Argh. Helpful 4 year old dumps too much flake food!

[EricMack]

It's kinda funny, those of you with kids will laugh. This a.m. my daughter, who loves the fish and always wants to help feed them, got Dad to let her do it on her own. Fwoosh! There goes maybe twenty days worth of flake food into the tank! I madly scrambled for the net, and got I'd guess maybe half of it out. So, we gave the fish about 10-14 days worth of food all at once. It was like snow on the gravel directly below. When we got home, the fish are burping, and no more pile.

Any advice on what to do now, if anything? I assume I should not feed them for at least a few days, the little gluttons! But do I need to maybe bump up the weekly water change a few days, or anything else?

Any advice appreciated.

 

[Pufferpunk]

I would do at least a 50-80% water change, cleaning the gravel.

 

[mitche8359]

My advice: I taught my 3 year old to measure the right amount out in one of his hands and then dump it into the tank. That way if he gets too much, he can return the rest to the fish food container. It's worked so far, but dad watches him closely.

 

[dud]

I'm more worried of my baby girl *EATING* fishfood herself than her overfeeding the fish.

 

[RogerMcAllen]

Fishfood is fine, it doesn't taste half bad either.

 

[Fishalicious]

I would do at least a 50-80% water change, cleaning the gravel.

I think 80% might be a littttle too much.
I'd try 35-40% tops.

But thats just my opinion 8O

-Dan

 

[Melody]

Fishfood is fine, it doesn't taste half bad either.

!!!!!!!
Im not sure I want to know how one may know this.....
8O

 

[mitche8359]

Fishfood is fine, it doesn't taste half bad either.

How's it compare with dog treats?

 

[EricMack]

Thanks everyone! Gravel vacced with a 25% H2O change. All seems well.

Pretty tasty, Too!!

Tom, I see you are in C-Bus! Me too. Go Bucks!!

 

[mitche8359]

Hey Eric... join the Ohio section if you already haven't....

What kind of tank set up do you have?

 

[Menagerie]

I don't know what kind of fish you have, but you might want their next meal to be blanched peas to help with any digestive problems they may encounter

 

[Fishalicious]

Fishfood is fine, it doesn't taste half bad either.

How's it compare with dog treats?

Dog treats aren't too bad but I can't even stand the smell of fish food. Reminds me of vomit or something on that calibur.

 

[EricMack]

Tom, just joined this a.m. after seeing it under your name, thanks!

Don't laugh, setup is a 42 gallon Hex we were given by a neighbor. We have 2F gold gouramis, a M blue gourami, a black F molly who just had four little ones, doing well (3 light ones and one black one) a shrimp, an african frog, and our lovable weather loach. A nice community tank for the kids (and me).

I used to have a 55G salt setup years ago, but moved around too much. Just now getting back into it. A lot has changed...

Just upgraded the lights in the hex to a USA Current 80W fixture, so the plants have some hope of making it. Lots of Malaysian driftwood, still giving off tannins, darn it.

How 'bout you?

 

[mitche8359]

Hey Eric - my tank is pretty much as it's listed in my sig line. I have some drift wood in there trying to do the South American theme, but I like anubias which are definitely not SA. Salt water is nice, never had a SW tank though. Don't really want one due to the RE (required effort). Plus the cost of fish!

 

[TankGirl]

I second the pea idea! I would also not feed them for several days.

I have twins that are almost 4 and I decided to make it a policy that Mom is the ONLY one who is allowed to feed the fish. Even if they know how much to feed, they think the fish are always hungry and will find a way to feed them when I am helping one of the other kids.

 

[EricMack]

Hey TankGirl!

Thanks for the advice on the lights. Took some doing, and a funky piece of glass cut at Lowes, but the 20" Current USA Satellite 80W fixture is working out great. I can almost feel the plants relief!

Peas? What's next, caviar?