Who would have thought feeding fish was so complicated?
Some fish are plant eaters, some meat eaters and some eat both. Different types of fish feed at different levels in the tank and need different kinds of food.
So, which foods should you buy for your fish?
Depending on the types of fish you have in your tank you may want to buy more than several types of food. Fish like Bettas and Jack Dempseys like to eat meat and will thrive on brine shrimp and freeze dried worms. Ciclids, Catfish, goldfish and most other fish can be quite happy with flake fish foods.
Is your fish a top, middle or bottom eater?
Chances are you have some of each in your tank. The placement of the fishes mouth decides where he likes to eat his food, so Bettas and Mollies are top feeders, Silver Dollars middle feeders and Catfish and Coreys bottom feeders. For top feeders, you want to buy a fish food that floats like pellet food or food sticks. Flake foods float for a while but then gradually sink so they would be good for top, middle and bottom feeders. Tablet foods and sinking wafers sink quickly and would be best for bottom feeders. Your bottom feeding plant eaters, might like Algae Discs while your bottom eating carnivores might prefer Hikari Sinking Carnivore Pellets.
You can even buy special mixes like Vivid Color Flake Food that will bring out the colors of your tropical fish.