Minnows are small fish that are basically used as bait. But some people love keeping them as their pet in the aquarium or pond with their other favorite fishes. People sometimes raise them in their home, intending to use them as bait later. And in this case, it is essential for the minnow owners to look after the food habit of minnow so that they can grow healthy. So it’s really important for them to know what minnows eat.
Food habits of minnows in the wild and in captivity is different. But it actually matters to you when you are raising them by yourself at your home. So it’s your choice whether you want to give the food that minnows used to have in the wild or something they can adopt in a captive environment. And to do so, you must need to know what minnows eat in the wild and what they can adopt eating in a confined environment.
So let’s find out in detail the most asked question- What do minnows eat?
In The Wild
In the natural habitat of minnow, they basically eat all sorts of insects and plant materials. They also don’t bother to eat crawfish, fish eggs, and brine shrimp. In other words, it’s a group of small bugs that minnow eats in the wild.
In Captivity
Minnows in captivity usually eat phytoplankton, zooplankton, and algae from the tank or pond they are kept in. Minnows consider the very place they are being raised for the source of their food. So they will eat whatever they get around, even if it’s a plant matter. You can also make them have commercial fish food.
What to Feed Minnows?
So we have already discussed the natural diet of minnows in the wild. But as there are many breeds of minnows from the Cyprinidae family, the natural diet varies widely. But that’s not our concern right now because we will talk about those foods that help minnows grow healthy in a captive environment.
The list of foods that minnows prefer in a captive environment is obviously algae, phytoplankton, and zooplankton. And these are the plants that grow naturally if you are raising your minnows in a tank or pond. In this case, you should never clean the sides of your tank because that’s where these plants grow. Fathead and young minnows can find algae, phytoplankton, and zooplankton from the sides of the tank. To stimulate or accelerate the growth of these plants, you can use high phosphorus plant fertilizer. About 1-2 tablespoons of household plant fertilizer per 100 gallons of water are sufficient.
It’s not true that minnows only prefer a wild diet. You can feed them with fish food daily. And sometimes it just takes 45 minutes for minnows to finish them. Also, fish food can stimulate the growth of algae on the side of the tank.
You can feed them catfish food with high protein, which is the most common one to find. Otherwise, you will have to collect minnow fish food from a pet store or feed mills. You can also feed them pallets by crushing them for the easy consumption of your minnows. If you give fish food to your minnows daily, make sure to add some brine shrimp and dried bloodworms sometimes.
Last thing to remember- Collect all the leftover food from the tank bottom every 2-3 days.
Don’t Overfeed
The main difficulty minnow owners face while raising them in captivity is the frequent death of minnows. And one of the reasons for the unusual death of minnows in a captive environment is overfeeding.
So while feeding, observe. Make sure the amount you are providing can be consumed in 10 minutes daily. But if you feed them several times a day, you must give them a small portion of food. Overfeeding can cause a bloom in algal growth and increased ammonia levels. In that case, feed only 2-3 days a week. Also, excess quantities of these plants can change water chemistry and clog pumps and biofilters. And the sudden change in water condition is a threat to the minnows and causes unusual death. And all this can happen if you don’t feed your minnows carefully.
So it’s very important for you not to overfeed minnows.
What to Call Them? Minnows or Cyprinidae?
It’s a question of so many who have been using minnows as bait fish or keeping them as a pet. Sometimes many of the minnow owners start an argument about the name and what is exactly right. But they end up nowhere. So let me answer the question for all who have been curious to know for a long time.
Basically, Minnows refers to an entire group of small fish that belong to the Cyprinidae family. Any small fish isn’t a minnow. And it’s a common fact among minnow owners to confuse minnows with their family’s name. But there is a lot of fish in the Cyprinidae family with different names, and as it’s not possible and necessary to know their different names, we call the entire family-Minnow. So it won’t be true if you call minnows- a Cyprinidae fish. Instead, you can call any fish from that Cyprinidae family- minnow. Here I am giving the fishes’ names that belong to the Cyprinidae family, such as Fallfish, Carps, Daces, Shiners, Chubs, Fatheads, Stonerollers.
Final Words
A perfect minnow diet is very essential for the growth of minnow. That’s why it’s a question of so many minnow owners who are raising them for the first time or want to know what do minnows eat precisely. Maintaining a perfect diet for feeding minnows will eventually help the growth of the fish. Minnow is a kind of fish that is very common in freshwater. They can find their food for themselves. It’s easy for the owner to take care of them or feed them for their wide food choice. The diet we showed in this article will be found in your nearest pet store. So follow this article accordingly to find the perfect way of feeding your pond minnows.