A proper fish diet discussion

[Idealconcepts]

I feed food depending on the fish’s diet. I have Cichlids, Arowanas, catfish, Silver Dollars, Birchers, etc. I feed the following NLS, Hikari Gold, Hikari Excel, Hikari Food Sticks, freeze dried krill, freeze dried crickets, cucumbers, peas (the Black Arowana actually eats these), Ken’s Fish Food (earthworm sticks, veg sticks, cichlid pellets, algae wafers, catfish pellets, freeze dried earthworms, krill pellets), and market shrimp/scallops (these are shrimp or scallops you get at the grocery store, frozen, uncooked with the head removed, not the cooked cocktail shrimp). The ken’s fish is a good cost effective way to buy bulk amounts of food if you have large fish or a large amount of fish. I think you get a pound of Vegs stick for $8.50. If you have carnivores the market shrimp and scallops is a good way to get lots of protein to your fish, just cut them up to fit the size of the fish, the Arowanas take these whole, also I believe the carotene is good for brining out the red/orange in fish.

 

[Badger]

So...fish won't overeat? Mine gobble up everything I feed them right now. My dad feeds his 6 times a day sometimes, and they eat it all up. Most of our fish aren't fully grown though. He has always said fish won't overeat, Just looking for the verified truth.... Thanks for your help!

 

[Idealconcepts]

Fish can and will over eat. If your dad is feeding 6 times a day make sure he is feeding them small amounts. Typicall it is healthier for fish to have small meals multiple times a day, similar to when they graze in the wild or eat small meals. Depending on what kind of fish you have this can also help reduce agression with them.

 

[Badger]

Yeah, I feed mine small amounts to keep from fin nipping or something. He feeds them quite a bit of food, they gobble it all down. But then, he has a lot of fish...

 

[BrianNY]

Sorry to disagree Idealconcepts. Fish will not eat themselves to death. Think about it. Many breeders keep their conditioning and rearing tanks teaming with live daphnia and infusoria. The fish can eat til their hearts content. I sometimes overload my discus tanks with live blackworms. They will live for days and the discus pick and chose when they eat. Only do this if you have a barebottom tank!

 

[Idealconcepts]

I'm glad you disagree BrianNY, but i never stated fish would eat themselves to death. Just that fish can and will over eat (eat more than neccessary) if they are given the opportunity. From my undertanding with breeders, they are trying to obtain size for their fish so they can sell it, and usually the sooner they can get them to a particular size and sell the fish, the sooner they can move on to the next group of juvies, instead of spending money feeding the fish or time maintaing the tanks. I'm sure most breeders have a continous water changing system that is always bringing fresh water everyday into the tank, so their water quality is alway perfect. You are also refering to live food not prepared, frozen, or freeze dried food that I am sure a majority of people feed. Non-live food will begin to break down if not eaten, and increase the amount of bioload the filtration system must deal with. In most home aquariums (I have read and heard of a small population of people who have an continous/automatic water changing system in their home aquarium) people perform water changes with buckets or a python type equipment once or a few times a week, so the decaying food is affecting water quality. Live food that is not eaten in a tank is also adding to the reduction of water quality. With my knowledge of animals eating is an instinct, weather it is a fish, cat, bird, dog, lion, tiger, bear. For example if you allow a medium size adult dog to have unrestricted access to all the food it can eat through out the day it will eat as much as it can and eventually become over weight. This weight issue could possibly lead Hip Displyasia (SP?), Elbow Displyasia (SP?), blocked instestines, bloat, back problems, short life span, ect. I don't thinks this is any different with a fish, since fish have the same instinct to eat. Just my opinion.

 

[BrianNY]

I'm not going to argue the point since we're saying the same thing in different ways.