Aqueon Tropical Flakes Review
Quick Overview
In Depth Overview
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Introduction
Amongst the cheap fish food flakes in the hobby today, Aqueon has emerged as one of the top-selling foods in the industry. The only competitors I can think of are Tetra, Omega One and maybe API. With all of the people who are probably buying this food daily, I figured it would be a good food to try for myself and add to my “Fish Food Review Master List“.
This Aqueon Tropical Flakes review is from my personal experience as an aquarium hobbyist, and my personal use of the product.
Do Fish Like the Food?
Most of my fish seem to enjoy the Aqueon tropical flakes at about the same level they enjoy other cheaper flake foods, perhaps with the exception of API’s flakes. The fish will eat it rather readily and tend to like it broken down into smaller pieces. I do notice some “mouthing” of the food where they eat it, then spit it out, and then eat it again. This could be because the flakes are too large or because they are not sure about the taste. Generally, with a lot of fish foods, you will find that it takes the fish a few days to get used to any new food you introduce.
Package Sizing and Pricing
This food is cheap. At least on Amazon, it’s one of the cheapest flake foods available. The 2.29oz container will only cost you about $4. That’s roughly $2 an ounce. Compared to one of its main competitors, the TetraMin flake foods, they are only a few cents more. I recently saw a deal on Amazon for the 7.12oz container that only cost $7.99. That’s a pretty good deal, even for cheap fish food.
It’s important to remember that you don’t want to buy a size that’s too large for your usage level. It can be tempting to buy the larger containers to save money, but you will want to use the food before it expires. Fish food can go bad just like human food.
Flake Overview
I found the flakes came in decent shape upon opening, were not all broken into little bits, and the container was actually full, unlike another competitor *cough* API Tropical Flakes *cough*. They came in a few different colors that are more natural than some other flakes. The flakes also were not too thick or thin. Overall, I am happy with the quality.
Ingredient Overview
As with pretty much all of the cheaper flake foods out there, Aqueon Tropical Flakes use industry standard ingredients. You will find fish meal as the first main protein source, followed by some other cheap proteins, binders, fillers and a variety of vitamins to balance out what may be missing. The one ingredient I did see that you won’t find in many of the other cheaper foods is spirulina. This has been found to be a great ingredient for freshwater fish, in limited amounts.
Where to Buy Aqueon Tropical Flakes
Aqueon branded foods are found practically everywhere you will commonly find fish foods. This includes both online retailers and local pet shops. If you keep an eye on online prices, you may be able to find a great deal as well.
My Final Thoughts
If you are looking for a cheap flake food for your tropical fish, then I would certainly consider Aqueon’s Tropical Flakes as an option. I personally appreciate the food for what it is and like to use it about as much as one of my other favorite cheap flakes, TetraMin Plus.
Certainly, foods with higher quality, more expensive ingredients, and fewer binders are good. They can help keep waste low in the aquarium and can be more useful for the fish. But the reality is that not everyone, including myself, can afford to be feeding the “expensive stuff” all of the time. This food can work just fine for keeping your fish alive and well.
Something to also note, is that just like humans shouldn’t always eat the same thing, fish can also benefit from a varied diet. Be open to having a few different types of food on hand for feeding. This can help the fish get all of the necessary nutrients that they need for a well-rounded and healthy diet.
Thanks for reading!
Click here to check out my current master list of fish food reviews and feel free to leave a review on your own experience with the food below.
If you believe this food is something you would like to try, feel free to use the link below to purchase some for yourself.