Flake Fish Food
Flake food is a dry, surface-floating fish food made from a cooked, dried ingredient slurry, suited to top and mid-water feeders.
What it is
Flake food is a dry prepared fish food shaped as thin, brittle pieces. It is one of the most common and affordable forms of aquarium feed. Flakes are formulated for different diets, with varieties aimed at carnivores, omnivores, and herbivores. Because the pieces are thin and light, they float at the surface before slowly sinking, which makes them accessible to fish feeding at several levels of the tank.
How it is made
Flakes consist of a complex mixture of ingredients, including pigments. The ingredients are combined into a slurry which is cooked and rolled over drums heated by steam, then dried. Baking and drying remove moisture, which extends shelf life. Common ingredient sources for prepared feeds include fish meal, shrimp meal, spirulina, and soybean meal.
Best for
Flakes are well suited to top-dwelling and mid-water fish such as small community species. Because the pieces drift down over time, bottom-dwelling species also consume flake food once it settles. Flakes can be crumbled into smaller fragments for fry and very small fish.
Pros and cons
- Widely available and inexpensive.
- Easy for fish to bite into; available in carnivore, omnivore, and herbivore formulas.
- Float first, then sink, so they reach multiple water levels.
- Disintegrate quickly in water, so they suit fast eaters more than slow grazers.
- Thin pieces oxidise relatively fast once the container is opened.
How to feed
Overfeeding is the most common mistake made by aquarium owners and often degrades water quality. For most ornamental fish a single daily feeding is adequate, and fish should be fed on at least five days per week; maintenance feeding rates of roughly 0.5 to 1.0 percent of body weight per day are sufficient. Offer only as much as the fish consume within a short period, and remove uneaten flakes to limit waste accumulation.
Storage
Moisture content directly affects how quickly fish food deteriorates: the more moisture a food contains, the faster it loses quality. Once a container is opened, exposure to air oxidises vitamins and turns the fats and oils rancid, so flakes are commonly used within about six months of opening. Keep the container sealed and dry, avoid adding food with wet fingers, and store away from heat, humidity, and direct light.