Tropical fish food
Tropical fish food is built around flake as the everyday staple — Supa Tropical Flake Food, King British Tropical Flake and Aquarian Tropical Fish are all flake foods in our range — with pellets and frozen or freeze-dried options as an addition rather than a replacement for most community tanks.
Flake as the everyday staple
Flake food is designed to float, then gradually sink and soften, which suits community tanks holding fish that feed at different levels of the water column. It's formulated to be nutritionally complete on its own for most tropical community fish, which is why it makes sense as the everyday default rather than something to supplement constantly.
Different flake brands vary slightly in protein content and ingredient sourcing, so if you keep a mix of species with different needs, it's worth checking the flake you're using suits the more demanding fish in the tank, not just the easiest ones.
When to add something else
Bottom feeders and fish that rarely come up to a floating flake often do better with a sinking pellet or wafer added alongside flake, since otherwise they can miss out on much of what's fed at the surface. Frozen or freeze-dried bloodworm and brine shrimp add variety and appeal to fussier feeders a couple of times a week.
None of this needs to be complicated — most tropical community tanks do perfectly well on a good flake as the base, with an occasional addition rather than a constantly rotating menu.
Feeding the right amount
Feed only what your fish can finish in two to three minutes, once or twice a day, rather than filling the tank surface — uneaten flake breaks down quickly and is one of the most common causes of poor water quality in an otherwise well-kept tank.
It's easier to underfeed slightly and top up if needed than to overfeed and deal with the water quality problems that follow, particularly in a smaller tank where waste builds up faster.
In this section
Everything below is in stock with us, priced with delivery worked out, and packed and posted by hand in the UK.
Tetra Goldfish Flakes
Complete goldfish flakes in several pack sizes, with a shared formula across the family
From£3.02
Tetra Goldfish Granules
Complete granules for goldfish, with a shared formula across both pack options
From£3.98
Tetra Prima Mini Granules
Slow-sinking granules for mid-water and bottom-feeding fish, blending herbivore and omnivore diets
£6.10
Tetra Aquasafe
A water conditioner that neutralises chlorine and heavy metals, with an added vitamin B mix
From£6.41
Tetra Pond Fish Food Variety Sticks
Complete Tetra Pond Variety Sticks in three colours, across four pack sizes
From£6.41
Tetra Koi Pond Fish Food Sticks
Complete fast-soaking Tetra Pond Koi Sticks, available in four pack sizes
From£6.41
Tetramin
Complete TetraMin flake food for ornamental fish, offered across several pack sizes
From£2.39
Tetra Temperate Flakes
Complete flakes for subtropical fish kept at 18–23°C, with vegetable ingredients
£6.99
Tetra Pond Fish Food Sticks
Complete fast-soaking Tetra Pond Sticks for pond fish, in seven pack sizes
From£4.77
Tetra Japan
Sinking dry pellets for fancy goldfish, with pack-specific label information shown clearly
From£4.56
Common questions
- Is flake food enough on its own for tropical fish?
- For most community tank species, yes — a good-quality flake is formulated to be nutritionally complete on its own. Bottom feeders and fussier species often benefit from a sinking pellet or occasional frozen food alongside it, but flake can genuinely carry most tanks day to day.
- How much tropical fish food should I feed, and how often?
- Feed only what your fish will finish within two to three minutes, once or twice a day. It's better to feed slightly less than to overfeed, since leftover food breaks down and affects water quality more than most owners expect.
- Why aren't my bottom-dwelling fish eating the flake?
- Flake floats and gradually sinks, so fish that stay near the bottom of the tank often miss most of what's fed at the surface. A sinking pellet or wafer fed alongside flake reaches them more reliably.
Related
Written by Matt Garnett, who runs Giddy Pets and is a lifelong pet owner — not a vet. This is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your animal. How we write these guides.