Fish & Lettuce Diet

Aquarium enthusiasts are interested in finding a lower-cost alternative for expensive frozen foods that they can buy in a fish store. Some also wonder if they can substitute pellets or flakes with other foods, as a treat for their fish or as a partial source of nutrients. A supplemental fish and lettuce diet is one option.

Lettuce

• Lettuce is a source of food for most species of fish. When frozen or dipped in boiling water, it is a good consistency and is easier for fish to ingest. To keep it on the bottom of the tank, a small rock can be placed on part of the lettuce. Also, it is wise not to keep the lettuce in the water for more than an hour or so because a "too long" lettuce soak can change the composition of the water.

Shrimp

• Frozen shrimp is a good food source for aquarium swimmers. Fish owners can defrost it and cut the shrimps into small pieces. They should leave the shells on for large predatory fish, but remove them for smaller fish. The shells improve the color of fish but are not very easy for small fish to digest. Feeding shrimp to herbivore and predatory fish is perfectly acceptable because it full of nutrients and adds well to any plant foods that they may eat, including lettuce.

Other Fish Choices

• Crabs, crayfish and clams are as good for aquarium inhabitants as shrimp. Frozen fish fillets can be fed to predatory fish, but they should not contain much fat. Mussels are not a good choice, however, because they may contain toxins. Many low-fat forms of fish are a way to add variety as long as lettuce is included in the diet and pellets or flakes are also added each day.