Feeding a saltwater aquarium is one of the most important parts of ensuring success in the hobby of fishkeeping. You might be surprised to learn that 99% of ornamental aquarium fish are hand caught in the ocean. These fish have had a very diverse diet which we must try and recreate in the home aquarium if we want them to feel at home and to encourage their health and longevity. Fish may be carnivores, herbivores, or omnivorous, and many different types of food exist to cover these different types of fish.
One thing to keep in mind is that frozen foods deliver much higher nutritional value than freeze dried, flake, or pelletized foods. Although dried foods are certainly convenient, the problem with them is that during processing, most of the nutrients are lost. Another way to think of it is, these dried foods do not require refrigeration exactly because most of what makes them “food” has been removed from them. Freshwater fish, having been raised in aquariums and brought up on these dried foods for generations have become quite acclimated to them. Saltwater fish, however, coming from a diverse diet in the ocean, need much more to remain healthy and active.
One other problem of using dried foods is that they all leech phosphates into the surrounding water, an effect which will result in the growth of a great deal of algae, and that can be deadly to live corals and invertebrates if left unchecked.
To ensure optimum health of your fish, we carry and strongly recommend the use of Rod’s Food. This frozen food comes in 13 different varieties for anything from feeding live coral, to seahorses, all the way to sharks, eels, and sting rays.
Rod’s Food specifically sets itself apart from other frozen foods by using the finest and freshest ingredients such as planktons, clam, scallops, oyster, fish eggs, octopus, green and red nori, and much more. Additionally, these foods are enhanced by the addition of coloring agents such as Astaxanthin and Beta Carotene, and fortified with garlic, which acts as an appetite stimulant.
If you’ve put in the time and money to build a saltwater aquarium, don’t skimp on the quality fish food. In the long run, it’s a relatively small premium to pay to keep your fish healthy, vibrant, and looking good.
