When they reach the free-swimming stage, the best things to feed angelfish fry are freshly hatched brine shrimp, vinegar eels, or micro worms. You can use packaged fish fry powdered food if these aren’t available. After three or four weeks, you can start feeding them crushed flakes.
If you’re expecting a batch of angelfish fry or you suddenly notice your angelfish has laid eggs, you will need to know what they eat. It may be intimidating to figure out what to feed angelfish fry, but don’t worry. This article has everything you need to know about their feeding needs.
What To Feed Angelfish Fry In The Wiggler Stage
Right after the angelfish eggs hatch, the fry are in the wiggler stage. The wiggler stage is when the larvae have hatched but are still attached to the egg sac. Over the next few days, the wigglers will feed off the egg yolk sac.
In the wiggler stage, angelfish fry are still developing organs, which will continue until the egg yolk sac has been completely consumed. In this stage, the fry don’t do anything besides wiggling around aimlessly as their eyes and other internal organs are still forming. This is what gives this stage its name.
In this stage, the fry do not need any feeding as they consume the yolk sac. Any food provided will go to waste and spoil the water. It can take about three to five days for this stage to pass, and the parents will watch over the fry to ensure they are safe as they develop.
What To Feed Angelfish Fry In The Free-Swimming Stage
Once the fry have finished consuming the yolk sacs, they will have developed their organs and tails, meaning they can swim around. Their features will become more defined, and you’ll be able to see their eyes. This stage is called the free-swimming stage.
As the name would suggest, free-swimmers are any fish that are not attached to anything and can swim around freely. Once the fry reach this stage, they’ll need a food source immediately.
New free-swimming angelfish fry can survive by eating algae or infusoria in the water for the first day or two. After this, you’ll need to have food ready for them to eat.
The best food for angelfish fry at this stage are freshly hatched brine shrimp, vinegar eels, or micro worms. These organisms are typically tiny enough for them to eat.
Feeding your fry is not as simple as adding the organisms into the tank by hand as you would for regular fish food flakes. However, it’s not overly complicated, either. You’ll need a syringe or turkey baster for the most effective method.
If the food you’ve prepared is already in water, you can draw some into your syringe or baster and release it into the tank. However, if you’re using micro worms or powdered fish flakes, you’ll need to add the worms or powder to a bowl and mix it with water.
Once the food has been mixed with water, you can draw it into the syringe or baster and release it into the tank. Be careful not to overfeed your fry, as they cannot eat much at first, and the water may spoil.
Small meals two to four times a day are the best way to grow healthy angelfish.
mendel [CC-BY-SA-1.0]Freshly Hatched Brine Shrimp For Fry
Freshly hatched brine shrimp are the perfect meal for free-swimming fry that have just entered this stage. They are tiny organisms that are small enough for angelfish fry to consume and relatively easy to hatch.
For fry new to the free-swimming stage, freshly hatched brine shrimp need to be no more than a few hours old. They are saltwater creatures and can only survive for a couple of hours in freshwater.
Vinegar Eels For Fry
Vinegar eels are not actually eels, nematodes that feed on microorganisms in vinegar. They can survive for days in freshwater, unlike brine shrimp, meaning there isn’t as much risk of wasting food.
They are smaller than brine shrimp, so even the smallest fry can eat them. This makes vinegar eels an excellent food choice for angelfish fry that have just reached the free-swimming stage.
They wiggle around to move, which attracts the fry, and they must seem appealing because the fry go nuts for them. The only disadvantage is that vinegar eels don’t have the same nutrients as freshly hatched brine shrimp.
Micro Worms For Fry
Micro worms are another great dietary choice for angelfish fry. Growing them is a simple process and can be done as long as you have some micro worm cultures.
They are tiny organisms that aren’t real worms that provide all the nutrients newborn fry need. Like vinegar eels, micro worms wiggle around to move, attracting fry. These movements cause the fry to see it as prey.
Packaged Powdered Fry Food
Powdered fry food is a suitable alternative if you can’t obtain any of the live food options or aren’t prepared to grow them. It consists of fish food flakes that have been ground up extremely finely to make it a viable feeding option for fry.
You can ask a fish expert for advice on the best options. The powdered food contains enough nutrients for angelfish fry to thrive until they are big enough to move onto proper flakes.
What To Feed Angelfish Fry When They Begin To Mature
After three or four weeks, your fry should have grown enough to be able to eat crushed fish flakes. You can give them small amounts for every meal to get them used to the new food and ensure they can eat it.
After four to six weeks, your fry should have matured enough to be able to eat regular fish food. Now you can start feeding them regular fish food flakes or another food option that angelfish enjoy.
How To Care For Angelfish Fry
Taking care of angelfish fry can be tedious for the first couple of weeks while they are at a delicate stage of development. Properly taking care of them can prevent stunted growth and keep them healthy. Partial water changes and multiple feedings are necessary daily to keep the water clean and help them grow.
Sponge filters are the best option when raising fry, as they can get stuck in hand-on-back filters. Sponge filters are useful for preventing fry from getting inside the filter. Another helpful tip is to leave the bottom of your fish tank bare. Fry aren’t able to swim very well when they are new to the free-swimming stage, so they can get stuck on gravel or any other bottom covering you may be using.
Conclusion
Angelfish fry don’t need feeding for the first few days while they are still in the wiggler stage. In this stage, they feed on the egg yolk sac they are still attached to for nutrients.
Once they have reached the free-swimmer stage, you can feed them freshly hatched brine shrimp, vinegar eels, micro worms, or powdered fish food. After three to four weeks, they can handle crushed fish food flakes. And after six weeks, they should be able to eat the same food as fully matured angelfish.