New aquarium owners often worry when they see that their fish will not eat. Most often, this isn’t a serious situation and can be easily rectified.

There are many factors which can affect the appetites of aquarium fish. The most obvious reason would be that they are not hungry for some reason. Think about how much you feed your fish. Most people think that fish need to eat at least once or twice daily. This is not always the case. If you are feeding your fish twice a day, the likelihood is that you are over-feeding your fish. This can cause serious problems and even death in your fish. If you notice that your fish stop eating, stop feeding them for a couple of days and see what their reactions are. If after two days, you feed your fish and they eat, you know you were feeding them too much. When you do resume feeding the fish, feed them once a day and feed them less food than you were previously.

What type of fish are you housing in your tank? Chances are that if you have many types of fish, you will need more than one type of food. People assume all the time that a tropical fish fish food is enough to sustain the nutritional needs of their fish. Nothing can be farther from the truth. Some fish are bottom feeders and need food that sinks. Others do need flake food. There are some fish that prefer vegetables and live plants. And then there are frozen foods and brine shrimp. Look into purchasing a guide for aquarium owners with a broad scope chart showing which types of fish like certain types of foods. Finding the right food will encourage your fish to eat.

How big is your aquarium? Your tank may be too small for the amount of fish you have. For most simple freshwater tanks, a good rule to follow is one inch of fish for each gallon of water. Fish will only grow as large as the available area will allow them too. A fish tank that is overcrowded will not promote its fish to grow; therefore, they will eat less, or not at all.

Last is disease. A sick fish will not eat. Check your fish for any physical symptoms that are unusual. Is their appearance affected in any way? Look for films, patches of residue on them, discoloration, patches of white or flesh problems. If any of these persist, research what you see and seek the appropriate medicine to treat the problem.

Also run tests on the water. There may be bad bacteria or parasites in the water. Check the pH level with a test kit. They are inexpensive and available everywhere. If you don’t have a test kit you can take a sample of your aquarium water to your local pet store. Many will test water samples free of charge for their customers.

You can also seek the advice of your veterinarian.

Knowing common fish behaviors can help a new aquarium owner ascertain when a problem arises with their tank. Problems come in many forms, but fish that will not eat are not always problems.