Live-bearing tooth carps (Poecilidae): guppies, black mollies, platies, Yucatan mollies, gambusias, green swordtails and some others belong to the group of live-bearing tooth carps. They all have in common that they give birth to live young and do not lay eggs like most other fish species. In the wild, live-bearing tooth carps eat insects, insect larvae, algae and anything else that can be eaten - they are not choosy. Depending on the habitat, the algae with the small animals living in them often form the largest part of their food spectrum.

Flakes or granulate?

To be honest, it’s absolutely a matter of opinion! There are only a few arguments for or against the type of food. If you use an automatic feeder like the JBL AutoFood, you MUST choose granulated food, as almost all automatic feeders are only suitable for granulates. If you’re planning to use an automatic feeder for your next holiday, get your fish used to the granulated food from the automatic feeder IN GOOD TIME. Some fish actually find it a little difficult to switch from granulate to flake or vice versa. Imagine you have always eaten soft cornflakes and now you’re given wholemeal muesli for the first time.

Probiotic or prebiotic?

Probiotic foods, such as some types of yoghurt, contain live bacterial cultures to promote health, but only when consumed in large quantities. Such foods, including probiotic fish food, can easily spoil and then have the opposite effect. The positive effect on health is, by the way, quite controversial. Prebiotics are "substrates that are selectively used by host microorganisms and confer health benefits." Scientists are agreed on this that they promote digestion and thus health. With better digestion, less is excreted and the water is thus less polluted, keeping it cleaner and causing fewer algae problems.

FAQs

FAQs

My new can of unopened fish food that is slightly past the best before date. Should I throw it out?

A few vitamins may be less present after the best before date, but you can still safely use the food for another two months or so. We recommend feeding within the expiry date to ensure maximum freshness and nutritional value.

Why aren’t my fish eating pellets as intently as the flakes I used to feed them?

You can expect to wait a few days to a couple of weeks until some fish consume pellets with the same vigor as they did when fed flakes. Like most animals, a change in food format may require an adjustment period.

My fish seem to be hungry shortly after feeding them. Should I add more food?

No. Feed active species a little less per meal and add feeding periods throughout the day – 3 meals a day is recommended. Additionally, observe the stomachs of your fish – slightly curved bellies are ideal.

My young child ate your fish food. Is this dangerous?

Fish foods are not meant for human consumption. Allergic reactions to various ingredients are a potential risk for any food, human-grade or not. While they are generally safe, we strongly recommend storing your fish food out of the reach of any young children and contacting your local health professional for further guidance.

I just opened my container of fish food. For best value to my fish, how long is it good for?

For optimal nutritional value, a container of fish food should be consumed by your fish within a period of 6 months. During this time, it is best to keep it in a cool, dry location.

Why do you recommend feeding fish without using your fingers?

Using the bottle cap method to feed fish will help control portions and prevent overfeeding. Your fingers should not come into contact with the food, as they can potentially contaminate it with the bacteria, oils, creams, etc. often found on our hands.

What are the advantages of feeding sticks / pellets / granules / micro granules to my fish?

Sticks do not disintegrate rapidly and as such do not pollute the aquarium. They can be broken into smaller pieces and offered to small and large fish alike. The sinking formulations are ideal for bottom feeding and nocturnal species, whereas the floating formulations are ideal for ambush predators.

Pellets, granules and micro granules are available in floating, slow sinking, and sinking formulations, and as such are suitable for a wide variety of feeding habits. They possess high nutritional densities as a result of the extrusion process, and as such are ideal for fish with high metabolisms. Additionally, they are most compatible with automatic feeders.

What foods can I feed my betta?

it is beneficial to vary your betta’s diet with frozen shrimp, glass worms, and bloodworms, as well as colour-enhancing formulas. Fluval Color Enhancing formulas include 25% krill, an excellent palatability enhancer that also dramatically improves fish colours.

Why is spirulina beneficial to the skin, scales and fins of fish?

Spirulina provides a rich source of mucoproteins which enhance a fish’s protective mucous layer, which benefits their skin, scales and fins. Furthermore, this can help prevent disease and gives the fish a glossier, healthier appearance.

Payment Methods

We accept all major Credit and Debit cards, and these are processed via a third party payment gateway called Opayo.

We also accept payments via PayPal, PayPal credit, Clearpay and Klarna which are both pay in 4 interest-free instalments.

Also, you can pay using Android and Apple Pay if you are using a compatible device.

Your payment information is processed securely. We do not store credit card details nor have access to your credit card information.

Security

When speaking to one of our team, we will never ask you for your bank details, passwords or any private information. We will only ever ask for your order number followed by either your postcode, email address or phone number to verify we are talking to the person named on the account.

When creating an account on our website, we ask that you use a unique password, this will help keep all your online accounts safe. If you are visiting our website via a smartphone we suggest you use the strong password and store it securely on your phone.

Our website is run on Visual Soft, which means all your data is stored securely on their servers.

Next Day Shipping Upgrade - Cut off is at 4:00 pm

Orders after that time will be processed the next working day

Please Note: We only deliver ponds and pond plants on our own delivery vehicles!

The blue highlighted area on the map below is where we deliver on our own vehicle! Unfortunately, if you are not in one of these postcode zones we are unable to deliver certain items such as plants, small glass items and selective other products.

We offer a few different delivery options depending on the size and value of your order.

Orders over £50 qualify for free mainland UK (excludes Northern Ireland) delivery which will arrive within 3-5 working days of the order being processed.

Residents of Northern Ireland, please provide your EORI or XI Number.

If you do not have one, please follow the information at https://www.gov.uk/eori

Orders Below £50 in Mainland UK will be charged a standard delivery fee of £5.99.

Additional Shipping Charges

For any orders that do not include Aquariums, the below is charged:

Next Working Day Parcel Delivery to Mainland UK - £7.99 OR £2.99 if the order is over £50

Standard Parcel Delivery to Northern Ireland £8.99

Standard Parcel Delivery to Scottish Highlands & Islands £9.99

Standard Parcel Delivery to Jersey & Guernsey £12.99

For all Aquarium deliveries (Excluding biOrbs & Smaller Aquariums), the below is charged:

Next Working Day Pallet Delivery - £20

2 Hour Booking Slot Pallet Delivery - £20

Pallet Delivery to Northern Ireland - £45

Pallet Delivery to Isle of Wight (PO36 and Above) and Scottish Highlands (AB, PH, IV1-36, IV, KW1-14, KY, PA21-41) - £45

Pallet Delivery to the Scottish Isles (KA27-28, PA60-90, ZE, JE, GY, IM, IV40-56, KW15-17, PH42-44, PA20, PA42-49) - £120

Pallet Delivery to Outer Hebrides (HS) - £140

JBL PRONOVO GUPPY FLAKES S 250ml

Flakes or granulate?

Probiotic or prebiotic?