Can You Feed Fish Bread Crumbs?

Feeding fish bread crumbs can potentially cause severe health problems because they do not contain the nutrients fish need to survive. Many species of fish will eat bread crumbs when presented with them, but that does not mean you should feed them this. Fish, like all creatures, need a balanced diet to lead a healthy life. A balanced fish diet includes vitamins, minerals, protein, carbohydrates, fats and sterols. Essentially, a fish needs a variety of foods that provide diverse nutrients to stay healthy. Also, providing fish a variety of tastes and textures keeps feeding time interesting for them and improves their quality of life.

  1. Malnutrition Effects

    • Feeding fish bread crumbs can cause health problems.

      Fish feed either at the surface of the water, the bottom or somewhere in between. Bread crumbs get wet, sink and break apart relatively quickly, making it much harder for all the fish to eat them. When fish are not able to eat enough food or are fed one type of food exclusively, like bread crumbs, they often develop health issues. Improperly fed fish can be listless and have stunted growth, fin erosion, lateral line, hole in the head disease and other diseases. Improper nutrition can ultimately result in the death of a fish.

    Overfeeding

    • Feed your fish once or twice a day, and feed an amount they can consume between three and five minutes. It is easy to overfeed captive fish when feeding them bread crumbs because they sink rapidly. When bread crumbs sink and break apart, they can remain at the bottom of the enclosure or clog the filter system. Bread crumbs or other uneaten foods can cause potentially lethal water conditions because they produce toxic byproducts as they decompose. Hazardous water conditions include high ammonia and nitrite levels, low oxygen levels, low pH levels, algae growth, cloudy water, mold growth and parasite infestation.

    Proper Diet

    • A healthy diet for fish includes a quality, commercially produced pellet or flake food. Commercial foods are the most nutritionally complete food available for fish. Wild fish catch different types of prey and eat a variety of foods to get the nutrients they need to survive. The goal when feeding captive fish is to feed them a diet that mimics their diet in the wild, so supplement commercially available flake or pellet food with fresh foods and other freeze-dried or frozen food.

    Different Diets

    • Fish can be herbivores, plant eaters, carnivores, animal eaters or omnivores. If you feed an herbivore meat exclusively or a carnivore plants exclusively, the fish will not be able to properly digest the diet you are feeding. Fish can become weak, sick and susceptible to disease from eating bread crumbs because they are not receiving the nutrients they need to survive. It is important to research the type of fish you are feeding and provide them an appropriate diet to maintain their health.