Aquarium Fish Food FAQ: Pellets Flakes Frozen Live
Pellets sink and feed bottom dwellers; flakes float for surface feeders; frozen and live foods provide variety and breeding nutrition. Most community tropical fish need feeding once or twice daily, with 3-5 minutes of consumption as the volume rule. This aquarium fish food faq from Gensou Aquascaping at 5 Everton Park covers food types, schedules and storage, and this guide answers the 10 questions Singapore aquarists ask most about feeding.
How often should I feed?
Once daily for adults, twice for fry and breeding adults. The 3-5 minute consumption rule sets the volume — whatever fish eat in that window without leftovers. Skipping a day weekly aids digestion and reduces nitrate accumulation. Underfeeding is rarely fatal in established tanks; overfeeding crashes water quality within weeks.
Pellets versus flakes — which is better?
Pellets sink and stay intact, suiting bottom feeders and reducing fouling. Flakes float briefly then sink, suiting surface feeders. Pellets store longer (12 months sealed) than flakes (6 months opened). Most community tanks benefit from both — Hikari Micro Pellets for tetras and rasboras, plus a sinking pellet like Hikari Algae Wafer for corydoras and shrimp.
What about frozen and live food?
Frozen bloodworm, brine shrimp, daphnia and mysis at SGD 6-10 per blister pack provide protein and fat that pellets cannot match. Feed 2-3 times weekly as supplement. Live brine shrimp and microworms are gold-standard for fry. Avoid live tubifex — high parasite risk. Stock the fish food and feeding range for staples and frozen.
How long does fish food last opened?
Flakes: 4-6 months opened, dropping nutrient value after that. Pellets: 8-12 months sealed, 6 months opened. Freeze-dried: 12 months. Tropical Singapore humidity accelerates rancidity — store in airtight containers with silica desiccant in the freezer for long shelf life. Buy small containers and replace before they go off.
Should I soak pellets before feeding?
For most community fish, no. For fancy goldfish and bettas prone to swim bladder issues, yes — pre-soak pellets for 30 seconds before feeding to prevent gas-trapping. Sinking pellets do not need pre-soaking; they are formulated to absorb water at the substrate level.
What food do bettas need?
High-protein pellets like Hikari Betta Bio-Gold or JBL ProNovo Betta Grano. Three to four pellets twice daily. Supplement with frozen bloodworm twice weekly. Bettas are obligate carnivores; flakes meant for community fish are too low in protein to maintain colour and finnage long term.
What food do shrimp need?
Biofilm in established tanks provides 60 per cent of shrimp nutrition. Supplement with vegetable wafers, blanched spinach, indian almond leaves, and shrimp-specific products like Shirakura, Borneowild Color or BeeMax. Feed every 2-3 days, what they consume in 1-2 hours. Overfeeding shrimp tanks crashes water quality and triggers planaria blooms.
Are vegetables OK for fish?
Yes for many species. Plecos and otocinclus thrive on blanched zucchini, cucumber and spinach. Fancy goldfish accept peas, daphnia and bloodworm rotation. Mollies and silver dollars are heavy plant grazers. Blanch vegetables for 30 seconds in boiling water, weigh down with a clip, remove leftovers after 12 hours.
Why are my fish always hungry?
Fish exhibit feeding response to any movement near the tank — it is instinct, not actual hunger. Adult tropical fish need 1-2 per cent of body weight daily. Healthy fish that eat aggressively at one daily feed are not starving. Resist the urge to overfeed; aquarium nitrate and ammonia spikes from overfeeding kill more fish than underfeeding ever does.
What about automatic feeders?
Eheim Everyday and Hydor Mini at SGD 35-65 dispense measured pellet portions on schedule. Useful for 7-14 day holidays. Stuff the chamber half-full only — Singapore humidity clumps food in fuller chambers. Test the unit for two days before leaving. Pair with reliable aquarium equipment like surface skimmers to handle any uneaten food.
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Still Have Questions About Your Tank?
Drop by Gensou Aquascaping — most walk-in questions get answered in under 10 minutes by someone who has set up hundreds of tanks.
5 Everton Park #01-34B, Singapore 080005 · Open daily 11am – 8pm
