“Hey, Boss, why are you feeding me with this disgusting kind of food? Do you have any other? Why have you not chosen another instead? Do you know how to take care of me properly by buying the best saltwater fish foods?”
Those questions probably you have never been asked because simply your little fish are not able to speak. But keep in mind that those are what exactly they would react if there was any chance for them to voice out. Then, nevertheless, how to choose the best suitable products to be a good hobbyist is not something easier said than done, that is just a matter of time if you are really engrossed in.
I am gonna arm you with the meat and potatoes from the top 5 of the best saltwater fish foods, for you to be well-informed before taking any choice into account. Here they are.
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Related:
==> Best Angelfishes Food – Reviews & Buying Guide
==> Best Tropical Fish Food – Detailed Reviews & Buying Guide
Top 5 Best Saltwater Fish Foods For Your Pets
Top 1: New Life Spectrum Naturox Series Marine Formula Supplement
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Plus points:
- Special formula: With loads of studies on the eating habits and appetite of saltwater fish, New Life Spectrum has developed a special formula nowhere to be found apart from this product that contains plenty of nutritious elements with natural flavors.
- Safe: Playing a role of a parent looking after their babies, food safety possibly is what a customer seeking in the first place. No artificial preservatives or any component enhancing flavor, you can make sure everything that goes into the ingredient is all highly selected. This soothes your nerves and deters health-damaging additives from getting into food specialized for your fish.
- Made in the USA: My kids repeatedly asked me about the origin of the product. At first, I was absolutely clueless about the reason why a child had to mind where the food came from. But once he told me that: “I am relieved when those hailing from the USA as it’s well-known for the land of high-quality products and this helps you less worried about all”. You see? Even a kid can acknowledge that foods from the States ensure a higher chance for your fish to be flourishing better.
Minus point:
- The package showed up and had a small crack/hole at the bottom. Furthermore, half of the food was all over the box. Such a waste, isn’t it?
Top 2: Aqueon Shrimp Pellets Fish Food
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Plus points:
- Make your work easier: It is rumored that sometimes saltwater fish can be a picky eater a whole lot more than the appetite of freshwater creatures. Having said that no matter how difficult the feeding can be, this Aqueon can satisfy your demands as sure as hell with the provision of balanced nutritional components for daily feeding and even makes it far funnier, it is no longer a burden anymore.
- Highly digestible: Some customers share their concerns related to the digestion of their baby fish when it comes to pellets that are a bit tough to take in. Nonetheless, after experience feeding with Aqueon’s quintessence, some said that a highly digestible sinking pellet helps their fish even eat lots more, and I am not an exception also.
- Nutritious treat: Nutrition contents are the priorities taken into consideration before purchasing something even as trivial as fish food. With a wide range of nutritious ingredients mixed, a real nutritional treat is expected to strengthen your fish in terms of immunity.
Minus point:
- It did smell terrible when I opened the envelope, though.
Top 3: Ocean Nutrition Formula Two Pellets
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Plus points:
- Maximum freshness: You cannot foresee if your fish loves a product in the sense that even when they are not into the flavor to some degree, they cannot tell you right verbally. Here you are, the product basically can retain its freshness in the name of flavor satisfaction.
- Color-enhancing: As a matter of fact, most of your fish are wild-caught, meaning their color stemming from natural habitats. Alright, however, things seem to be a lot easier because from now on you can support coloration even when those creatures do not inherently belong to the aquarium where they are being stocked.
- Specially formulated: No exchange for water purity when using this food as it is specially formulated for the remainder of freshness. Additionally, those careful selections can contribute a bit to the digestion process.
- Used for various types of fish: Buyers mostly share the same idea that one type of food is just specifically advantageous to types of fish respectively. That’s mistaken though, as the product manufactured by this brand can be ideal for herbivorous and omnivorous fish ranging from Marin Angels, Batfish to Rabbitfish, or even Tangs as well for sure.
Minus points:
- Generally a good product for use but not enough regarding quantity provided.
Top 4: New Life Spectrum Optimum All Purpose Flakes for Fish
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Plus points:
- New formula: As ideal as the ingredients are, those little creatures are still likely to get sick of right after. That certainly leads to a number of new formulas to multiply satisfy their constantly changing demand with regards to the appetite.
- Safe color-enhancing substances: What really gets me excited about it is probably the feature that enhances greatly coloration for the pigmentation of my baby fishes. No poisonous additives added, New Life Spectrum still surely gives you a sense of pleasure on account of their offerings.
- Highly nutritional ingredients: With the provision of some well-selected materials, your fish’s meals are now far more healthy and I am certain that the cost allocated to healthcare services would no longer be needed because your creatures are as fit as a fiddle with this reliable companion.
Minus point:
- Technically speaking, some kinds of fish are not really fascinated with this treat, if so, they won’t touch it except for the fry, and may grab it but spit it right back out.
Top 5: “TetraMin Nutritionally Balanced Tropical Flake Food”
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Plus points:
- Tropical formulation: The newer the formula is, the more digestible the ingredients are, especially when it comes to this Tetramin product. It can be used as the staple food for your tropical fish as much.
- Complete diet: You take notice of this brand not only for its peculiar formulation but mostly on account of its nutritions, I guess so. A complete diet is provided including nutritionally well-selected components that are perfectly good for your saltwater fish in terms of health optimization.
- No harm to the water: Never cloud the water probably sounds best when used as directed, especially for the users who have endless devotion for water purity.
- Less waste: Feeding time can be reduced and waste seems to be unseen whenever you spread pellets out.
Minus point:
- As I was saying before, some fish don’t really like those dry products, and no except for this one as well.
Important factors to consider while buying best saltwater fish foods
After reading the review, you probably have had your own choice then. However, I still want you to keep in mind some suggestions related to your purchase that you should consider before making any decision.
Buy foods that are initially well packaged to begin.
Thin, poorly sealed plastic bags can be close to the end of their shelf life when purchased, and should be used as promptly as possible. Foods that are packed in well-sealed cans or jars and those that are vacuum or nitrogen packed of course have a much longer shelf life.
Don’t buy more than your need within a month or two.
Some fishkeepers like to “stock up” with a big can of fish flakes to take advantage of the savings. But how much are we really saving if we let the nutritional value out of our foods by storing them improperly?
In the case that you buy a large can of food, re-fill a smaller container, then seal the large container and keep it in the freezer till the need of the next re-filling. Vitamin loss is demonstrated to be much slower at lower temperatures.
Store opened cans.
The worst method would be to leave an open can of food sitting on top of the fish tank – also the warmest, dampest place in your house! Fish food containers need to be sealed right after each use; cans should have their cover screwed back on, and bags should be closed with a rubber band for sure. The sealed container needs storing in a cool and dry place as possible.
Refortify older foods.
A few droplets of liquid fish vitamins should be added to a portion of dry food right before feeding, this will improve the nutritional value of foods that have been stored but are not spoiled so far.
Discard suspect food.
No one loves waste, of either food or the money that you have paid for it. But the alternatives – either poor quality fish on account of inadequate nourishment or even the loss of fish due to food poisoning or malnutrition – are even more costly in the long run, believe me!
Best Saltwater Fish Foods FAQs:
What are the differences between freshwater fish and saltwater fish?
- Fish physiology: Freshwater fish have gills that function to diffuse water while ensuring bodily fluids remain inside the fish as well. Freshwater fish have large, well-developed kidneys that can be used to process vast quantities of water. Saltwater fish normally lose large quantities of internal body fluids through their gills in the light of osmosis. Since saline water is somehow less dilute than the internal fluids of the fish, the saline water rushes in for the replacement of the internal fluids in an effort to form an equilibrium. They replace the amount of lost water by consuming large quantities of saltwater then.
- Temperature: Freshwater fish can be adapted to live in a wide range of habitats. Some species can survive in mild temperatures (around 24 degrees Celsius), whereas others thrive in temperatures between 5 to 15 degrees Celsius. Freshwater fish are generally found in shallow wetlands, lakes, and rivers, where the salinity of the water is less than 0.05 percent all year round.
- Habitat: Saltwater fish are found in diverse habitats, ranging from the cold Antarctic and Arctic oceans to warmer tropical seas as well. Habitats that best suit saltwater fish include coral reefs, salt ponds, mangroves, seagrass beds to the deep sea, and a range of fish that have evolved to thrive in each of these special conditions.
What is the structural adaptation of a saltwater fish?
Saltwater fish have evolved with structural variances enabling them to find food far easier. Predators have saclike stomachs with thick walls grinding food all the time. Some fish are discovered to have pharyngeal teeth (in their throats), others have palatine and vomerine teeth and others have teeth distributed around the edges of their mouths (maxillary and premaxillary), to be more specific.
How much should you feed this kind of fish?
Well, that all depends. If your goal of reef keeping is to recreate the slice of nature as best you can, then perhaps the best compass is to take a look at their natural behaviors:
- Predatory fish tend to eat big meals sometimes. They catch whatever they eat, and they don’t spend all their time catching something. So their meals seem to be episodic. So it is recommended to try and replicate that, as best you can.
- Grazing herbivorous fishes, on the other hand, seem to eat all the time on the reef. The good news is that a mature tank will have some natural film algae for them to eat, and the food you feed them also, so the goal should be to allow for grazing of some sort throughout the day, bear in your mind.
- Omnivorous fishes seem to eat whenever there is food for them that is available.