A lesson in underfeeding

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brackishwannbe

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Dec 17, 2002
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I have a 29G freshwater community tank full of fish that I used to feed twice a day. When I would test the water, the nitrites was 0.0, but was slighty cloudy....

...here is the lesson. I was gone for ten days over christmas and left my nieghbor to feed the fish with instructions to feed once a day. When I returned, the water in the tank was so clear I could not believe it. So I tested the water and all tests was 0.0 and not cloudy. The pH had raisen slighty (time for a water change). I'm now a firm believer in feeding my fish once a day. The tank is clean and looks wonderful. I also stopped worrying that I was not feeding my fish enough food.
 
Might want to set aside one day a week and not feed them at all. Sort of a 'fasting' thing. They won't starve.
 
Fry eat daily. Most adult fish do NOT eat a meal every day. It's a good lesson to learn. Also, fish can eat one HUGE meal, not eat again for days...Or they can eat again minutes later. People will say they feed so much because the fish are 'hungry'...Yeah, right!

Glad your tank will benefit!
 
Hey!a positive note! a great reversal of the usual sad "helpful neighbor" tale!

shmee, a good way to make sure less-competitive bottom feeders get their share is to give plenty of flake food-- every other day. When there is food, there's too much for greedy barbs to get it all. But the total feed given isn't more, if you get my drift.

(There's usually some veggie to nibble in my tanks, but I even give that a rest once a week, for algae-eaters to remember why they were hired...)
 
I agree with Wetman--I don't feed lightly when I feed, I just don't feed every day. I go through and dump a cup of broccoli stems in, and don't feed other greens until those are gone. I still feed blood worms and flakes every other day, because I know the neons, eel, blue tetras, and dwarf puffers won't eat the greens (though the greens bring out the snails in droves, so the puffers don't go hungry!).

To me, skipping a day is along the same lines as feeding a wide variety--the goal is to provide good nutrition and good water.
 
for the bottom feeders..

I give a half or whole algae disc everyday with the regular feeding which the cories devour. I do have a couple of dozen swordtail fry that I feed several times a day. There Pineapple Wag Swordtails, but some of the colors are off the wall. Can't wait until they bigger. My female Sword & Sailfin are ready to have 'pups' again, I'm running out of tanks.! Guess thats means another trip to LFS. :D
 
wouldn't giving them lots of food every other day lead to uneaten food? i feed the once in the morning (flakes) and once at night (sinking stuff & pellets). i have them fast the day of a water change. distriubting the food across the entire surface seems to get everyone fed. now that i think on it, fish do have a long digestion period (16 or so hours isn't it?) so feeding once a day makes sense. would a nocturnal spieces change that though?
 
Feeding lots doesn't equal feeding too much. I don't feed anymore per week than a daily feeder would feed, in fact I feed less. Any food that isn't eaten fairly quickly (other than veggies) indicates over feeding, IMO.

Fish digest differently depending on species, diet, temperature, ect. A big catfish digests more slowly than a danio. Higher temps = faster metabolisms = faster digesting. Meat vrs veggie is different as well.

I don't think there really is one standard that will work for everyone with all fish. I do know it's way easier to overfeed than to underfeed, and that none of my fish are skinny and my water quality is stable and good. As with so much experience sharing, it's up to the individual to see what works for their tank and their comfort level.
 
I guess I am quite the opposite to what some of you guys do. I feed my fish a few times or even more per day, what they will eat in a few minutes. This is because in the wild, fish constantly browse and nibble throughout the day, which is why I believe manufacturers say several feeds in small amounts. I don't think it is natural behaviour for a fish to have one large meal and then fast.

As for overfeeding, if you have a school of clown loaches and corys in a community then nothing goes to waste! And with my big cichlids I know exactly how many Hikari pellets or mealworms each can eat. I think once you start observing feeding behaviour, then you shouldn't have any problems with leftover food causing water problems.
 
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