Feeding every other day?

[Nautilus]

I am afraid I overfeed my platies, because I try to leave enough food for cories and rainbows. The latter get less food because the majority of it is gobbled up by platies. As a result - my platies got obese, their bellies look bloated after feeding, they constipate sometimes and got lazy, resting in the "bushes" of plants for most of the day. They swim lively and are getting excited only at the feeding time.
I don't breed anybody, all my fish are mature females.
Can I feed every other day without starving the fish? I know that fish can survive for up to 5 days without food, but would it be healthy to "fast" them on the regular basis in order to "clear" their guts? Thanks for any suggestion.

 

[Guest]

Yeah, lots of people have had success feeding EOD. I feed 2x a day just a little each time, but thats just me.

 

[Big C]

I usually sprinkle some flakes or dehydrated blood worms that float for a long time and while the angel, rasboras, and gourami feast on the top, I trough some tinny shrimp pellets or other fast sinking pellets for the tetras, that feed in the middle, and the cories. I also learned to through a few algae wafers or frozen bloodworms a couple of hours after the lights are off for the gold nugget and the cories.

I feed them shelled peas and lima beans that sink and all of them have a go. Also I usually have cucumber or brocoli in a veggie clip for them to nibble any time they want.

But many people in the forum feed EOT. They say it keeps the tank cleaner and the fish healthier. I love to watch them eat so I feed every day most of the time.

I hope this helps.

 

[Meredith]

When it comes to piggy fish and making sure your poor little cories get enough to eat, feed the cories sinking wafers well after lights out. If you can have the room they are in fairly dark for like an hour before you drop in the wafers, hopefully your other fish will be sleeping.
Feeding every other day is fine. I also feed small bits twice a day, mainly because I am trying to get some proper nutrition into some new fish. Once I am sure they are healthy I will go back to evening feedings only.
You can also try splitting up the food and feeding on both sides of the tank. This way some of the less aggressive feeders will hopefully get a bit more food.

 

[dnaelting]

When I feed flakes for my Swords and Rainbows I put the food in the water so it is free floating in the tank. Everyone is able to get enough. I drop in bottom feeder pellets at the same time. No one gets too much and everyone has been able to eat. I watch and make sure all food is gone within about 30 seconds.

I do this twice a day. So far, so Good.

 

[megladonsharky]

i feed one big ( well in fish tems ) and one snack a day with a fast one day a week

 

[BillD]

i feed anywhere from 1 to 5 or 6 times a day (sometimes more). depends on the fish. if you want optimum growth from young fish, you have to feed them numerous times a day, as they have small stomachs. More food means more water changes, but that it is the price you pay. Right now, because I have a huge culture of daphnia goin on the winter cover of my swimming pool, most of my tanks have food in them 24/7. )That is only temporary, because my wife is making me open the pool.) Now that the poolcover is draining into a garbage can in the basement (which then over flows to the floor drain), I don't even have to go outside, I just scoop them out of the garbage can. Live food doesn't get any easier than this.

 

[talloulou]

I feed my fish 3-4 times a day. I might possibly be overfeeding but I clean the tank and do water changes once a week so that must make up for it. I feed alot cause my fish seem to be the most active and rambunctious when they get a variety of foods on a daily basis. So I do flakes in the morning, maybe some frozen bloodworms or brine shrimp in the afternoon, and at night maybe some krill and possible shrimp pellets or an algae wafer. On top of that I also throw crickets, and my favorite (worms after it has been rainy) in to the tank as well. My fish are happy little pigs!