I am sure you have witnessed young children feeding the fish in a lake or fish pond. It is also common for pet owners to feed their fish bread when they run out of their ordinary fish food. It is okay to feed dogs so surely it should be good for fish too, right? However, this is completely false.
Bread is made with yeast. Therefore, fish cannot eat bread. This is because they cannot digest it.
When this is consumed by the fish, it will expand and cause constipation. The most resilient fish will survive, while it is more common for them to either die or leave more vulnerable to predators.
What Are The Health Risks Involved In Feeding Your Fish Bread?
- Constipation: The gluten in the bread causes this to occur. Gluten is not digestible for the fish, and as a result, leads to a blockage in the large intestine.
- Bloating: Gases are formed when food is not able to be digested properly. As a result of the gases, bloating is caused. This makes the fish lazy meaning they will not want to swim around.
- Swelling in the stomach: The yeast in the bread causes the swelling. The yeast swells in the stomach which makes the stomach swell as well.
- Poisoning due to the accumulation of waste material. As we mentioned before, gluten causes constipation: When the fish experience constipation, common waste products like fecal material are unable to exit the body. As a result of this, your fish can be poisoned by the fecal material waste. The effect of this is that your fish is left sluggish and ill.
- Lower metabolism and left unable to move: The fish will not be able to move around because it is constipated and its stomach is swollen. This results in the metabolic rate slowing down.
If you notice your fish showing these symptoms after feeding them bread, we would recommend you feed them fibrous food. This is a great way to ease their constipation. After they have pooped, clean the tank thoroughly and remove all of the debris.
However, if you feel that your fish are still not fully recovered after feeding them the fibrous food, you should call your vet for proper and more effective treatment.
It is quite simple when you think about it. Fish should eat natural food options. Do you really think fish are going to find bread on the sea bed or in the deep ocean? Obviously not. Of course, they will eat it if they are given it. They do not know that it is not good for them. How can they? However, fish should only eat food that is primitive to them. What food is that? We have done all the research for you and put all the information down below so all you need to do is continue reading.
What Should You Feed Your Fish?
Like other organisms, fish need protein, fat, vitamins, carbohydrates, and minerals in the right proportion in order to encourage their natural growth and development. Fish’s food is also dependent on what type of fish it is. Herbivore fish only need plants. Whereas carnivore fish only require meat, and omnivore fish would eat both plants and meat.
These are some of the food that you should feed your fish:
- Dry fish food: You should always try to supply your fish with commercially available fish food. We recommend you buy it from a trusted vendor. The great thing about dry fish food is that it contains all the nutrients your fish requires. They come in two different forms, either pellets or flakes. However, this does not affect the nutrients they contain. Pellets sink to the bottom while flakes remain at the surface. Fish find it easier to take their food from the bottom, rather than the top. That is why we recommend you use pellets as your go-to option.
What Other Food Is Unhealthy For Your Fish?
- Meat: Red meat and poultry are not suitable for your fish. This is because that particular meat contains too much fat in it. In order to ensure proper growth, fish require a very small amount of fat. The only exception to this is beef’s heart as it not very fatty and rich in protein. Otherwise, all red meat and poultry should be off-limits.
- Carbohydrate-rich food: Any food that can be categorized as a carb should not be feed to your fish. They do not require a large number of carbs and too many carbohydrates can cause constipation and gaseous problems.
- Food with yeast: As we mentioned before, yeast causes swelling in the stomach. This makes your fish sick. Therefore, to avoid this from occurring, you should not feed your fish anything with yeast in it.
- Fruits: This food item is a big no-go for fish. They are unable to digest this much sugar. Along with this, the fruit does not have the nutrients that fish require. Thereby, feeding your fish fruit would be pointless and cause more harm as it can cause a variety of stomach and digestive issues.
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