We’ve all seen it. You’re out on a sunny day, and notice people crowded around a pond feeding bread to fish. While it’s cute to watch fish beg for a treat, you may wonder if you can do this with your pet guppies also.
But, before you get your bite-sized bread cubes ready, you should probably make sure it is safe.
Can guppies eat bread? Guppies can eat a small amount of bread, but it doesn’t mean they should. It’s not a part of their natural diet and offers no health benefits. Also, pieces of bread make a clean aquarium dirty quite fast. It’s far from the best snack option.
Want to learn more about why this tasty treat is not your best option? Continue reading below.
Bread is bad for your guppies’ health
Bread is undeniably a tasty treat. Your guppy won’t deny eating it. However, it does no good for your finned friend’s health. Listed below, you’ll find the reasons why bread is a poor choice of snack food.
Inappropriate ingredients
Nearly all the ingredients in bread are not meant for your fish to consume. This holds especially true for highly processed bread that contains preservatives.
In most bread, you’ll find harmful ingredients such as sugar, corn syrup, artificial coloring, sugar, and sodium. Bread also contains yeast, possibly the most damaging ingredient, which will be discussed later.
Little nutritional value
Bread is a high-calorie food with little nutritional value. It does contain some calcium and fiber, but not enough to make an impact. Instead, your fish is mostly loading up on empty calories. Guppies should eat a diet high in protein with some nutrient-dense plant matter.
It causes digestive issues
Bread has the potential to hurt your guppies’ digestive system. It’s mostly caused by yeast. When your fish eats yeast, it expands in its stomach. This leads to bloating, constipation, and discomfort.
Guppies also can’t break down gluten, meaning more discomfort and indigestion. Unless you want a bloated, lethargic guppy, avoid feeding it bread.
Bread is bad for your guppies’ tank
Want to mess up the water quality in your guppy tank fast and effortlessly? Throw some bread in the tank and walk away. Think about dipping a piece of bread into a bowl of soup.
After a few seconds of dunking, the bread absorbs lots of liquid. However, if you dunk the bread too long, it turns into a soggy mess and will fall apart.
The same thing applies to your fish tank. If the bread crumbs thrown in aren’t eaten within moments or fished out, they will expand. This expanded bread soon disintegrates into the water.
These tiny pieces of mushy bread then sink to the bottom of the tank. The rest of the bread will wind up stuck in your tank’s filter. Worst of all disintegrated bread is a sure way to amp up your tank’s toxic ammonia levels.
Other human food to avoid feeding your guppies
Bread is not the only table food you should keep out of your guppies’ mouth. Below is a list of human food that isn’t ideal for your fish.
Processed foods
These types of foods contain lots of unnatural ingredients that can harm your guppies’ health. They have preservatives, trans fats, sugar, and salt. Guppies don’t eat these kinds of food in the wild. They should not eat it in captivity, either.
High-fat meat
Guppies do need a small amount of fat in their diet, but some of the meat that we eat has way too much fat to benefit your fish. Beef and pork can contain a lot of fat and should be avoided.
Too much fat consumption often leads to a fat buildup around your guppies’ heart. Also, too much fat is harmful to your fish’s liver.
Dairy
This is another example of food your guppies never eat in the wild. Dairy, like meat, is high in fat. It does not have much nutritional value.
Starch
Like bread, your guppy will enjoy eating starchy foods, but it is not ideal. Starchy products such as pasta, rice, crackers, and cereal all contain that indigestible gluten. They will bloat your fish and cause discomfort.
Vegetables cooked in fat
Veggies are an excellent supplement to your guppies’ diet. However, you must be careful about how it is prepared. Since the excessive intake of fat can hurt your fish, make sure to avoid it.
This means no sauteed veggies in butter and olive oil. Instead, opt for boiled, steamed, or raw vegetables.
The best human food for your guppies
Can’t resist the call of feeding your guppies some table scraps? The good news is that there are plenty of human foods suitable for guppy consumption.
Best of all, if you stick to the human foods recommended below, you’ll be doing a world of good for your fish friends. Healthy, natural foods add an abundance of vitamins and minerals to your guppies’ diet.
Also, your fish benefit from a diet with variety. A varied diet ensures proper development.
Listed below you’ll find the best human foods for your guppies.
Proteins
Guppies are active little fish. Some protein in your guppies diet is excellent for keeping your fish energized. But, you want to be sure you are providing protein beneficial to your guppies’ health. Lean meats prepared without added flavoring or fat is the best option.
Opt for egg yolks. They are easy to prepare and loved by guppies. They have lots of protein and healthy fat. Seafood such as fish and shrimp is another top pick. It can be fed to guppies raw. Steamed chicken breast is another favorite.
Vegetables
Guppies are omnivores. Protein alone won’t cut it. In fact, the majority of your guppies’ diet should be plant-based. It provides all the healthy vitamins and minerals your guppies need. It’s easy to feed your guppies vegetables too; there is no shortage of options.
Leafy greens such as spinach, kale, and romaine are a popular option. Also, it’s an easy option since it does not require cooking. Just shred it into small pieces and feed to your fish. Peas, sweet corn, sweet potato, and carrots are also healthy options. Blanch them before serving.
Fruits
Plant-based is not just about vegetables. Fruits are also a healthy food group with great variety. Sweet fruits contain lots of healthy nutrients, but should mostly be considered a treat since they are high in sugar.
Try some apples, grapes, and bananas. Remember to fish out any uneaten pieces promptly after serving. High sugar fruits can grow unwanted bacteria quickly.
Don’t forget about savory fruits that are often lumped in with vegetables. You can serve these varieties more frequently than high sugar fruits. Offer your fish blanched bell pepper or raw pumpkin.
Guppies also love cucumbers, zucchini, and tomatoes. But before serving, scrape out any of the watery jelly found inside these fruits.
What to feed guppies when out of fish food?
We have compiled some additional foods you can feed your guppy besides fish food in this article!
Wrap-Up
While your guppies will eat bread, you should probably refrain from serving it. It’s not worth it when considering its effects on your guppies’ health and water quality.
Thankfully, there are lots of other human food treats you can offer to your fish. Stick with those lean proteins, vegetables, and fruits to keep your guppies satiated and nourished.