How much does fish food cost per month? Real budget and money-saving tips
Published by Planète Pets · managing editor: Clément Lacaille · how our guides are written
Fish food costs 3 to 8 € per month for a 100-litre community tank — one of the smallest items in the fishkeeping budget, provided you don’t overfeed. A pot of quality flakes at 8-12 € lasts two to three months; it’s the variety (frozen food, bottom tablets, vegetable treats) that raises the bill, to the great benefit of the fish.
Contents · 5 sections
How much does each type of food cost?
- Basic flakes or granules: 8 to 12 € for a 250 ml pot, 2 to 3 months of supply.
- Bottom tablets (corydoras, ancistrus): 5 to 9 € a tube, 2 months.
- Frozen food (bloodworms, brine shrimp): 4 to 6 € a blister pack, 4 to 6 weeks at two meals per week.
- Freeze-dried: 6 to 10 €, convenient but to be rehydrated before feeding.
- Blanched vegetables (courgette, spinach): a few cents, perfect for algae eaters.
A complete assortment — daily staple, bottom food, weekly frozen — comes to 5 to 8 € per month. All our guides are in the fish food category.
Why is pollution the real cost of food?
Every uneaten gram turns into ammonia and then nitrates: overfeeding costs extra water changes, algae, sometimes a 10-20 € treatment. The rule: what the fish consume in two minutes, once a day, plus one fasting day per week. A pot of flakes lasting less than two months for 100 litres is the sign of a too-generous hand — or an overstocked tank, to be checked against our stocking calculation.
How can you save without feeding on the cheap?
Three avenues: buy medium pots rather than giant ones (flakes lose their vitamins 3 months after opening — the economy one-litre pot ends up degraded and binned), supplement with everyday vegetables, and hatch your own brine shrimp (starter kit 10 to 15 €, then a few euros of cysts per year). Avoid, on the other hand, bargain brands stuffed with meal fillers: they pollute more than they nourish.
Does the budget change by species?
Yes: a single betta costs 1 to 2 € per month, a shoal of small tetras 3 to 5 €, two adult goldfish 6 to 12 € (big appetite and specific granules), a tank of American cichlids 10 to 20 €. Plan the holiday solution too — block, automatic feeder or a briefed neighbour — detailed in going away for two weeks with peace of mind.
Frequently asked questions
Can fish eat the same thing every day?
They survive, but variety (2 to 3 alternating foods) improves colour, vitality and breeding for 2 to 3 € more per month.
Is expired food dangerous?
It mostly loses its vitamins and pollutes more. Beyond 3 to 4 months after opening, consider the pot finished, even half full.
How much does shrimp food cost?
Almost nothing: 1 to 3 € per month of specific tablets, supplemented by the tank’s algae and biofilm and a slice of blanched courgette.
See it in the Planète Pets shop: Programmable automatic aquarium fish feeder (€32.90) · the whole shop
This guide is part of Planète Pets’s Fishkeeping universe. Our advice is general in nature: for any health concern, your veterinarian remains the only reference.