What Do Guppies Eat? – Guppy Feeding Guide
Aaron Boyd
If you are purchasing a pet guppy for the first time, you’re probably wondering what do guppies eat. There are many options available for your pet. This is true whether you shop online or in-store for food.
Still. you don’t want to go with the first guppy food you see. Instead, you should feed your pet guppy the right food, with the highest quality. Just like humans, fish need good nutrition and proper sustenance to stay healthy.
So picking out guppy food should be taken seriously.
In this guppy guide, we’ll talk about all the different types of foods you can feed guppies.
We’ll get into each source of nutrition and talk about the pros and cons of different food types. In addition, this post will go over some important information regarding feeding schedules, and feeding tips. You want to ensure that your guppy is properly fed, along with having good food.
So read on to learn what guppies eat and how you can best enhance their diet!
Table of Contents
Guppy Diet
In general, any guppy will need a diet rich in protein and plants. Guppies are energetic fish so they require a substantial amount of protein in their meals. Their whole diet should not consist of protein, but they will need to be given protein a few times a week.
This can be done with freeze-dried foods or live foods that have a lot of meat. But we’ll get into that later on in the post. In addition, your guppy should have a good source of plants in their diet.
Most fortified fish food has all of this already. But if you want your fish to be extra healthy, you can put in small bits of vegetables for your guppy.
Overall, you want your fish to have a balanced diet. Some variety should be present in each meal. You could just give your guppy a standard flake. But we recommend mixing things up for your fish every now and then with different types of nutrition.
What Do Guppies Eat?
So what do guppies eat exactly?
There are tons of different foods to feed guppy. These fish are less picky than others. So you are less limited than you would be with other types of aquatic pets.
Flakes
Still, many fish owners choose to go with flake type foods for their pets. There is nothing wrong with flakes.
They are packed with nutrients and are well fortified with protein. But you want to get a good quality product for your guppy.
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Look into well-known brands like Tetra or Hikari. A good brand will ensure the quality of the food you get. Really, flakes are the simplest and cheapest option for guppies.
You can get almost any type of flakes for your fish. But we recommend getting a tropical blend that includes plants in the ingredient list. And of course, make sure it has protein. Slow floating food is also a plus. This way your guppy has time to eat its food.
Freeze-dried food
Flakes are a serviceable food for guppy fish, but you should try and add some extra protein in your fish’s diet. This way they have something more natural in their diet.
Freeze-dried food can be a good replacement for your guppy. You shouldn’t feed them freeze-dried products exclusively. But its good for guppies to have this type of food on occasion.
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Guppies enjoy bloodworms, shrimp, and other types of water bugs. You can find any of these pre-prepared food at a pet store. They are cheap and have great health benefits for guppy fish.
Shrimp are especially protein-packed and serve as a great meal replacement. And worms and other small insects can be a nice snack. Just remember that you only want to replace flakes once or twice during the week.
Live Food
Some people suggest live food for guppies. Live bloodworms and other organisms have plenty of protein for guppy pets. And this is definitely an option you can go with.
But we think freeze-dried food is a more preferable choice. It doesn’t require any special maintenance, storage, or preparation. You just stick freeze-dried foods in your guppy tank.
Live foods, on the other hand, can come with complications. Chiefly, they could be infected with bacteria or even parasites. Not all live food will pose a risk for your guppy.
But it’s better to be safe. Some live insects, like worms, can host especially dangerous bacteria.
Vegetables
On the other hand, live plant foods are a great and safe way to boost your guppy’s diet. We recommend using vegetables to supplement your guppies meals.
You can get vegetables frozen, or you can prepare them fresh. Either way is fine for guppy and great for their continued health! We’ve talked a lot about protein, but plant foods are just as important for guppy fish. Guppies eat a lot of greens in their own natural habitat.
Guppies are an omnivorous species. So they consume anything from algae to small sea creatures. When you put veggies in the water with your fish, make sure they are cut up well though. Bug chunks might be left uneaten.
Guppies like a lot of different greens, but peas, chopped up lettuce, and cucumbers are most liked by guppy.
Other veggies can be tried as well. And even some fruits can be put in your fish tank. But give guppies fruits less often, as it might be too much sugar for them to eat regularly.
How often do you feed Guppies?
Another common question guppy owners have is how often do you feed guppies. This depends on the age and size of your guppy. Most guppies can be fed 2 to 3 times in a day. This is the average for an adult guppy.
When you feed your guppy is up to you, but generally, most people feed their fish two meals. One in the morning and once at night. This helps keep pets on a good schedule.
But don’t just drop meals into your guppy tank, especially if you have other guppies in your setup. You want to be mindful during feedings with multiple fish.
Guppies have a tendency to eat baby guppies when they don’t get enough food. So not only should you make sure your adult guppy is getting fed, but make sure they are kept away from fry guppies.
Your baby guppy eats a lot more, so its best to keep them separate so they can eat their food in peace.
Fry guppies can eat anywhere from 4 to 8 times in a day. It’s a lot of food, but they need it to grow properly into their bodies.
Amount of Food Guppies Should be Fed
So you know how often you feed guppies now. And we amply answered the question of what do guppies eat.
But you might still be wondering what amount of food should be placed in your tank during feeding time?
This is a good question. You don’t want to overfeed any kind of pet. Guppies and other fish experience serious health problems when they are overfed. So you want to know how much they should be fed. As we mentioned, adult guppies will eat less than fry guppies. But you can give them the same amount of pellets or flakes as fry. Just feed your fry more often.
Read the label on your bottle to see how many flakes can go into your tank. See how much of the food your fish can eat in a couple of minutes. If they eat all of it, you’ve probably given them the right amount. You might even be able to give them a little more.
If your fish leaves leftovers though, you have fed them too much. There’s no exact science to this, but the two-minute rule typically holds true. You can also look at your fish’s body to tell if you have fed them too much. If their belly is bloated you have fed your guppy too much.
Also, if you see a white stringy substance hanging from your guppy this could be a sign of overfeeding!
If you see any of these signs, try to lower the amount of food in your tank. In fact, it might be best to skip feeding your fish for a day. This way their digestive system can settle and process all the food they ate.
Homemade Guppy Food
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRLHRzWP_4s
Video: “How to make guppy fish fry food at home”
Pre-made flakes and pellets are great for your pet guppy, as are vegetables and other foods with proteins. If you want to try something different though, homemade fish food can offer your fish something special.
This type of food can be more difficult to prepare, but it is worth the effort for your guppy. Still, you should only go with this option if you are willing to dedicate a lot of time and energy.
And if you do decide to make your own food, make sure to get the best ingredients for your guppy. You want fresh and nutritious results for your fish.
Most people who make homemade guppy food end up combining a lot of different proteins and vegetables to make flakes of their own. This sounds easy, but it’s harder to make than you would think.
Wheat and egg yolks are used to mix all the ingredients properly. These ingredients turn your mixture into a paste. After the paste is set, it can be put in the oven. The heat gives the mixture a flaky texture that is perfect for fish.
How long can Guppies Live without Food?
Guppies can survive without food for up to fourteen days. Their biology makes them well suited to fasting. For the most part, you won’t want to induce a fast on your fish. But sometimes this might be necessary for health reasons.
Guppies like to eat a lot of food and are especially prone to overeating. If your fish overeats too often, they might develop constipation or other issues. This might not seem like a big deal, but fish can get really sick when they are constipated.
Ideally, you’ll want to avoid overfeeding your pet. But if your guppy does get constipated, you can put them on a lightfast. It may seem cruel, but you will be helping your pet.
They can survive a long time without food as we mentioned. Don’t go past fourteen days though, your guppy should only need to fast for a day or two.
And think about your guppies health as you feed them. Even if they don’t get constipated, overfeeding can cause them to accumulate fat. This could lead to weight gain and a shorter lifespan in your fish. Excess food can also make your tank dirty and uninhabitable.
Conclusion
Food choice is important, even for your pet guppy fish. These fish already have a short lifespan. So if you want them to live as long as possible in your tank, you need to make the best food selections.
Still, it isn’t always easy picking out good food for pet guppies. Many fish owners wonder what do guppies eat. In this post, we went over this question and explored many popular food choices for pet guppies.
While guppies can eat many types of foods, more than most fishes really, they still have some restrictions. For instance, you might want to skip out on live food. As it is not the best option for these fish.
Flakes and freeze-dried food are the better option by far for guppies. In combination, they provide protein and plant-based nutrition. In addition, fresh vegetables and homemade foods can even be prepared for your guppy.
However, you want to ensure that you are feeding your guppy the right amount of food. We answered questions about how often do you feed guppies. This way you can feed your pet adequately.
Overfeeding can be dangerous and costly. Most guppies will be fed twice a day, but younger fish are fed much more frequently. So remember the differences between older and younger fishes. And also make sure that you are giving your fish all the protein and greens it needs.
All the information is here in this article. So you can go back and read it again if you forget anything about guppy feeding and care!
