Big bellies

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Adamzam15

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Sep 11, 2012
Messages
31
Location
NW London, UK
Hi,

Today I fed my fish their first frozen food and think I fed the way too much.

My neons and corys look fine but my male and two female platys have not got huge round bellies. No signs (yet) of protruding scales and they are still happily swimming as normal.

Am I right in thinking they've just eaten too much and to fast the whole tank for the weekend? Please could someone put my mind at rest?
 
Did you pop it in frozen or thaw it out first. Some fish don't digest frozen stuff well.
 
Feed them boiled deshelled garden peas at the next feeding time, you might want to crush them up a bit more if they are for small fish, then don't feed for a day or two.
 
Feed them the peas first, works like a natural laxative on fish, plus its very good them, once they are back in track feed them peas once or twice a week. Boil garden for 10mins, leave in pot for about 5 mins, remove shell - pinch between two fingers, if still a bit hard, squeeze them a bit and drop them in - have not seen a fish yet that does not love them.
 
Cool! Thank you I will go out first thing to get some peas! So you think that's what it is? Too much food stuffed in there?
 
It does sound like the gorged themselves and feeding peas as Borderlesscott said is the way to go. I feed cooked, deshelled peas usually 3x a week. All my fish love them but it does help to smush them up some for smaller fish. For 3 little fish you don't need very much frozen food at all. If you have cubes you may just need to chip some of it off to thaw next time you feed.
 
Woke up this morning and their bellies are back to normal size this morning! Unbelievable!

Should I still give them the peas?
 
Yes, frozen peas are fine! It's hard to find and shuck fresh peas : ). You can get organic frozen peas if you wish. I feed these once a week before a day of fasting.

Btw, my female betta has over ate when I tried shrimp in her tank. She went back to normal and the peas/fasting helps a great deal.
 
I usually fast them in tues. so if their bellies are down now should I give it still today or wait till the mon?
 
Feeding peas once or twice a week is a good thing. You will only need maybe 4 peas smushed up for the three platy's. I use frozen peas, canned peas are not good. I put the peas in a 3oz solo cup with some very hot tap water and nuke them for 15-30 seconds (depends on how many peas), take out, drain the water, de-shell them by either squeezing the peas out of the shell or poking a hole in the shell with a knife and squeezing the peas out. Then smash them up some with your finger, and feeding. Since they have never had peas before I'd put one smashed on in and see what they do first. Most fish just gobble them up. Then add a pea at a time until they get the hang of that being a food. All my fish with the exception of my threadfin rainbows love peas.
 
My tank has the three platys, nine neons, four cories and an ansistrus. How many peas do you reckon?

Thank you all for the great advice
 
Try 10 to start but feed only 1-2 at a time. You'll get the feel for how many you'll need after feeding them a couple times. The neons will most likely take the longest to try eating them. My rummy nose tetras didn't eat them at first but they sure do now. You just have to be patient.
 
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