Guppies are active, schooling fish that need just the right kind of food to grow and keep a healthy immune system.
They also need a lot of protein to fuel their energy!
That’s why the best food for guppy growth will have a mix of real proteins as well as ingredients to help enhance their color.
Texture matters, too. Because guppies have an upturned mouth, they’re surface feeders. Ideal guppy foods for them will float, sink slowly, and be soft and easy to digest.
There are a lot of great choices when it comes to guppy food, but there are some differences between one formula and another. Check out the table below to see.
This guppy food from Hikari is the result of extensive research into the habits of guppies. Among other things, research was done about feeding habits, growth rates, coloration, and immune system health.
The result is one of the smallest pellets available that contains unique ingredients that give guppies everything they need to thrive.
One of the best things about this food is texture. It acts almost like a sponge in the water, absorbing water and getting soft without dissolving.
This is really important because it keeps the food together so no important nutrients getaway. It slowly sinks which allows a lot of time for fish to eat before it gets to the bottom of the tank. Don’t worry, whatever goes uneaten will not cloud the water.
This formula contains everything that guppies need for their health, including linolenic acid to promote growth and stabilized Vitamin C to support a health immune system. Plus, to improve overall conditioning, they incorporated seaweed-derived iodine.
2. Tropical Micro Pellet Fish Food
If you’re looking for something that meets the dietary needs of your guppies and mimics what they’d eat in their natural habitat, this micro pellet food has just what you’re looking for.
These pellets are multicolored and semi-floating and very easy for fish to see, above or below water. They have a softer texture that’s easily digestible to eliminate any worries about constipation.
The recipe uses a selection of marine and vegetable proteins that are specially chosen to feed the high energy needs of small fish like guppies. To enhance color, they added krill and spirulina.
These pellets are designed to sink slowly, taking long enough to reach the bottom of the tank so that fish at all levels can enjoy. There’s no water clouding, either, so anything that does make it to the bottom won’t upset the balance of the water.
3. Omega One Super Color Flakes
For a guppy food with significant color enhancement, these flakes from Omega One will do the trick.
They contain salmon skins which have elevated levels of beta-carotenes so guppies get a deep, rich color. Beta-carotene is one of the most effective ways of promoting these vibrant colors.
There are no fish meals or pre-processed proteins included in this formula.
What is in it?
Whole salmon, halibut, and fresh kelp that provide guppies with real, natural fats. This food is high protein, low in starch, and won’t cloud the water.
Tetra has upgraded their formula, making it even more balanced to support the growth and health of your fish. It’s formulated for active fish and includes Omega-3 fatty acids, which is why it’s such a good choice for guppies.
There’s also a carefully-selected balance of proteins that help with growth and health which includes shrimp proteins which also help enhance color.
This formula is also formulated so it won’t cloud the water. Plus, it’s easier for fish to digest thanks to the included probiotics, which leads to less waste in the tank.
5. API Fish Food Pellets
Another great choice for guppy food comes from API. These pellets are high protein to promote healthy growth and also help keep the water cleaner and clearer.
Normally, if any fish food goes uneaten, the worry is that it will sink to the bottom and decompose, releasing harmful ammonia into the water.
With this food, though, that’s less likely to happen. It’s formulated so it sinks slowly and easily digests, leaving less waste in the water.
This formula includes algae, shrimp, worms, and more.
One of the best things about it is not only does it keep guppies growing healthy and strong, it helps to enhance their color, too.
What is the Best Guppy Food?
Our pick for best guppy food is Hikari USA Tropical Fancy Guppy for Pet Health. Because the built the formula based on extensive scientific research about growth, coloring, and immune system health, it has everything it needs to help guppies thrive.
The texture is ideal, soft and slow sinking so fish can easily digest it and have enough time to get to it before it sinks to the bottom of the tank. Not to mention, it also prevents anything that doesn’t get eaten from clouding the water.
How Often to Feed Guppy Fish?
Adult guppies should be fed two or three times a day. You can give them some in the morning and some at night to keep it spread out evenly.
It’s important to keep in mind that guppies breed quickly and they’re live-bearers. That means instead of laying eggs, they actually produce tiny swimming fish.
If you don’t separate them from the adults, the babies will soon become a meal. Make sure that your adult guppies are adequately fed, especially when there are juveniles in the tank.
Another thing to consider is that baby guppies need to eat more frequently because they grow so quickly. They should actually eat between four and eight times a day.
The best way to make sure they get the nutrition they need and to protect them from bigger, hungrier adults is to separate them. This will also keep the adults from getting extra food during the babies’ frequent feedings.
If you’re concerned about leaving your guppies for vacation, don’t be! Guppies can actually go up to two weeks without eating.
That said, if the thought of your fish not eating for that long makes you uncomfortable, you can get a vacation block of food. This is a pre-formed block of food that’s designed to dissolve slowly and release food into the water a little bit at a time.
How Much to Feed Guppy Fish?
Guppies should only get as much food as they can eat in about two minutes with each feeding. Remember, they’re not large fish. They have small stomachs but love to overeat, which can be very dangerous for fish.
If you notice that your guppies appear to have puffy or full stomachs, skip the next feeding and start to give them a little less when it’s time to feed them again. It’s likely they won’t stop themselves so, if you notice a problem, you have to provide them with less food.
Conversely, if you notice that a lot of food is going uneaten and sinking to the bottom of the take, it’s likely you’re overfeeding. This can cause a few problems. In addition to constipating your fish, making them sluggish and uncomfortable, it can also have a negative effect on the water.
Even though most of the guppy foods we chose are formulated not to cloud the water, you still want to keep it from piling up in large quantities on the bottom of the tank. Eventually, it will have negative effects.
Conclusion
In order for guppies to grow big and healthy, it’s important to choose the right food. The right ingredients will even provide an impressive boost of color! Look for food with a variety of proteins as well as vitamins and minerals for immune system health. Omega One is great, too, because they provide fast energy that guppies need with such an active lifestyle.
Remember, feeding is different for adults and babies. If you’re planning to breed or it accidentally happens, the babies have to eat much more frequently than the adults. It’s best to separate them so that the babies can get fed as often as they need to be without worrying about adults coming along and stealing their food or worse.
Our pick for best guppy food is Hikari USA Tropical Fancy Guppy for Pet Health. It was formulated based on extensive scientific research and not only helps guppies grow, it also helps them develop a strong immune system and boosts their color. Plus, it doesn’t dissolve and cloud water and is easy to digest, which helps the tank stay well-balanced and healthy.
Omega One super color flakes is complete trash, my guppies and angels will spit it out IF it even makes it to their mouth. I have a big can that will just rot, plus it has lots of bone splinters in it. Sorry, but just because it smells like rotten shrimp and salmon by no means it’s good. Steer clear folks. Id rather feed Topfin color flakes, fish prefer also.
Guppies are active, schooling fish that need just the right kind of food to grow and keep a healthy immune system.
Omega One super color flakes is complete trash, my guppies and angels will spit it out IF it even makes it to their mouth. I have a big can that will just rot, plus it has lots of bone splinters in it. Sorry, but just because it smells like rotten shrimp and salmon by no means it’s good. Steer clear folks. Id rather feed Topfin color flakes, fish prefer also.
try ocean free super guppy