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Introduction : What Do Guppies Eat
Guppies, also known as rainbow fish and million fish are one of the most popular freshwater aquarium fish in the world. This tiny tropical fish is native to North East and South America but is widely distributed and is found in nearly all corners of the world. Guppies are the favorite of people who keep aquariums because of their beautiful and unique coloration.
However, if you are thinking of keeping this beautiful tiny fish species in your aquarium, you may be wondering what they eat in the wild. If that is the case then today you are in the right place. In this article, we will tell you everything you need to know about guppies, including what they eat in nature.
What do guppies eat in nature?
The fact that guppies are widely distributed throughout the world may leave you confused about what they eat in the wild. If you are planning to keep guppies in your aquarium, then it is important to know that they eat in the wild. Guppies are not picky eaters.
They eat a wide variety of foods and that is why they are widely distributed in nearly all corners of the world. Like humans, guppies are omnivorous, meaning that their diet comprises both meat and plant-based foods. In this section, we will break down the type of foods that guppies eat in the wild to help you create the best and healthiest food combination for your guppies.
- Live foods
Guppies are great hunters and love live foods. In fact, nearly 30% of their diet comprises live foods. Some of their favorite foods include aquatic insect larvae, shrimp, brine, invertebrates, and diatoms. In fact, guppies are usually used to control mosquito populations that spread malaria in some places because they feed on mosquito larvae.
So, if you are thinking of keeping guppies in your aquarium, then you should consider feeding them with insect larvae, baby brine, and shrimp. However, adult guppies should not be fed with live food on a daily basis because the high amount of protein and fat is not good for their health. You should only feed them with live food once or twice a week so as not to affect their health and wellbeing.
Another reason why you should not feed live food to guppies that are in captivity is that live food tends to carry parasites that may transmit diseases. If you choose to feed your guppies with live food, then it is recommended that you purchase them from a reputable shop or raise them on your own to minimize the chances of introducing diseases and parasites in the water tank.
You can also freeze-dry the live food in the freezers before feeding your guppies. Dried and frozen live food have a lower chance of introducing disease and parasites in the aquarium. However, feeding your guppies with dried and frozen live food come at a cost which is less nutrition but that is a small sacrifice to make for the sake of your fish’s health.
- Organic matter
Nearly 70% of the guppy’s diet comprises wild matter. In fact, the reason why guppies are distributed in nearly all corners of the world is that a large percentage of their diet comprises organic matter such as plant remains, and soft algae which are widely available. Because a huge portion of guppies comprises organic matter you can feed your guppies with organic matter foods such as algae and Spirulina.
It is also a great thing to have live aquatic plants in the aquarium to ensure that the fish has a constant supply of fresh food. Algae make up a huge portion of guppy’s foods in the wild. Therefore, it is important to ensure that your aquarium has a constant supply of algae to guarantee that they are well fed.
How often should you feed your guppies?
Now that you know what guppies eat in the wild, you may be wondering how often you should feed them. How you feed guppies when in captivity differs depending on their size. For instance, adult guppies don’t need to be fed often because they can go for long without food. More so, feeding them too much can affect their health and the cleanliness of the water in the aquarium. The recommended feeding frequency of adult guppies is once or twice per day. Once they are done eating, you should remove all remaining food to avoid affecting water cleanliness.
On the other hand, guppy fry should be fed more often (at least five times a day). Additionally, you should also ensure that their diet comprises a wide variety of foods to ensure that they get crucial nutrients that their body needs for healthy growth. A Guppy fry diet should mainly comprise foods such as live daphnia, micro worms, vinegar, eel, and flakes.
However, it is important to note that guppies should not be overfed. If you give them too much food than what they need, they may suffer from constipation. Additionally, they may release too much waste into the water which may affect the recommended water balance.
How long can guppies stay without food?
Knowing how long guppies can stay without food is important, especially if you are planning to keep them in your aquarium. Guppies are resilient and can stay for a long time without food. According to experts, healthy adult guppies can go for up to 2 weeks without food. However, they can only stay for this long if the water chemistry in the aquarium is in perfect condition.
Only adult guppies can go for up to two weeks without. Guppy fry cannot survive if they go for more than three days without food. This is because they are still developing and thus require a lot of nutrients to support their growing body. So if you have a guppy fry in your aquarium and you are considering traveling for days, you should leave someone behind to look after them or set up a feeder to dispense small amounts of food into the aquarium each day.
Conclusion
Presently you ought to have a strong understanding of all the various things that guppies can eat. For the main portion, you aim to nourish them a high-quality tropical angel food.
However, this should be supplemented with live nourishment such as daphnia, brine shrimp, and mosquito hatchlings. It should also be supplemented with plant matter such as green growth and whitened vegetables.
Giving your guppies an adjusted at less is the key to keeping them sound and shouldn’t be ignored.
