Frequency of feeding? (ropefish specifically)

[plah831]

feeding a fish every 2-3 days is not cruel, especially if it's a carnivore. It makes tank maintenance MUCH easier. That's why during a fishy cycle, it's recommended to feed only once every third day.

Carnivores in nature might only eat twice a month (of course these are large guys like white sharks)! Smaller ones like ropefish and bichirs may eat once a week on average. Being ectothermic, meaning they don't have to produce body heat, saves them a LOT of metabolic energy. So feeding once every 2-3 days is still being wel-fed.

 

[hc8719]

then in just the same presepctive, feeding once or more a day cant be bad either

 

[NecrochildK]

of course a fish can live on a wacky feeding schedule, duh

im just saying its better to keep them fed daily

even a human can live a month without eating, its not healthy at all, but you can live through it

x_x I can attest to that first hand. A day or two isn't a month though, I'm no expert, but I have heard before that it's good to skip a day every once in a while in feeding fish. I suppose it would depend on what you have.

 

[Sploke]

I also know that with reptiles such as turtles, feeding them every day can actually shorten the life of the animal. By regulating diet, you can increase an animal's life span from ~10 years to closer to 25-30 years. There is a difference between starving and sparse feedings. It keeps the tank cleaner, thereby resulting in cleaner life for the animal. It also slows the buildup of toxins in the body that accumulate over the lifespan. Sure, your fish may be fat and happy, but if you could double the life span of your pet, would you feed it slightly less?

 

[cohazard]

of course a fish can live on a wacky feeding schedule, duh

im just saying its better to keep them fed daily

even a human can live a month without eating, its not healthy at all, but you can live through it

You didn't get my point... I wasn't trying to convey the idea that fish can live with a spaced out feeding program, it's that it's not a harmful thing (dependant on the species).

then in just the same presepctive, feeding once or more a day cant be bad either

True for some types of fish, such as tetras which should be provided multiple small meals a day. But carnivore/predators such as the bichirs I keep, if I were to feed them every day, they would bulk up fast and get fat believe it or not lol.

I hope you don't take my posts as arguing with you, I'm just trying to show you that it's dangerous to generalize with advice in this hobby.

 

[CCSR]

I also know that with reptiles such as turtles, feeding them every day can actually shorten the life of the animal.

Not that you're wrong, however I've had turtles all my life, we feed them everyday (they're now at my grandparents since they can roam outside and the weather is always warm -- they're land turtles), and the oldest one is now 27 years old, the youngest about 24 years old, and they're as healthy as they can be... (and keep getting bigger)

 

[Sploke]

Sorry, I should have specified aquatic turtles. They are more susceptible to issues such as pyramiding because they generally get a much higher protein diet than most tortoises, who (to my knowledge, anyway) are mostly herbivorous. It's more an issue of overfeeding on a daily basis. Feeding 3 or 4 pellets a day is fine, but problems start to arise when you follow the feeding can, "as much as the animal can eat in 15 minutes, 1-3 times daily".

 

[Fishfreak88]

I feed my 10" ropefish (Houdini) once every other day, 2 good sized mealworms per feeding. I love watching him come out and zero in on the food. I turn the tank lights off, and after about an hour of them being off, drop in the mealies, and watch him go to work. Now if I could only keep him from swimming up into my filter.... :help:

There is a filter guard you can buy that will stop them from being able to get in there I have one and my ropefish just swim past

 

[Nuyorican333]

I purchased my rope fish last week and put in 10 feeder guppies. I'm down to 8, and he only eats at night.