Here, we’ll talk all about what homemade food for guppies is best. Not only diet plays an important role in keeping them healthy but also makes them look beautiful & healthy.
Though commercial foods can provide a lot of essential nutrients to the guppies and are made to be the best diet for them, some of these fish foods can cost you a lot of money, and they come with a lot of added preservatives, artificial colors, and chemicals which is not safe for the health of the guppies.
Hence, cooking food for them at home becomes a reliable option that can provide all the necessary nutrients needed for their healthy lives. These homemade foods are also very affordable.
But if you think that it is challenging to prepare food for guppies at home, you may have to think again as they are straightforward to cook.
The best part about homemade food is that you can choose the necessary ingredients more sustainably and prepare a good-quality meal for your guppies.
But you must note that different fishes have different eating requirements and hence it is not easy to give one best recipe for your guppies.
However, you can adapt the recipes as per the need of the guppies. A better thing to do is note down all the ingredients listed on the commercial food packet.
This list can be used as a guide for cooking the best quality food for your guppies. You need to pick the essential four to five ingredients from the list. Some of the vital ingredients would be salmon, shrimp, and cod.
Also, remember that you should never stick to one type of food for your guppies. These fishes love to eat various foods for the best health and nutrition.
You can prepare some homemade recipes for your guppies and find out what they enjoy eating. There are chances that they may not enjoy every food recipe, which is okay. Some guppies can be very picky about their food. However, you can always modify by making a few adjustments to some of the food ingredients.
You would necessarily need a freezer, a good quality blender, ice cube trays, a sharp knife, and a pan to prepare the homemade foods. Knowing your fish species helps to determine what food is more suitable for it.
As guppies are omnivores, they enjoy both plant and meat-based meals, giving them the proper nutrition they need for optimum health and growth. When it comes to plant-based foods, green leafy vegetables are an excellent option for them as they contain many essential vitamins and minerals.
Some other options include lettuce, spinach, kale, and seaweed. Some live plants such as Egeria, Cabomba, and Limnophilla are also suitable for guppies. You can also offer fruits and veggies like broccoli, peas, pears, and apples. It is essential to steam them before putting them into the tank.
Garlic is also a favorite option for guppies. It has various anti-bacterial properties that help in keeping the guppies healthy. It is also known to increase the appetite of guppies. For this purpose, you need to crush the garlic and rub the oil on their food. You can also mince and add it to home-cooked meals.
Guppies love to eat the meat. Earthworms can also be added to homemade recipes, and they are very affordable and are loaded with lots of nutrients. You may also choose to add other aquatic animals such as larvae, squid, and shrimp to the fish food.
Fresh, live, and frozen foods are also great options for guppies. Let them eat only for a few minutes (up to 5 minutes) and then clean the rest to avoid rotting. You must also avoid foods high in fat as that can cause damage to the liver of your guppies.
Now that we have seen what foods are good for guppies, let us look at 3 of the best homemade DIY food recipes for your guppies:
Article Contents
Homemade Gelatin Fish Food
This is one of the easiest and most common homemade foods for guppies. The best part about this recipe is that it is straightforward to prepare and does not consume time.
Now let us look at the ingredients that you would need to prepare this recipe. You need to have a few drops of fish vitamins, 3 cups of veggies, half clove of garlic, two sachets of unsweetened gelatin, and half a cup of seafood.
Now you need to cut all the veggies and begin to cook them. ( You can choose to boil or steam them). After that, the vegetables need to be pureed with seafood and garlic until the consistency gets a little mushy.
Then you should add the vitamins. Now, begin boiling the water to prepare the gelatin. And add the required amount of gelatin mix to the vegetable mix slowly.
You can then put this mixture into the ice cube trays or the baking sheets for storage. Keep it frozen until it is time to serve the food.
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Brine Shrimp
This is one of the best live foods for your guppies. It is a good source of protein (60%) and contains some fat and carbohydrates.
It can also be the best food for the guppy fry as it helps them grow bigger and faster. Most adult guppies also love to eat brine shrimp with a predilection though they should not consume it too often.
Beginning a brine shrimp culture is not so difficult. You can choose to buy brine shrimp eggs online and quickly set up an incubator.
A good-quality hatchery can be purchased online from sites like amazon.com. They are also straightforward to use, and there is no need for any siphoning or aeration.
Have a minimum of three hatcheries running to get a constant supply of brine shrimp. Eggs of the brine shrimp need a minimum of two to three days to hatch. This is why it is essential to have multiple incubators to ensure no lack of food.
You may also choose to create a DIY brine shrimp (relatively easy to develop). The only requirement is that you have to buy the brine shrimp eggs online.
Egg Yolk
Egg yolk is another good homemade meal for your guppies. Not only is this a nutritious food, but it is also straightforward to prepare.
It is perhaps one of the best foods for the guppy fry as it contains a lot of proteins and fats.
Guppies will also get a lot of essential vitamins (such as vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin B12, and vitamin D) and minerals (such as iron, magnesium, and calcium) from the egg yolk.
It is known to be a complex food for the guppy fry. All you have to do is take an egg and boil it for a few minutes ( at least 10 minutes). After that, you need to make a paste of the egg yolk and give it to your guppies in smaller amounts.
Note that egg yolk can cause the tank water to get filthy, so you need to change regularly to keep the tank clean. Above all, egg yolk is considered to be the best food for the growth of guppy fry.
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