I get asked this question a lot.
How often should you feed your clownfish? How much do you feed them?
It’s important to know the answers to these questions in order to keep your clownfish healthy. Understanding the proper amount of food to feed and having a feeding schedule is crucial to their growth and overall health.
Also, choosing the right types of food to feed is something you need to consider.
It can be confusing sometimes with all the different information floating around online about feeding clownfish. You can’t just feed clownfish when they look hungry as that would be all the time. I know my clownfish will eat non stop if I let them.
If you are serious about keeping your clownfish healthy, you need to know when to feed them and how much to feed.
By the end of this article, you will know exactly how often to feed your clownfish and what foods to feed them so they will live a long and happy life.
So how often should you feed your clownfish?
There is no set rule that says you must feed your clownfish a specific amount of food at certain times of the day. But this is what I recommend and have been feeding clownfish successfully for many years. The following methods will work for all types of clownfish.
Feed your clownfish 2 or 3 times per day spread out equally over the 24 hour period. If your clownfish are juveniles, you should feed them 3 or 4 times per day.
How much food to feed your clownfish
Provide them with enough food that they will eat in about 1 minute. Clownfish are very aggressive eaters and have no problem eating all their food quickly. Once they eat all the food given in about 1 minute, don’t feed any more. It is never a good idea to overfeed your fish. It’s best to give them small feedings a few times per day in the amount that they will eat over that 1-minute timeframe. Clownfish won’t have a problem eating their food in under a minute.
Best foods for clownfish and how to choose the right ones
Clownfish are omnivores which means that they will eat both animal and plant-based foods. It’s important that they have a varied diet that is not focused on just one type of food. There are many options available for types and brands of foods so you will always have a variety to choose from.
Remember that these fish are being kept in an aquarium where they don’t have the option to eat the foods they normally would eat in the wild. So choosing a high-quality food with the right ingredients is key to giving them the nutrition they need.
Clownfish foods can be in many different forms.
Pellets/Flake
NLS (New Life Spectrum) makes a very high-quality pellet food that is great for clownfish. Their pellet food contains high-end ingredients like krill, squid, spirulina, seaweed, and much more. It’s a perfect staple diet for clownfish and they will love it.
Flake foods are also popular to feed clownfish. The NLS flake foods contain the same ingredients as the pellets so the fish will be getting their proper nutrition. It’s a great idea to feed a mix of pellets and flake foods.
The NLS pellet and flake food are available at Marine Depot here.
Frozen foods
The best-frozen foods to feed clownfish are brine shrimp and Mysis shrimp. They will eat both without issues. Mysis shrimp is known to naturally attract fish and they can’t resist it.
It has a high level of protein which is important for clownfish. Frozen foods will normally come in a cube or sheet form and 1 cube is usually suitable per feeding unless you have many clownfish together in the same tank. Another option for frozen foods is spirulina and sometimes you can buy a mixed pack that has a variety of different types.
My clownfish love Hikari frozen Mysis shrimp and PE Mysis.
There are several varieties of frozen foods available at marine Depot here.
Dried foods
A variety of dried foods is a good option to feed clownfish. They can eat a mix of freeze-dried seaweed and nori. Although this food is mostly given to tangs and herbivorous fish, clownfish will eat it as well. I recommend Julien Sprungs dry sea veggies sheets. They can easily be placed in a veggie clip and mounted to the glass for the fish to pick at.
My favorite dried food to feed all my saltwater fish is Easy Masstick fish food. This is a fully prepared food that comes in a soft cube form. It will stick to any surface in your tank including the glass and rocks. This food is made from all-natural ingredients from the ocean. No artificial foods are used. This food is great for clownfish and many other saltwater fish.
If you have fish that are finicky eaters, they will love this food. Easy Masstick food is designed to be used so the fish can naturally graze like they would in the wild. Just stick it somewhere in your tank and watch the fish start picking at it.
Grab the Easy Masstick food at marine Depot here. Your fish will go crazy over this food.
Live foods
Last on my list of foods for clownfish is live foods. There are a few options to choose from. Live earthworms can be hit or miss but some clownfish will eat them. Also, you can offer blackworms, amphipods, and copepods. Live shrimp is a great choice as well. Some people will try to hatch them and culture their own batch.
Problems with overfeeding clownfish
As mentioned, it is never a good idea to overfeed your fish. You want to avoid this as much as possible. This can lead to serious health issues for the fish. Clownfish are famous for overeating and they will continue to eat as long as you keep feeding them. Not only is the health of the fish a serious concern, but it is one of the most common mistakes that new hobbyists make.
Overfeeding will lead to poor water quality and uneaten foods will sit in the tank creating excess nutrients and waste which will affect all livestock in the tank. Some people will only feed their clownfish once per day or every other day to avoid overfeeding. But if you stick to small feedings 2 or 3 times per day in the amount that they will eat in under a minute, you shouldn’t have these concerns.
How long can clownfish go without food?
There are certain times when a clownfish may have gone a period of time without food. Whether you forgot to feed them or were away for a few days, it’s possible that your clownfish can go for a few days without food. I don’t recommend intentionally starving your fish, but if you have to leave them unfed for a few days it shouldn’t be a problem.
Larger mature fish can usually go longer without food than juveniles. I wouldn’t expect my fish to go for more than 3 days without food. It’s possible for them to live up to a week without feeding but that’s not something I would ever do intentionally.
Auto Feeders for clownfish food
To prevent your clownfish from going without food for a prolonged period of time, you can consider using an auto feeder. They are great to use if you will be away from your tank for a period of time and still be able to feed your fish. Even if you want to use an auto feeder for everyday use while you are home, you can. They can be programmed to feed a certain amount of food throughout the day. Auto feeders are very convenient and easy to use.
The Eheim auto feeder is a great choice. Get one at Marine Depot here.
Summary
Feeding your clownfish properly is important to keep them healthy and live a long and happy life. There are several different types of foods available and they should only be fed 2 or 3 times per day. Never overfeed them. If you follow the guidelines mentioned in this article, you will have a colorful and healthy clownfish for you to enjoy.