The short answer
Baby fish need tiny foods, fed little and often. The right food depends on how small the fry are: the smallest newborns need infusoria or liquid fry food, medium fry like guppies take powdered fry food and finely crushed flake, and most graduate onto baby brine shrimp — the gold-standard growth food — as they develop. Feed two or three small meals a day and keep the water clean.
Match the food to the mouth
Fry can only eat what fits their mouths, so scale up as they grow:
- Infusoria / liquid fry food — for the tiniest newborns, such as betta and many egg-layer fry. See how do I breed bettas.
- Powdered fry food and crushed flake — for larger fry like guppies right from birth. See how do I breed guppies.
- Baby brine shrimp — a superb, protein-rich live food most fry move onto within a week or two, driving fast growth and good colour.
Browse our best fish food picks, some of which suit fry once crushed.
Feed small, feed often
Fry have tiny stomachs and grow best on frequent, small meals — two or three a day, more for the smallest. Only feed what they clear in a few minutes, and remove the rest so it doesn’t foul the water.
As they grow
Once fry are bigger, gradually shift them to normal foods — crushed flake, then whole flake and small pellets. Keep the group thinned so no one is crowded, and keep meals varied for the best growth. For the wider routine see what do I do with baby fish and do I need a breeding tank, and browse aquariums for a grow-out tank.