All fish fit into one of three categories: herbivore, carnivore or omnivore. When choosing a food, the first thing you need to know is what type of diet is natural to your fish.
- Herbivore a plant eater
- Carnivore a meat eater
- Omnivore a consumer of both plants and meaty foods (the vast majority of aquarium fish fit into this category)
Many of the staple diets do a very good job of providing a broad range of essential nutrients required for good health. Variety in the diet is important to good nutrition and the well-being of your fish. Offering supplementary foods in addition to the 'staple' diet assures better nutrition, and enriches the diet of your fish with more tastes and textures.
While there are many high-quality foods available, we have had particularly good results with those foods and brands listed below. The chart indicates whether that fish is classified as a herbivore (H), carnivore (C) or omnivore (O), and offers good choices for both the staple diet and supplementary diet. Some fish, such as African Cichlids, are listed as belonging to more than one category, depending on the particular variety. Make sure to research the dietary needs of the specific variety of fish you own.
| Species | Staple Diet | Supplementary Diet |
|---|---|---|
| African Cichlids (H) (O) | Cichlid Omni Formula Life Line Omega 3, 20-African C. | Hikari Cichlid Complete SeaVeggies Cichlid Flakes |
| Angelfish (O) | Aquarian Tropical Flake Food Frozen Blood Worms | TetraColor Flakes Ocean Nutr. Brine Shrimp Plus Flakes |
| Barbs (O) | Aquarian Tropical Flake Food Hikari Mega-Tropical Frozen Food | TetraColor Flakes Ocean Nutr. Brine Shrimp Plus Flakes |
| Bettas (C) | Marineland Bio-Blend Betta Freeze-Dried Blood Worms | TetraColor Flakes Ocean Nutr. Brine Shrimp Plus Flakes |
| Catfish (Juv) (H) (O) | Aquarian Tropical Flakes Hikari Mega-Tropical Frozen Food | Hikari Sinking Wafers Freeze-Dried Brine Shrimp |
| Danios/Minnows (O) | Aquarian Tropical Flakes Hikari Mega-Tropical Frozen Food | TetraColor Flakes Ocean Nutr. Brine Shrimp Plus Flakes |
| Discus (C) | Azoo 9-in-1 Blue Discus Pellet Jack Wattley Discus Formula | TetraColor Flakes Freeze-Dried Blood Worms |
| Fancy Goldfish (O) | Marineland Bio-Blend Goldfish Aquarian Tropical Flake Food | TetraColor Flakes Life Line Herbivore Minced |
| Gouramis (O) | Aquarian Tropical Flake Food Hikari Mega-Tropical Frozen Food | TetraColor Flakes Ocean Nutr. Brine Shrimp Plus Flakes |
| Hatchets (O) | Aquarian Tropical Flake Food Hikari Mega-Tropical Frozen Food | TetraColor Flakes Ocean Nutr. Brine Shrimp Plus Flakes |
| Livebearers (O) | Aquarian Tropical Flake Food Hikari Mega-Tropical Frozen Food | TetraColor Flakes Ocean Nutr. Brine Shrimp Plus Flakes |
| Loaches (C) (O) | Aquarian Tropical Flake Food Hikari Mega-Tropical Frozen Food | TetraColor Flakes Freeze-Dried Brine Shrimp |
| Plecos (Juv) (H) (O) | Hikari Sinking Wafers Hikari Mega-Tropical Frozen Food | Hikari Algae Wafers Seaweed Selects Pleco Passion |
| Rainbowfish (O) | Aquarian Tropical Flake Food Hikari Mega-Tropical Frozen Food | TetraColor Flakes Ocean Nutr. Brine Shrimp Plus Flakes |
| Rasboras (O) | Aquarian Tropical Flake Food Hikari Mega-Tropical Frozen Food | TetraColor Flakes Ocean Nutr. Brine Shrimp Plus Flakes |
| Sharks (Juv) (O) | Aquarian Tropical Flake Food Hikari Mega-Tropical Frozen Food | TetraColor Flakes Ocean Nutr. Brine Shrimp Plus Frozen |
| S. Am. Cichlids (Juv) (C) (O) | Aquarian Tropical Flake Food Hikari Mega-Tropical Frozen Food | TetraColor Flakes Freeze-Dried Plankton |
| Tetras (C) (O) | Aquarian Tropical Flake Food Hikari Mega-Tropical Frozen Food | TetraColor Flakes Ocean Nutr. Brine Shrimp Plus Flakes |
| **(H) Herbivore | (C) Carnivore | (O) Omnivore | (Juv) Juvenile** | | |