the time to remove it.

This is because the presence of organic substances could throw off the balance of the tank. When this occurs, it can potentially harm your fish.

It would likely take a lot of uneaten fish food to cause a problem, but it’s just better to remove the uneaten food. This isn’t going to be hard to do, and you likely won’t have this happen often if you’re careful about how much food you give to the fish.

The uneaten food can be removed from the tank using a standard net or a siphon. Simply check the fish tank to see if the fish ate everything that you gave them after three minutes have passed so that you can do what you need to do.

Do Angelfish Eat Plants?

Angelfish are omnivores, and this means that they will eat plants if they have to. The thing to note is that they generally only eat plants if they have to.

It’s very likely that you’re going to place aquatic plants in the fish tank with your angelfish. These fish love swimming through plants, and they also use the plants as hiding spots.

Putting plants in the tank will be beneficial in various ways. It’ll help to keep the tank clean by eating up ammonia and other potentially harmful substances.

You might notice your fish nibbling on the aquatic plants from time to time. Sometimes fish just enjoy doing this and they aren’t necessarily eating the plant.

If a fish does start eating the plants, then it’s a sign that you haven’t been feeding it right. Angelfish that have good nutrition should avoid eating the plants in the tank.

How Long Can Angelfish Go Without Eating?

What happens if you forget to feed your angelfish for several days? If you go on a short trip and forget to ask someone to look after your fish, will they be dead by the time you get home?

Angelfish are going to be able to survive without eating for at least three days. A healthy adult angelfish should be able to live for around one week without food.

This doesn’t mean that it’s wise to neglect your fish, though. If you want the nutritional needs of the fish to be met, then you should be feeding them daily.

However, the fish is unlikely to die if you’ve simply forgotten to feed it once or twice. Young angelfish aren’t going to be able to go so long without being fed, and this means that you must make sure not to go longer than three days without feeding them.

It’s really best to stick to the daily feeding schedule when you care about your fish. Try your utmost to feed the fish at the same time twice each day.

One interesting thing to note is that your fish might take care of themselves if there are plants in the tank. The fish may begin eating the plants while you’re away so that they can fill up.

In some ways, this does give you a buffer if you make mistakes, but you shouldn’t count on this. Just try to do a good job of feeding the fish so that the angelfish don’t feel the need to devour your aquatic plants.

How Big Should the Fish Tank Be?

Making sure that the fish tank is the right size is more important than some people realize. Putting a fish into a tank that is too small is not going to be good.

Even if you feed the fish very well, it’s likely not going to thrive in a small tank. Angelfish prefer to have more room than they need.

You also need to consider how large an angelfish can get. Although there are different types of angelfish on the market, most of the popular ones will grow to be at least six inches long when they reach adulthood.

The fins on these fish will be eight inches long. You’re going to need an aquarium that is tall enough and big enough for the fish to be comfortable.

It’s said that an angelfish needs at least 10 gallons of space, but you should give it more than that. If you’re planning on caring for two angelfish, then it’s wise to get at least a 29-gallon tank.

Some angelfish enthusiasts prefer slightly larger tanks than that such as 55-gallon tanks. You want to give the fish room to move around and feel comfortable.

Water Requirements

Taking care of the water requirements is just as important as feeding the fish. In fact, water issues will be more likely to kill an angelfish than food issues.

Angelfish need the water to maintain a certain pH balance. On average, the most popular angelfish need the water to be between 6.8 and 7.8 on the pH balance scale.

Different angelfish will have slightly different pH balance requirements. Because of this, you should seek out specific information based on the type of angelfish that you’re caring for.

Regardless, you should know that you need to test the pH balance regularly to keep the fish safe. Do your best to maintain the proper pH balance for the type of angelfish that you have.

Of course, the pH balance isn’t the only thing that you need to be worried about. You also need to think about the temperature of the water.

Angelfish generally want the water to remain warm. Most angelfish are considered to be tropical fish.

The most common angelfish that you find at pet stores will require the aquarium water to remain between 78 and 84 degrees Fahrenheit.

If the temperatures get too much cooler or hotter than this, then the angelfish could die. For this reason, angelfish need a heater.

Ensure that you have everything that you need to take care of the angelfish the right way. This will allow you to keep the angelfish healthy for a long time.

Angelfish Aggression

Angelfish can sometimes be a bit aggressive. Most of the time, angelfish are going to be relatively peaceful, but they can become territorial, too.

This is more of a problem when you keep the angelfish in a tank that is too small. The fish will become easily agitated when they feel that they must fight over territory.

It’s just one of the many reasons why it’s imperative to buy a tank that is large enough for the number of fish that you’re planning to buy. Try to go larger just to be on the safe side if you have enough room for a larger tank.

You should also know that male angelfish don’t get along. Putting two males in the same tank might not be a good idea.

Males will fight with each other and they will even injure one another during the fight. These fights don’t usually turn deadly, but they will fight over food as well as potential mates.

How Long Do Angelfish Live?

If you care for your angelfish really well and do a good job of feeding it, then it can live for a pretty long time. Some angelfish have been known to live for as long as 10 years in fish tanks.

This is a very long lifespan for a pet fish overall. You won’t be able to keep an angelfish alive that long if you don’t take care of the fish properly, though.

You’ll need to do your best to feed the fish the right food so that it will be healthy. It’ll also be necessary to protect the fish by monitoring the pH balance of the water.

If you do all of this, then you can expect to be able to enjoy your angelfish for a long time. Hopefully, you’ll be confident that you can do a great job now that you’ve read all of this information.

Final Thoughts

Feeding angelfish shouldn’t be too hard now that you have the information that you need. You’ll be able to get the fish food that you need from local pet stores, but you can also purchase products online if necessary.

It’s good to try to feed your angelfish a mixture of different foods. You could feed it some fish flakes, shrimp pellets, and other types of food that are appropriate for angelfish.

Getting dietary advice from an exotic veterinarian is going to be wise if you feel at all confused. They can help you to pick out the most nutritious and safe food for your angelfish.

Feeding your angelfish once or twice per day should suffice. Although, it’s said that younger angelfish prefer to eat three or four times per day.

It’ll be easiest to set a schedule and feed your fish at the same time daily. This makes it easy to remember since you’ll fall into a routine.

Always give your fish only as much food as it can finish within two or three minutes. Going overboard isn’t good, and you’ll need to remove excess food that the fish don’t finish from the tank.

Do your best to care for the angelfish and they’ll live for many years. You might be able to enjoy having these fish in your tank for 10 years if all goes really well.

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