The structural differentiation of the aquarium feed market is intensifying, and the profit space of high-end functional products continues to expand

In 2026, the domestic aquarium feed market will show a clear polarization pattern, with low-priced universal feed relying on low-priced volume to account for more than 70% of sales, but the overall revenue contribution is less than 30%, and the profit per package is meager; Mid to high end functional feed priced over 50 yuan accounts for less than 8% of sales, but contributes over 20% of sales. Its product premium ability is more than three times that of low-end products, and the trend of consumer upgrading continues to reshape the industry's profit structure. Market research data shows that young aquarium enthusiasts born in the 1990s and 2000s have become the core consumer group, shifting their feeding concept from "simple feeding" to scientific and refined maintenance. They are willing to pay higher prices for functional products such as dragon fish hair color special food, turtle full price food grade feed, probiotic slow-release granules, and grain free and hypoallergenic observation fish food. Their attention to raw material ingredients, production processes, brand traceability, and testing reports has greatly increased.
The competition in the low-end market has fallen into price competition, and a large number of low-priced products on online platforms rely on compressing raw material costs to seize the market. Some products have fish meal content less than half of the standard, and the water disperses quickly, which easily causes water pollution. Long term feeding has led to a decrease in the immune system of ornamental organisms, and the number of complaints about related products has been increasing year by year. The regulatory authorities' sampling of unqualified products is also mostly concentrated in the low-priced range. In contrast, high-end track enterprises focus on deepening formula research and development, adding high-quality raw materials such as Antarctic krill powder, spirulina, hydrolyzed fresh meat, compound vitamins, prebiotics, etc., using twin-screw low-temperature puffing technology to reduce nutrient loss, and supporting complete quality inspection reports and batch traceability source code. The pricing is stable both online and offline channels, and the repurchase rate far exceeds that of low-end products. The changes on the channel side are also significant, with offline professional aquarium stores actively reducing the display area of low-priced feed and promoting high-end functional products; Overseas buyers on cross-border e-commerce platforms prioritize purchasing high-end aquarium feed with transparent formulas and international safety certifications. The profits from overseas orders are much higher than those from low-priced high-volume products in China. Industry analysts predict that in the next five years, market resources will continue to tilt towards the high-end track. Enterprises that continue to invest in research and development, strictly control raw material quality, and layout functional sub categories will continue to expand their market share. Workshop style production capacity that relies solely on low price competition will gradually be cleared, and the overall profitability of the industry will steadily recover.