Fish fasting day. The importance?

[kashif314]

I read in my other topic about "How many times do you feed your fish" and find out many of you don't feed ur fish one day a week. Need to know the significance of this and does this rule apply to all type of fish? Please reply. Thanks.

 

[Brookster123]

Usually fast on Saturday, give them a day to clear out.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[BBradbury]

I read in my other topic about "How many times do you feed your fish" and find out many of you don't feed ur fish one day a week. Need to know the significance of this and does this rule apply to all type of fish? Please reply. Thanks.

kas...

For my tanks, this is one of many small ways to keep the tank water as clean as possible. This allows the fish to do some of their own housekeeping. Besides, aquarium fish can easily go a couple of weeks without food, so a fasting day once a week isn't going to harm them and helps maintain a safe and steady water chemistry.

B

 

[Andy Sager]

This topic seems to be one of need vs not necessary opposed to correct or incorrect.
IMO, there is no need to fast your fish if they are fed a healthy diet and have good filtration on their tank and the tank maintenance keeps the water nice and clean. With a healthy diet, the fish will excrete what they eat on a normal basis.
The reasoning for fasting the fish generally falls into the failure of one of those 3 things. Again, IMO, if a fish needs to be fasted in order to excrete their contents, they are not being kept "properly." I don't purposely fast my fish and I have thousands of them. ( I'm a breeder, that's why so many. ) There's plenty of poo on the bottom of my tanks and in my filters so I know they are not backed up.

As for whether the fish can handle a fast day, yes they can. Just like we can go a day without eating, so can a healthy fish. We and they can both go even longer than just 1 day. So is it necessary? I'd have to say " It depends"..... on the other factors I mentioned before. But I wouldn't say it's a 100% necessity. I feed 3 times per day, every day and have the poo to prove it.

 

[kashif314]

Thanks a lot for your replies. But I don't have a dirty water problem. I feed my fish three times because I want them to be happy. Mine requires meat based diet as there main source so I give them two meat diets and one veggie diet for fiber. They poo a lot and always very healthy and swim very actively and not constipated of course. Always at feeding time they poo.

But I see as fasting maybe good for health? Like for humans too? To get rid of matters which usually don't while we are well fed?

 

[Andy Sager]

Thanks a lot for your replies. But I don't have a dirty water problem. I feed my fish three times because I want them to be happy. Mine requires meat based diet as there main source so I give them two meat diets and one veggie diet for fiber. They poo a lot and always very healthy and swim very actively and not constipated of course. Always at feeding time they poo.

But I see as fasting maybe good for health? Like for humans too? To get rid of matters which usually don't while we are well fed?

I guess it depends on the person. For me, no "intake" means no "output". Period! I don't keep much of anything inside.

 

[Mark_the_shark]

What types of fish do you have?

 

[kashif314]

What types of fish do you have?

3 Angels, 2 Ghost knives, 2 Archers, 1 dwarf pearl gourami and 1 Green Spotted Scat.

All are greedy eaters except for my Angelfish.

 

[Andy Sager]

I would tend to think that's because the Angels are the more timid fish in that combination. You have 2 types of fish that are brackish fish ( Archer and Scat) so they need to be more aggressive in their feeding out in the ocean so that is a built in nature. Knifefish use an electric charge to find food so they are going to have an advantage when feeding as well. I'd be more concerned about getting the Angels enough food so they can compete in the tank long term with the other fish.

Just an FYI

 

[Mark_the_shark]

I would tend to think that's because the Angels are the more timid fish in that combination. You have 2 types of fish that are brackish fish ( Archer and Scat) so they need to be more aggressive in their feeding out in the ocean so that is a built in nature. Knifefish use an electric charge to find food so they are going to have an advantage when feeding as well. I'd be more concerned about getting the Angels enough food so they can compete in the tank long term with the other fish.

Just an FYI

Would you reccomend a divider in this situation?

 

[Andy Sager]

Would you reccomend a divider in this situation?

Actually, I would recommend a more cohesive grouping of fish in the tank. Not everything that swims in the water can go together and the mix the OP has is questionable and more likely to have failure at some point in the future. (IME). A divider only makes the tank smaller and puts all the fish under more stress.

 

[crystalbettas]

i typically feed my fish once a day. Flakes and sinking pellets (for my catfish) every evening, along with frozen brine shrimp every other day (for my knifefish). of course the other fish jump on getting the brine shrimp too. i don't see the need in a fasting day, although it doesn't really hurt. My bettas typically eat every other day, although i sometimes feed them every night for a while. i think it's just up for opinion.

 

[Mark_the_shark]

i typically feed my fish once a day. Flakes and sinking pellets (for my catfish) every evening, along with frozen brine shrimp every other day (for my knifefish). of course the other fish jump on getting the brine shrimp too. i don't see the need in a fasting day, although it doesn't really hurt. My bettas typically eat every other day, although i sometimes feed them every night for a while. i think it's just up for opinion.

Maybe try to alternate the sinking pellets?Especially if your cory doesnt finish it all

 

[crystalbettas]

Maybe try to alternate the sinking pellets?Especially if your cory doesnt finish it all

my catfish is actually a decent sized african feather finned cat, about three inches, maybe four. i think he eats it all but i can't be sure. i don't typically see much left. i give less flake and pellet food on the nights i feed shrimp though. i try to gravel vac as often as i can, although sometimes that isn't for about two weeks. my ammonia and nitrate levels aren't too bad though! i've been giving less lately though, because i realized how much i was overfeeding all of my fish. my water was cloudy for a while because of it. since i stopped over feeding it's been much better.

 

[kashif314]

I would tend to think that's because the Angels are the more timid fish in that combination. You have 2 types of fish that are brackish fish ( Archer and Scat) so they need to be more aggressive in their feeding out in the ocean so that is a built in nature. Knifefish use an electric charge to find food so they are going to have an advantage when feeding as well. I'd be more concerned about getting the Angels enough food so they can compete in the tank long term with the other fish.

Just an FYI

Its vice versa. Scat and Archers are very peaceful and timid. Angels are aggressive towards them and specially at feeding time they become very aggressive. They get there fair share always.

What I mean was they are not crazy eaters like Archers or Scats. They love to eat and adore what I offer them but don't rush to food like my other fish.

Would you reccomend a divider in this situation?

Divider?

 

[Mark_the_shark]

my catfish is actually a decent sized african feather finned cat, about three inches, maybe four. i think he eats it all but i can't be sure. i don't typically see much left. i give less flake and pellet food on the nights i feed shrimp though. i try to gravel vac as often as i can, although sometimes that isn't for about two weeks. my ammonia and nitrate levels aren't too bad though! i've been giving less lately though, because i realized how much i was overfeeding all of my fish. my water was cloudy for a while because of it. since i stopped over feeding it's been much better.

I know how you feel. I worry about my fish and love feeding them. I have a serbai and panda cory for now. Will add more corys soon.

 

[Mark_the_shark]

Its vice versa. Scat and Archers are very peaceful and timid. Angels are aggressive towards them and specially at feeding time they become very aggressive. They get there fair share always.

What I mean was they are not crazy eaters like Archers or Scats. They love to eat and adore what I offer them but don't rush to food like my other fish.

Divider?

Oh I see the dividers they use for betta fish. I thought maybe it might work to seperate the aggresive and passive fish

 

[Andy Sager]

Its vice versa. Scat and Archers are very peaceful and timid. Angels are aggressive towards them and specially at feeding time they become very aggressive. They get there fair share always.

What I mean was they are not crazy eaters like Archers or Scats. They love to eat and adore what I offer them but don't rush to food like my other fish.

Divider?

I still stick with my comment. Those behaviors will most likely develop into more aggression down the road. Just keep an eye out for that.

 

[jimsz]

I feed once a day every other day and will skip a day once a week. I've always done that and never had any problems. I have an african dwarf frog which I feed with tweezers twice a week as the fish are eating.

 

[abw0004]

I feed once a day every other day and will skip a day once a week. I've always done that and never had any problems. I have an african dwarf frog which I feed with tweezers twice a week as the fish are eating.

If I read your comment right, you only feed 2 times a week? If you feed every other day, and skip one of those days feeding. That's not much food.