Overfeeding- truth or myth?

[lyquidphyre]

Ive always heard never feed your fish too much- which makes sense- you feed anything too much it gets sick.

I came home and several of my fish died. Now, Ive been having problems with my guppys dying and getting stuck in the filter (im not sure in what order either) but I came home and 3 of my rasboras died (which to me is odd because so many died in one night)

What im wondering is, my brat for a sister came to my apt to visit last nite and decided to feed my fish WAY too much- right after I fed them.

Is it possible they were over fed?

 

[Allivymar]

Enough to kill them? If you mean overeating, not likely, although overfeeding on a long term basis can cause early deaths. Overeating can cause constipation or swim bladder problems which can kill, but its not overnight.

However, overfeeding can cause problems with water parameters as the uneaten food rots in the tank, and high levels of ammonia and/or nitrites CAN kill them. If I remember, you don't have tests, so are unable to check the water parameters. As I suggested in the other post, do a water change tonite; at least 20% although more would be fine (just no more then 50%).

 

[lyquidphyre]

You mentioned food rotting at the bottom of my tank- this is the 2nd time my sister has over fed my fish (she did it a week and a half ago) and I was so mad because there were all these pieces at the bottom of my tank but the next day they were gone. Is it possible my ghost shrimp ate all that?

 

[Allivymar]

Possible; how many do you have?

Its also possible the food broke down quickly and is in the small spaces in the substrate (hence the water change - and I should mention a gravel vac; water changes with fresh, treated temp matched pH are alway a good thing!).

Heh, and its time to lock up the fish food. How old is your sis?

 

[lyquidphyre]

I have 7 ghost shrimp- three of which I believe have steriods hidden in one of the plants. (they are bigger than some of my smaller fish).

Between my cat and my sister I can't keep up with the fish food! She is 10 and she thinks she knows everything.

 

[Allivymar]

The shrimp likely ate some, but I doubt they at all the food. Do be sure to do a major gravel vac the next time you catch sis at the fish food; this way you can get some of that extra food out of the tank before it rots. And you have those mutant ghost shrimp too huh...so does Madame_X.

LOL be glad you're not me. My lil sister used to wait for me to catch the bus then steal my clothes LOL I could never figure out why all my favs clothes were always dirty when I never wore em!

 

[lyquidphyre]

haha, I have so many horror stories about my sis- the fish food is just the tip of the iceberg =o)

Ill be sure to do that- she is coming over tomorrow so Im going to hide the food *nod*

If I can, Ill try to post some pix of my ghost shrimp because they are so big the camera can focas on them (my smaller ones the camera can't see).

 

[LondonGman]

Also, even if the fishes DO eat the extra food given, there increase in “poo” can also affect the water conditions probably quicker than the rotting uneaten food.

If you know you sister is around maybe you should not feed them the day before ….

 

[Neuve]

I want ghost shrimp

 

[lyquidphyre]

*snickers* I could have a tank full of ghost shrimp and Id be happy =o)

 

[brendan]

lyquid,

How do you keep your Ghost Shrimp from being eaten or alive for longer then a week for that matter.

 

[lyquidphyre]

The fish that I have in here now don't mess with them. However, when I had them with my betta one commited suicide (jumped out of the bowl) the other was decapitated and the third buried himself under the gravel.

Regardless what the thing said- ghost shrimp are NOT tank mates with bettas =o)

Also, I have a 29 gal so maybe the space helps. I have seven and they have been going strong for a while now- three are bigger than some of my fish hehe. Ill try to post pix sometime

It just depends on the fish I guess.

 

[Kwenbee]

Now here's one I can answer!!!

Overfeeding, even just one day, can affect ammonia levels, I think, especially if the tank is fairly new. I know that I was just getting the ammonia and nitrite levels to start coming down (Thursday night, my ammonia level dropped for the FIRST TIME!). On Friday, I was gone Christmas shopping all day, and left my daughter and 8 year old nephew with my husband. I left EXPLICIT instructions for feeding the fish, but my husband and my brother-in-law didn't bother to read them and just let the kids feed the fish.

When I did my water test on Saturday morning, there was a definite ammonia spike. I did a gravel vacuum and HOLY COW was there a lot of food and gunk in the gravel (I had just gravel vacuumed on Thursday, so I know the extra was from the kiddies). Today, I the ammonia had gone back down, but I had a nitrite spike. I finally got all the gravel cleaned out today!

No fish lost, but I imagine it doesn't take long for decayed food to cause ammonia build up.

Yup...fish food to be moved yet again so only I can feed them!

 

[Allivymar]

LOL Time to lock up the fish food Kwenbee.

Just for future reference, fish won't starve if you don't feed em for a coupla days. Actually, they won't starve if you don't feed em for a week (although I wouldn't go longer). If the fambly is going to be doing the feeding, make daily feeding packets (those daily medication containers work great). Even if you want to let the kids feed em while your out, do a feeding packet.

 

[lyquidphyre]

Oh, you know how I mentioned my sister was coming Sat? Well, I put up the fish food because my fish were doing so much better. I come in my room and she has my net and is "catching fish." I was about to kick her *shakes head*

I think next time I'll just lock up my whole aquarium

 

[Allivymar]

Oi! She is obsessed with your fish isn't she??

I'm tempted to suggest buying her her own betta tank for Xmas/Chanukah, but I'm afraid for the fish LOL Think she'd actually be willing to learn how to take care of fish properly? It might give her her OWN obsession, and she'd leave your guys alone (although she'd prob tell you what you were doing wrong once she learned )

 

[lyquidphyre]

She just got a hampster named Butters and that is her new pet. I don't think with the living situation right now she would have a place to put a fish bowl (she has to put Butters' cage on the kitchen cabnent so the dog doesn't get it).

She does things with out thinking and to piss me off =o)
When I had my betta she never messed with it- maybe its because I have a big tank with lots of fish that is appealing.

Who knows!

Oh, and you are SO right about the telling me what im doing wrong part. She came over to help put up the Xmas tree (im having it at my apt this year) and Ive been putting up the tree since I was 7 all by myself and I have this system of doing things. And she comes over and is like "I got an idea how to do this" I was like "No, you have no idea because we are doing this my way" *snickers*

 

[lyquidphyre]

HAHAHA I didn't know the site automatically "beeped" things HAHAHAHA

 

[webmoose]

Does your sister have red hair? Braces? I think I saw her in a dentist office one time... (finding nemo)

 

[Allivymar]

Bwaaaahahaha good one webmoose!

<--- Dory