What to Feed Your Fish When You're Out of Fish Food

Oops! Did you forget to pick up fish food on your last trip to the pet store? Or maybe the store was out of your go-to brand. Or perhaps the family cat made a snack out of your sinking shrimp pellets. We don't judge. Life happens, so now it's time to pivot! Thankfully, there are lots of options to feed your pet fish.

But first, did you know most fish are OK to skip a meal or two? Your aquarium buddies are fine not being fed for three to seven days, although they may get confused with the change in routine and get a bit grumpy. So if you don't have fish food on hand and mealtime's around the corner, take a deep breath. Your pets will be fine. Now, here's what you can serve up to keep them happy

Foods to Feed Herbivore Pet Fish

Herbivore pet fish, such as silver dollars, bristlenose plecos, Chinese algae eaters, and parrot fish, are plant eaters. In the wild, you'll find them grazing on greenery that makes its way into the water in their natural habitats, such as algae, aquatic plants, wood, and fruit that drop into the water. In the aquarium, hobbyists can provide fresh vegetables like sliced zucchini, cucumber, romaine lettuce, sweet potato, peas, and spinach. These can be attached to the inside wall of the tank using specially designed clips and should be removed after 24 hours of nibbling to keep the aquarium water from getting cloudy.

Fun Fact: Some pet stores sell aquatic plants as aquarium decor, but they can double as a tasty meal for your herbivore fish! So, check your tank. You may already have a "pantry" of deliciousness available to your fishy friends.

Foods to Feed Carnivore Pet Fish

Carnivorous pet fish, including bettas, angelfish, oscars, and tetras, are strictly meat eaters. When left to find their meals in their native habitats, they dine on aquatic insects, crustaceans, snails, and worms.

In a pinch, you can feed hardboiled egg yolks or earthworms found on the sidewalk after a rainstorm. If your fish are small, use a knife to chop the earthworms into small pieces the fish can consume.

You can find many of these items at your local pet store, either live, frozen, or dehydrated. They might be in the aquatics or reptile section since many lizards also enjoy these foods.

Foods to Feed Omnivore Pet Fish

Omnivore fish enjoy a mix of plant-based foods and meaty treats.

This means your pet barbs, goldfish, guppies, koi, mollies, and cichlids would like a varied diet of the goodies listed above.

Tip: If you have a pet lizard, aquatic turtle, or snake at home, your fishy friends might also enjoy some of the foods you have on hand for your scaly friend. Common cross-over foods include bloodworms, crickets, lettuce, peas, and mealworms.

Foods to Avoid Feeding Pet Fish

As you're digging through your pantry, there are a few foods you shouldn't offer to your fishy friends at any time, including bread and crackers. Dry foods like this expand and clog the digestive tract, making it a poor choice for any animal (even those ducks at the park pond).

Also on the no list is any prepared meal you might enjoy, such as french fries, cooked meats (fried chicken, hamburger, hot dogs), pizza, processed meats (deli or canned meats), and vegetables with seasoning, dressing, or sauces.

Fish require simple, natural foods without cooking oils or preservatives. When in doubt, think of what they might find in a pond or stream, like worms and bugs, not waffles and bacon!

Try a New Fish-Free Food

But running out of fish food doesn't have to be a bad thing! Take a moment to think about trying a fish diet that more closely aligns with what your finned friends would eat in the wild. Did you know most fish in lakes and oceans don't eat other fish? Nope! But they do love vegetation and proteins. If you prefer to stick to fish flake and pellet foods but want your fish to eat more of what they would find in nature, check out our new Nutrinsect foods for fish.  Running out of your usual fish food may have allowed you to try something both you and your fish will love.These new fish foods are available online and on your favorite pet store shelves.

• Aqueon Nutrinsect Goldfish Pellets
• Aqueon Nutrinsect Goldfish Flakes
• Aqueon Nutrinsect Tropical Pellets
• Aqueon Nutrinsect Tropical Flakes
• Aqueon Nutrinsect Betta Pellets

Aqueon Nutrinsect food is a highly palatable, plant- and insect-based, complete diet like the one your fish would naturally eat in the wild. As a bonus, these foods don't require refrigeration or de-thawing like other fish foods. Plus, this fish-free formulation protects and sustains the earth's oceans, making it a better fish food choice for the planet. (Feed your fish food they'll love AND help save the planet? Win, win!)

Learn more about fish food options for all types of aquarium fish here. From flakes and pellets to granules and sinking wafers, we know exactly what your fishy friends are hoping to see you sprinkle in the water at mealtime.