How to Feed Butterfly Fish

The butterflyfish are a group of tropical marine fish found mostly on reefs of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans. They are a colorful group of fish often with bright stripes and patterns of yellow, black, white, red, orange and blue. There are over 120 different species of butterflyfish. As pets, they are harder to keep than most saltwater fish due to their specialized diet. Some butterflyfish are omnivorous while others strictly feed on live coral.

Things You'll Need

  • Fish food (depending on species)
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Instructions

    • 1

      Determine the species of butterflyfish you have. Most butterflyfish are grazers and will feed on algae, sponges and corals. However, some species of butterflyfish are omnivorous and require a more specific diet consisting of small and planktonic animals. If your butterflyfish is omnivorous and you don't provide it the proper type of food, it will starve itself to death.

    • 2

      Purchase the fish food from a pet store or grocery store. Most butterflyfish enjoy a varied diet consisting of chopped seafood, algae, mysid shrimp and flake food. A list of foods required for each species can be found in the "Saltwater Aquarium Butterflyfish" link.

    • 3

      Feed the butterflyfish. Chop up seafood, thaw out frozen shrimp and sprinkle flake food into the aquarium. Some fish require a feeding once a day while others may need to be fed several times throughout the day. The number of times depends on the species of fish and can be found in the "Saltwater Aquarium Butterflyfish" link.