Thinking about an experiment - Aquarium Advice

Billsgate · 01-13-2005, 04:59 PM

Hi!

I'm thinking about doing a little experiment, but I want to see what you guys think about it before I start.
Here goes:
I want to try not to feed the fish in my 28.5 [acronym:67e3791242="Gallon"]gal[/acronym:67e3791242] for 2 weeks. I know, now you may think I'm crazy, but I believe it would work. I have allot of plants in there and I see my female keyhole cichlid eating them, as well as my honey gouramis, and my [acronym:67e3791242="Siamese Algae Eater"]SAE[/acronym:67e3791242] eat algae (haven't fed them algae wafers for 4 weeks and they still look very fat, as there are allot of diatoms since this is relatively new tank).
I wouldn't touch the tank at all for two weeks, except for the weekly water change. I have very fast growing stern plants, which grow 1-4 inches each week. I have about 35-40% of the bottom surface heavily planted.

What do I want to achieve by doing this? Just a test to see how my mini-eco-system is doing. And to see if that system can provide enough food for a low load of herbivores.

What do you guys think? Very unhealthy for my fish? Or worth a try? Will my fish lack necesairy nutrients?

BrianNY · 01-13-2005, 05:34 PM

Sorry Thomas. This is a BAD idea. In the first place your closed eco system is not self replenishing. Although this might not to too much harm to the [acronym:49c98269b0="Siamese Algae Eater"]SAE[/acronym:49c98269b0], the gourami and cichlid need some high protein in their diet. Most fish can go for quite a long time without eating. But 2 weeks is pushing it.

TankGirl · 01-13-2005, 05:39 PM

They might survive, but it will have a deleterious effect, I believe, on their health long-term. If some emergency happened and they had to go that long, that's one thing, but I, like Brian, don't think there is going to be anything for them to eat in the tank that you don't put in there, with the possible exception of the [acronym:df77c486ea="Siamese Algae Eater"]SAE[/acronym:df77c486ea].

Billsgate · 01-13-2005, 05:42 PM

They wouldn't go without eating. I've seen the gouramis and the keyhole eat the newest leaves on my Elodea (don't know what kind of Elodea it is, very fine leaves), and they have green poo because of this (before I had this plant there poo was brown-red from my flakes). Just to say that they will eat. Still a bad idea?

grimlock3000 · 01-13-2005, 05:46 PM

Right, except plants lack enough proteins.

Billsgate · 01-13-2005, 05:51 PM

But in nature my keyholes are mainly herbivores and my gouramis omnivores........so what do they eat in the wild to provide them with the necesairy proteins?

michealprater · 01-13-2005, 05:52 PM

Not trying to be smart here, but I am going to put this in perspective. Go ahead and do the experiement, but take it to the next level. You should live off of nothing but lettuce and water for two weeks. What ever this does to your body, that is what it is doing to your fish, make sense?

rubysoho · 01-13-2005, 05:53 PM

not true, plants have some forms of protein, whereas meat has all forms of protein. This is why humans *should* eat meat, and being a vegetarian is difficult because you need to find different sources of different kinds of protein (as explained to me by my friend who is majoring in biology and chemistry). However, your fish need more than the small amount from this type of plant you are talking about. Is there a need for this experiement? Will beneficial information come from it? These are a couple of questions needed to be answered before you being with your experiement in order to justify potentially harming animals. In your case, it sounds like it is just for the heck of it, so I vote no.

Billsgate · 01-13-2005, 05:55 PM

You got a point there michealprater

IF I would do this, I will keep a close eye on their health, and see if it affects their weight (body mass) (judging by sight, not going to weigh them :P ).

grimlock3000 · 01-13-2005, 05:56 PM

Quote:

In your case, it sounds like it is just for the heck of it, so I vote no.

x2

Quote:

IF I would do this, I will keep a close eye on their health, and see if it affects their weight (body mass) (judging by sight, not going to weigh them Razz ).

Once it affects their health enough for you to notice, they already have a problem.

01-13-2005, 04:59 PM	#1
Billsgate Aquarium Advice Addict Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Belgium Posts: 1,604 Images: 8	Thinking about an experiment Hi! I'm thinking about doing a little experiment, but I want to see what you guys think about it before I start. Here goes: I want to try not to feed the fish in my 28.5 [acronym:67e3791242="Gallon"]gal[/acronym:67e3791242] for 2 weeks. I know, now you may think I'm crazy, but I believe it would work. I have allot of plants in there and I see my female keyhole cichlid eating them, as well as my honey gouramis, and my [acronym:67e3791242="Siamese Algae Eater"]SAE[/acronym:67e3791242] eat algae (haven't fed them algae wafers for 4 weeks and they still look very fat, as there are allot of diatoms since this is relatively new tank). I wouldn't touch the tank at all for two weeks, except for the weekly water change. I have very fast growing stern plants, which grow 1-4 inches each week. I have about 35-40% of the bottom surface heavily planted. What do I want to achieve by doing this? Just a test to see how my mini-eco-system is doing. And to see if that system can provide enough food for a low load of herbivores. What do you guys think? Very unhealthy for my fish? Or worth a try? Will my fish lack necesairy nutrients?

01-13-2005, 05:39 PM	#3
TankGirl Aquarium Advice Addict Moderator Emeritus Join Date: May 2003 Location: Richmond VA Posts: 8,279 Images: 16	They might survive, but it will have a deleterious effect, I believe, on their health long-term. If some emergency happened and they had to go that long, that's one thing, but I, like Brian, don't think there is going to be anything for them to eat in the tank that you don't put in there, with the possible exception of the [acronym:df77c486ea="Siamese Algae Eater"]SAE[/acronym:df77c486ea]. __________________ TG Central Virginians click here and join the Regional Forum! View My Gallery Here

01-13-2005, 05:46 PM	#5
grimlock3000 Aquarium Advice Addict Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: maine Posts: 1,971 Images: 1	Right, except plants lack enough proteins. __________________ 26 freshwater 2x Sunburst Platys (2M, 2F) // 3x Neon Tetras (?) // 2x Cherry Barbs (1M, 1F) // 2x YoYo Loaches (?) // 1x Bushy Nose Pleco (M) // 1x Clown Pleco (?) // 15H marine -30# Live Rock -Mixed Snails (Nassarius // Cerith // Astrea // Black Turbo // Mexican Turbo) -8x Blue Leg Hermit Crabs // 1x Banded Serpent Star // 1x Cleaner Shrimp -1x Royal Gramma // 1x Percula Clownfish -2x Mushroom Leather // Metallic Green Star Polyps // Pulsing Xenia // Striped Xenia // Blue Mushroom -Remora + Maxi-Jet 1200 // 2x Maxi-Jet 600 // Maxi-Jet 400 // Visi-Therm Deluxe 50 // Current USA Orbit 2x 40w [acronym:f2db8017b4="Power compact fluorescent"]PC[/acronym:f2db8017b4]

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01-13-2005, 05:34 PM	#2
BrianNY Aquarium Advice Addict Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: NY Posts: 4,259 Images: 18	Sorry Thomas. This is a BAD idea. In the first place your closed eco system is not self replenishing. Although this might not to too much harm to the [acronym:49c98269b0="Siamese Algae Eater"]SAE[/acronym:49c98269b0], the gourami and cichlid need some high protein in their diet. Most fish can go for quite a long time without eating. But 2 weeks is pushing it.

01-13-2005, 05:42 PM	#4
Billsgate Aquarium Advice Addict Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Belgium Posts: 1,604 Images: 8	They wouldn't go without eating. I've seen the gouramis and the keyhole eat the newest leaves on my Elodea (don't know what kind of Elodea it is, very fine leaves), and they have green poo because of this (before I had this plant there poo was brown-red from my flakes). Just to say that they will eat. Still a bad idea?

01-13-2005, 05:51 PM	#6
Billsgate Aquarium Advice Addict Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Belgium Posts: 1,604 Images: 8	But in nature my keyholes are mainly herbivores and my gouramis omnivores........so what do they eat in the wild to provide them with the necesairy proteins?

01-13-2005, 05:52 PM	#7
michealprater Aquarium Advice Addict Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Highland , IL Posts: 2,029 Images: 1	Not trying to be smart here, but I am going to put this in perspective. Go ahead and do the experiement, but take it to the next level. You should live off of nothing but lettuce and water for two weeks. What ever this does to your body, that is what it is doing to your fish, make sense?

01-13-2005, 05:53 PM	#8
rubysoho Aquarium Advice Addict Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Northern VA Posts: 2,539 Images: 3	not true, plants have some forms of protein, whereas meat has all forms of protein. This is why humans should eat meat, and being a vegetarian is difficult because you need to find different sources of different kinds of protein (as explained to me by my friend who is majoring in biology and chemistry). However, your fish need more than the small amount from this type of plant you are talking about. Is there a need for this experiement? Will beneficial information come from it? These are a couple of questions needed to be answered before you being with your experiement in order to justify potentially harming animals. In your case, it sounds like it is just for the heck of it, so I vote no.

01-13-2005, 05:55 PM	#9
Billsgate Aquarium Advice Addict Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Belgium Posts: 1,604 Images: 8	You got a point there michealprater IF I would do this, I will keep a close eye on their health, and see if it affects their weight (body mass) (judging by sight, not going to weigh them :P ).