Part 8: Easy Feeding Guide (Healthy Fish + Clean Water)

  • 5 min

Feeding is simple — and it’s one of the biggest reasons tanks stay clean (or get messy). Follow these easy rules and you’ll avoid most beginner problems.

1) The #1 Feeding Rule (Most important)

✅ Feed small amounts

Only feed what your fish can finish in 15 seconds.

If food is left floating or sinking after that = you fed too much.

2) How Often Should You Feed?

Most community fish (guppies, platies, rasboras, tetras)

  • 1–2 times a day
  • Small portions only

Bottom fish (Corydoras, etc.)

  • Feed at night or after lights off (they are more active)
  • Use sinking food, small amounts 

Betta

  • Once a day is usually enough
  • Small portions (bettas are easy to overfeed)

Beginner tip:
If you’re unsure, once a day is a safe start.

3) Best Beginner Foods (Simple choices)

A) Main daily food (choose 1)

  • Quality flakes (easy for small community fish)
  • Micro pellets (cleaner than flakes, less mess) Highly recommend Slow Sinking
  • Betta pellets (for bettas)

B) Add-on foods (optional, for variety)

  • Frozen food (example: bloodworms/brine shrimp) — 1–2 times/week
  • Live food (if you like) — optional, not necessary for beginners

Simple tip:
A good pellet/flakes as the main food is already enough for beginners.

4) How Much to Feed (Easy guide)

For a small group of fish

  • Start with a tiny pinch (or a small scoop)
  • Watch them eat
  • Adjust next feeding based on leftover food

If you see food sinking to the bottom

Stop feeding. Leftover food is a fast way to dirty the water.

5) Common Feeding Mistakes (And quick fixes)

Mistake: “My fish look hungry, so I keep feeding”

✅ Fix: Fish often beg even when they’re full. Stick to the 15 seconds rule.

Mistake: Feeding too many types of food every day

✅ Fix: Keep it simple. 1 main food + optional treat once in a while.

Mistake: Not removing leftover food

✅ Fix: If you accidentally overfeed, remove leftovers with a net and do a small water change.

6) Signs You’re Feeding Too Much

  • Water turns cloudy
  • Bad smell
  • Algae grows faster
  • Fish poop a lot and tank floor looks dirty
  • Fish look bloated

✅ Simple fix:

  • Feed less
  • Do a 20–30% water change
  • Siphon the tank floor lightly

7) Easy Weekly Feeding Routine (Beginner-friendly!)

  • Mon–Sat: Normal feeding (small)
  • 1 day a week: Light feeding OR skip feeding
    (This helps reduce waste and keeps water cleaner.)

Skipping 1 day is safe for most healthy fish.

If you tell our That Aquarium staff  what fish you plan to stock, we can help you pick out the best option for your fish!

🐡 Puffed up with knowledge? Give us a like and keep floating along!

Author: Kelvin Phua

Illustrator(s): Rong Sheng

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