Well unlike dogs and cats, it’s difficult to tell if fish are fat. They don’t normally exhibit obvious external signs of increased fat retention. For this reason it’s all the more important to feed fish correctly with a complete diet, including vitamins. You don’t want your fish to accumulate an unhealthy amount of fat, so it’s important for your fishes to receive the correct essential nutrients for maintenance, growth, health and reproduction.
The essential nutrients that have been identified in diets for most fish are: protein; containing ten essential amino acids, lipid; including omega-3 and omega-6 unsaturated fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals. Always feed prepared diets specifically formulated for fish.
Most commercially available fish diets are nutritionally complete, but it is important to remember that live feeds and table scraps are often lacking in certain essential nutrients that fish require, therefore don’t rely on these for nutritional health. Avoid regularly feeding fish beef, pork or even chicken scraps, since fish have problems processing the saturated fats contained in these foods and can end up depositing fat, sometimes around the heart. Also, if a fish diet is absent of Choline, and other vitamins, fish can develop fatty livers. This fat deposition is unhealthy and can lead to complications and even death. Another important aspect of a fish diet is vitamin C (Ascorbic acid). Fish are highly sensitive to dietary vitamin C deficiency, and many fishes cannot synthesize it naturally. Ensure that when purchasing a diet it is supplemented with vitamin C. Putting your fish on a diet requires selecting a complete, nutritionally balanced feed and properly dispensing it.
The aquatic environment creates some challenges when it comes to feeding fish. Fish feed and exc
rete waste in their living space, so feeding can cause rapid environmental degradation. The food itself breaks down in water, nutrients can leech out and food is colonized by bacteria. So avoid overfeeding. A good rule of thumb is to feed no more than fish consume in five minutes. Feeding should occur several times daily. Always remember, fish are cold blooded and are less active the cooler the water. If you have pond fish remember that they will not feed, and should not be fed, when temperatures drop below 50 ºF (10 ºC). Now, you have all of the necessary information to place your fish on a successful diet program that will reward you with beautiful and healthy finned companions.