TIP from FNM: Omnivorous Fish Feeding Habit

Omnivorous fish eat a variety of seaweed, plankton, macroalgae, krill, crustaceans and shellfish. octopi, squid, tubifex. worms, bloodworms, brine shrimp and fish smaller than themselves. They basically will eat almost anything from vegetable and plant matter to insects, crustaceans and meat proteins. 

  • Eat a variety of meat and vegetable matter
  • Although omnivores can and will eat vegetable matter, they cannot digest some types of grains and plants.
  • Their teeth and digestive tract possess traits of both carnivore and herbivore.
  • Eg. Guppy, Koi carp, goldfish

Omnivores are the easiest type of fish to feed, as they eat flake foods as well as life foods and anything in between. For that reason. omnivores are an excellent choice for community tank. Purchasing foods in small quantities, and varying the diet will help assure that fish have all the nutrients they require for good health and long life.

Dietary types of Popular Aquarium Fish for Omnivores

The majority of aquarium fish are omnivores and they will eat both meat and vegetables. In order to keep your fish healthy, feed them with a varied diet that includes all types of foods.

  • Angelfish - Accepts all types of foods, but prefers live feeds. 
  • Armored Catfish - Accepts all type of foods, but need lots of vegetable matter. It should be fed at night, just before turning off lights.
  • Auratus - Accepts all types of foods, but prefers live feeds.
  • Barbs - Accepts all types of foods.
  • Blood parrot - Accepts all types of foods.
  • Convict - Feed both meaty and vegetable based foods.
  • Corydoras - Accepts all types of foods. Bottom feeders
  • Danios - Accepts all types of foods
  • Discus - Prefers live foods, but will accept pellet and flake foods
  • Festivum - Accepts all types of foods.
  • Gourami - Accepts all types of foods, but prefers additional meat in the diet.
  • Guppy - Accepts all types of foods, prefers mosquito larvae
  • Hap - Accepts all types of foods
  • Jack Dempsey - Accepts flakes, pellets and live food
  • Julidochrimos - Prefers live food, will eat flake food
  • Kribensis - Accepts flakes, pellets and live foods
  • Loaches - Most accept all types of foods, but prefer live foods
  • Mbuna - Accepts flakes, pellets and live foods
  • Platy - Accepts all types of foods, but needs lots of vegetable matter
  • Rams - Accepts flakes, pellets and live foods
  • Severum - Accepts flakes, pellets and live foods
  • Swordtails - Accepts all types of foods, but prefers additional meat in the diet
  • Tetras - Accepts all types of foods
  • Zebra danio - Accepts flakes, pellets and live foods

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