The Best Food for Angelfish for 2022

Angelfish are among the most popular aquarium fish to date. Not only are they beautiful on their own but they also look amazing when swimming as a group. Another nice thing about these fishes is that they are quite hardy. However, they will still need the best food for angelfish to keep them in optimum health.

Angelfish can live up to 12 years if kept properly. They are also quite sociable fish. With that said, you need to keep them in groups of at least three. This means that you are responsible for keeping all of them healthy. One way to do that is to provide them with proper nutrition in the form of the best angelfish food.

This article will provide you with the information you will need to make the right choice to make it easier. You will also receive a couple of recommendations for fish food that I have tested over the years. Hopefully, you will find the right brand that your fish will love.

Best Food for Angelfish Reviews

1. Ocean Nutrition Instant Baby Brine Shrimp

This fish food consists entirely of dehydrated baby brine shrimp, which makes it look like a powder. With that said, this food is only ideal for angelfish fry. It is not that good for fully grown ones. I noticed that the foods are much too small for adult fish to eat.

Because this fish food consists of dried baby shrimp, it is one incredible choice for angelfish growth. Fish fry needs a lot of protein so they can grow quickly and properly. After a week or two of feeding, my fish fries are already almost big enough to transition to pellet food.

Do not get fooled by the size of the jar. It can last well until after the fish fry is already big enough to switch to another food. This comes with a dropper, which allows you to take just enough of the product for one feeding. You will only need a small amount for every feeding.

Another thing I liked about this best fish food for angelfish option is that the dried shrimp floats in the middle of the water. They do not sink or float to the surface. This makes it easier for the baby fish to feed on them.

The more shrimp that they can eat, the faster they will grow. You do not even need to worry about cleaning up as your aquarium filter will have no problem catching all the leftovers.

However, I need to restate that this freshwater angelfish food is not for adult fish unless you are taking care of small breeds like tetras, mollies, and the like. Also, this fish food has a very short shelf life. You will need to freeze it once opened to make it last more than just a couple of weeks.

2. Hartz Wardley Fish Food

I have been feeding my angelfish with this choice for the best flake food for angelfish for about two months and I noticed that they have grown so much. I wish I took a picture before I started feeding them so I can see how much they changed.

I highly recommend this fish food for younger fish as they can absorb more proteins and fat because of their stronger digestion. This means they can reach their full growth potential in just a matter of months.

Aside from protein and fats, this fish food also comes fortified with stabilized Vitamin C. This vitamin helps boost the angelfish’s natural immune system, making them able to resist illnesses better. This fish species is already quite resilient but this popular food for angelfish will only make them better.

To give you further peace of mind, this product does not contain any artificial colors and preservatives. These pellets come in the naturally bright colors of the ingredients themselves. They do not require any enhancements.

This fish food also comes in an easy-to-digest formulation. As your angelfish ages, note that its digestion also slows down. To compensate, this fish food is easier to break down in their guts to facilitate proper digestion. You will know if your fish is indeed absorbing more nutrients because they will be producing less waste.

Being easy to digest is always a good thing but this also means that this fish food disintegrates quickly. After just a couple of minutes, the pellets would break down and cloud the water. This is the reason why you should closely watch your fish when feeding. Never give them more food than what they can eat in five minutes.

3. Tetra TetraPRO Tropical Color Crisps

I was pleasantly surprised when I first fed these wafers to my angelfish. I thought that they would disintegrate almost immediately after getting wet but they kept their shape. This greatly helped keep the water in my tank crystal clear, which is why this is among the best fish flakes for angelfish.

Aside from the usual vitamins and minerals that you come to expect from fish food, this product also contains biotin. This is a nutrient that helps boost the fish’s digestion, enabling them to get more energy from the food. This means that the more they eat this food, the better they become at absorbing nutrients.

These fish flakes are also brightly-colored to attract the fish into feeding. Just like humans, fish use color cues to determine if they will like the food in front of them. The different colors will entice the fish to eat more, thereby making them healthier in the process.

I have a tank of fully grown angelfish. I think each one is about 4 inches long. This fish food is just the right size for their mouths. They are also thin so they break easily. This means that they will never be choking hazards. However, if your angelfish are still quite young, you can just crumble these wafers before feeding.

I do have one issue with this product. Even though the packaging stated that these are “floating” pellets, most of them would immediately sink once they get wet. It is a good thing that I have a pleco to deal with the flakes that reach the bottom because my angelfish will not be able to reach them.

4. Hikari Tropical Vibra Bites Fish Food

At first, I thought my angelfish were just pale silver with faint stripes. However, after feeding them with this fish food for just a little over two weeks, they started getting a kind of yellowish tinge on top of their heads, and their stripes are much darker than before. They now look a lot different and much better than they were before.

These pellets are shaped and colored like frozen bloodworms, which almost all fish just love to eat. However, feeding fish exclusively using bloodworms can be expensive. It will also result in nutrient deficiencies. Aside from being shaped and colored like frozen bloodworms, this food also comes fortified with other needed vitamins and minerals.

This fish food contains mealworms, which is an excellent source of protein. The angelfish needs protein for optimal growth and development. The mealworms also make this food irresistible for all sorts of fish, not just angelfish. I have loaches and a pleco to keep the tank clean, and they just love this food.

Aside from protein, this product also contains natural vegetable fiber. Even your angelfish needs proper dietary fiber so that they can absorb nutrients from their food much better. You will find that your fish will be producing less waste after a couple of weeks and that is because their digestive systems are more efficient.

The only problem I have with these pellets is that they are a bit too hard, especially if you have smaller angelfish. You will need to soak these “sticks” in water for a couple of minutes to soften them enough for small fish. However, if you have mature angelfish, they will not have any problems eating these foods.

5. Cobalt Aquatics Tropical Flakes

These fish food flakes contain live beneficial bacteria that will help improve the gut health of your fish. This means that your angelfish will be more efficient at digesting food. This will also result in the production of less waste. When there is less waste, there is also less ammonia in the water, which is always a good thing.

Unlike cats and dogs, fish are not colorblind, so they judge their food using color. Just like humans, angelfish likes foods that have enticing colors and these flakes are just that. Using natural food coloring to make these fish food look more appetizing will make the fish want to eat more.

I also like that even though these are in the form of thin flakes, they do not break apart easily in the water. These flakes retain their shapes up until the fish starts eating them. This product is much better than the one that I was using before. That one almost immediately turned to mush when it got wet and was a pain to skim out of the tank.

The best thing about this fish food is that it contains ingredients that greatly enhance the color of the angelfish. In addition, it also helped improve the slime coat of the fish. This is the protective coating on top of the skin of the fish that protects it against diseases.

Now, I do like this product quite a lot but I do have some issues with it. One is that the sizes of the flakes are very irregular. Some are large while the others are very small. There are also a lot of powdered flakes at the bottom of the jar, which I cannot use at all.

6. Omega One Freeze Dried Tubifex Worms

This product contains a nutrient called beta carotene, which is the same substance that is responsible for giving carrots their orange color. It will also do the same to angelfish; It can enhance the colors of the fish, specifically the yellows, oranges, and reds. You will be surprised at how different your fish will look after just a couple of weeks of use.

Almost all aquarium fish species love tubifex worms but the problem is that they often also carry dangerous parasites. It is particularly risky to feed your fish with tubifex worms but that is not a problem with this product because all the tubifex worms are freeze-dried.

This means that all the moisture in the worms got sapped out. This also kills the parasites that might be in them, making this the best homemade food for angelfish.

Because this fish food is mostly dehydrated, it will not go bad for a long time even if you do not refrigerate it. One jar often lasts my fish for around a month or two and I just store the container in the cabinet under the tank. As long as you store it someplace cool and dry, there should not be any problem and the contents can last for months.

As mentioned earlier, this fish food contains freeze-dried tubifex worms, which is one of the best protein sources for aquarium fish. I highly recommend this food if you keep livebearer fish and regularly take care of the fish fry.

The immense amount of protein in this food means that the fry will grow up in no time. This also means that your juvenile angelfish can reach the upper limits of their size once they mature.

Here is what I do not like about this product, though. It is kind of messy to use and it usually clouds the water. You will need to stick your hand in the water and stick a cube on the glass. Once submerged, these cubes start to disintegrate and the tiny particles would remain suspended in the water for a long time.

7. Seachem NutriDiet Discus Flakes

One of the biggest reasons why I liked this fish food so much is that it contains some vitamins and nutrients. For instance, this fish food contains chlorella algae, which is chock-full of essential vitamins and minerals that your fish needs. This particular ingredient can permanently boost the immune system of your angelfishes.

Aside from chlorella algae, this product also contains several sources of protein, namely fish meal, squid, and earthworm. Also, it comes fortified with additional amino acids that, in combination with the vast amounts of protein, results in faster growth of your fish.

I started feeding my angelfishes with this food about a month and a half ago and they have grown at least 50% bigger. Although these fish food flakes look like they would disintegrate immediately, they keep their shape up until the fish start eating.

Unlike the other fish food that I have tried in the past, if there are leftovers, they are easier to skim out of the water. I have had fish food that immediately turns into mush and sinks to the bottom of the tank the moment they get wet.

I heard other people say that they had trouble getting their fish to eat this food but I did not have any difficulty with my angelfish. The first time I fed them with this food, they immediately swarmed and ate every bit. However, the other fish in the community tank would not even get near the flakes.

One of the issues I have with this product is that the flakes are highly irregular in shapes and sizes. Some of the flakes are so large that they will not even fit inside the mouths of the angelfishes. Some are also so small that the fish will not eat them.

In addition, there is so much dust at the bottom of the jar. All that unusable dust adds to the total weight of the product, so I feel a bit cheated.

8. Aqueon Pro Community Formula Foods

You may think that these pellets are a bit too small for angelfish but they are not. Once they absorb a bit of water, they will swell a bit and get softer. My angelfish just gobble these pellets up the moment I sprinkle them into the tank. It is quite fun to watch them get into a small feeding frenzy.

After a couple of weeks of feeding my angelfish this product, I was surprised to see them show colors they did not have before. I thought the faint orange stripes along their sides were alright but now the stripes are bright red and the tops of their heads have an orange tinge. They look even better now than they did before.

Aside from looking more beautiful, my angelfish is now more active than before. I always see them swimming around inside the tank. Before, they would just stay at one corner of the aquarium. This food is nutritionally-balanced for omnivorous fish, like angelfish, which is why they are always full of energy.

It also contains quite a lot of protein, sourced from both animals and vegetables. The proteins in this product are also highly soluble. The fish can easily absorb them. My angelfish grew at least an inch after just a month of using this product. Their fins are also longer and sturdier than they were before.

Although I do like this product, I am not fond of how these pellets sink too fast. These would probably stay floating on the surface of the water for maybe around a minute, and then they would sink to the bottom. Fortunately, I have a pleco in my tank, and he gobbles up the pellets that settle in the gravel.

What to Look For When Buying a Food for Angelfish

Shopping for food for your angelfish is not that difficult. The reason is that they can also eat fish food meant for all small fish. However, you should not just grab the first can that you find on the shelves. Here are some of the factors to consider when you are shopping for the best angelfish food:

Protein Content

Although angelfish do not usually grow more than six inches long, feeding them with high-protein food will still benefit them. Fish food containing a lot of protein will make your angelfish grow faster. It will also ensure that they will reach their full growth potential.

Colors

Fish are not colorblind, so you should choose fish food that has bright and enticing colors. However, make sure that the product does not contain any, or not too much artificial coloring. Bright colors will also make them easier to see for the fish.

Floating

Angelfish need food that floats on top of the water. They have mouths situated in such a way on their head that they would find it difficult to pick up food at the bottom of the tank. Ideally, you should get food that is in the shape of flakes as they are more likely to float. However, some pellets float as well.

Do not Cloud the Water

Unless you like cleaning the filters in your aquarium quite often, I suggest that you buy fish food that does not disintegrate in the water. Look for fish food that retains its shape even after soaking in the water for a while.

There is also some fish food with artificial colors that leach into the water, permanently discoloring it. If this happens, you have no other choice other than to change the water entirely.

Cost

This will be subjective as some people will not have any trouble spending a little more on food for their angelfish. However, a good rule of thumb, in this case, is to purchase the best fish food that you can fit into your budget.

There is no point in choosing expensive fish food when you do not have any money left to buy other things that your fish might need.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Angelfish eat Betta Food?

Yes, the size of the pellets in betta food is roughly the same as that of an angelfish. In addition, bettas and angelfish often have the same nutritional requirements, so their foods are interchangeable.

Can Angelfish eat Goldfish Food?

It will depend on the form of the food. Most goldfish pellets are a bit too big for angelfish. On the other hand, flakes are okay since you can crumble them up a bit before giving them to your angelfish.

Conclusion

People who keep angelfish in their tanks want the focus of the setup to be on them, which is why they need to feed on the best food for angelfish. Feeding your angelfish with the right kind of food will not just ensure their health and well-being, but will also enhance their physical appearance.

My angelfish has become quite lovely after just a couple of weeks of switching their fish food. Now that you have reached the end of this article, you most likely know how to choose the right food for your angelfish.

Even though angelfish are not as delicate as they look, they still need the right kinds of food to remain healthy and live as long as possible.