Guppies are peaceful and active swimmers. They swim all around the tank, and there is no particular spot where your guppies will swim. However, when it comes to feeding behavior, every aquarist wants to know that, do guppies eat from the bottom of the tank? So, Are guppies bottom feeders? Let us find out.
Guppies are surface feeders and not bottom feeders. However, guppies are ravenous eaters and will feed on anywhere in the tank. Consider providing your guppies with a variety of food, including live and frozen food, to ensure their enhancing color and faster growth.
We will also discuss whether guppies stay at the bottom of the tank in this article. Also, we will discuss the best food for guppy fish. So, let us get into it.
Contents
Will guppies eat from the bottom of the tank?
Guppies are surface eaters but will eat from the bottom of the tank.
Guppies are active fish and swim actively all over the tank.
You will not find your guppies swimming in a particular direction of the aquarium.
Like swimming behavior, feeding behavior is also the same.
Guppies will feed on food from anywhere in the tank.
When you feed floating food to your guppies, they will come to the surface to capture the food.
After some time, some leftover pellets will sink to the bottom of the tank, and you will notice your guppy fish swimming at the bottom of the tank in search of food that has been sunk.
So, such behavior shows that guppy fish eat from anywhere in the tank.
Do guppies stay at the bottom of the tank?
Guppies don’t stay at the bottom of the tank as they are active fish and swim everywhere in the tank.
If your guppy fish stays at the bottom of the tank, there is some issue with your guppy fish.
These are the reason behind your guppy fish staying at the bottom of the tank:
- Your guppy fish is under stress.
- Your female guppy is pregnant and is about to give birth.
- There is a presence of aggressive mates in your guppies aquarium.
- Your guppy is suffering from a disease like a swim bladder disorder or dropsy.
- Your guppy fish is lethargic because of stress, poor water quality, or inadequate and unstable water parameters.
All these reasons can make your guppy fish stay at the bottom of the tank.
Consider providing your guppy fish stress-free environment and adequate water parameters and quality to prevent such issues.
Also read: Why Is My Guppy Swimming At The Top of The Tank?
How to prevent guppy fish from feeding on the bottom of the tank?
There is no issue with your guppies feeding on the bottom of the tank.
However, while feeding on the bottom, there will be a chance that your guppy fish may accidentally consume the gravel, resulting in gut blockage.
So to prevent your guppies from such issues, consider feeding them floating pellets and flake food.
Also, avoid overfeeding your guppies as the leftovers will sink at the bottom, and your guppies will feed on them later.
Feed them in a quantity that they can finish eating in one to two minutes.
This will not let the food sink, and your guppy will easily capture the food at the surface.
Best food for guppy fish.
Guppy fish are omnivore fish and require meat and plant matter food in their daily diet.
Provide your guppy with various types of food to ensure their enhancing color and faster growth.
| Guppy Food | Serving Quantity | No of Times |
|---|---|---|
| Veggie pellets | One small pinch at a time | 2-3 times a day |
| Brine shrimp | One small pinch at a time | 1-2 times a week |
| Tubifex Worms | One small pinch at a time | 1 time a week |
| Bloodworms | One small pinch at a time | 1-2 times a week |
| Mosquito larvae | 10-15 pieces | 2-3 times a week |
| Blanched zucchini | One small slice | 2-3 times a week |
Usually, guppies do fine with veggie pellets and flake food, but feeding them different types of food like bloodworms, tubifex worms, mosquito larvae, and vegetables will go great for them.
Feed your guppy fish bloodworms once or twice a week.
Bloodworms are rich in fat and are not good in too much quantity for your adult guppy fish.
Consider feeding your guppies tubifex worms one time a week.
You can feed mosquito larvae to your guppies two to three times a week.
Feed your guppies live, freeze-dried, and frozen food.
Guppies also require plant-based food in their diet, so consider feeding your guppies blanched zucchini, boiled peas, and carrots two to three times a week.
Feeding frozen food to your guppies is the best option as it will not contain any parasites or infections.
Also read: Best Food For Guppy Fish?
Conclusion:
Guppies are surface feeders and not particularly bottom feeders.
However, guppies will feed on food from anywhere in the aquarium.
There is no particular area where guppies will feed on a regular basis.
Yes, they will feed on the surface of the aquarium when you provide floating pellets and flake food to them in a regular manner.
Consider feeding your guppies a variety of food, including live, deep-freezed, and frozen food, to ensure their enhancing color and faster growth.
Reference: ResearchGate, ACADEMIA, Journals