Proper Feeding of Fish

[5x5]

I'm really struggling to understand how much and often to feed my fish. The food labels tell you to feed them 3 times a day, the LFS says 3 times a week and I see varied advice about "all the food they can each in x minutes).

I'm also not sure how to know when I have fed them enough. There is never any leftover food and they always look hungry. I feel I might be slightly overfeeding them, but then again, they are always digging in the gravel looking for food.

Any advice would be appreciated.

If this helps, I have:
Convict (2 Inch)
Green Terror (2.5 Inch)
Cherry Barbs (5)
Cory (3)

 

[jcolon]

I'm really struggling to understand how much and often to feed my fish. The food labels tell you to feed them 3 times a day, the LFS says 3 times a week and I see varied advice about "all the food they can each in x minutes).

I'm also not sure how to know when I have fed them enough. There is never any leftover food and they always look hungry. I feel I might be slightly overfeeding them, but then again, they are always digging in the gravel looking for food.

Any advice would be appreciated.

If this helps, I have:
Convict (2 Inch)
Green Terror (2.5 Inch)
Cherry Barbs (5)
Cory (3)

Yeah ... feeding is almost a personal preference it seems. I can't speak for cichlids ... but I feed mine twice a day approx. 11-12hrs .. and an amount that they can finish in about 2 minutes. Barbs are voracious eaters and will always look hungry like they want more and will dig around the gravel.

I'm sure you'll get sound advice from other members ... particularly those wit cichlids ... but you'll come to your routine eventually.

 

[Hubert90]

I'm really struggling to understand how much and often to feed my fish. The food labels tell you to feed them 3 times a day, the LFS says 3 times a week and I see varied advice about "all the food they can each in x minutes).

I'm also not sure how to know when I have fed them enough. There is never any leftover food and they always look hungry. I feel I might be slightly overfeeding them, but then again, they are always digging in the gravel looking for food.

Any advice would be appreciated.

If this helps, I have:
Convict (2 Inch)
Green Terror (2.5 Inch)
Cherry Barbs (5)
Cory (3)

I feed mine one a day 6 times a week with one day of fasting! And I normally feed a few pellets each! E.g. Goldfish 10pellets/fish, Betta 4 pellets! Haha works well for me! No bloatin, or SBD!

 

[Mr. Limpet]

I feed once a day with a random day of fasting. Your Cichlids sound like my Black Moors and act like they're on the verge of starvation, eat like it's their last meal and booking (foraging in gravel) non-stop. Not sure if you have plants or if your fish eat any (Goldies love Anacharis), but I keep some in my tank for them to enjoy between bouts of utter starvation lol.

In the wild, fish eat when they can because they don't know when the next meal will be coming. I don't think that instinct can be bred out (even in Goldfish).

 

[Hubert90]

I feed once a day with a random day of fasting. Your Cichlids sound like my Black Moors and act like they're on the verge of starvation, eat like it's their last meal and booking (foraging in gravel) non-stop. Not sure if you have plants or if your fish eat any (Goldies love Anacharis), but I keep some in my tank for them to enjoy between bouts of utter starvation lol.

In the wild, fish eat when they can because they don't know when the next meal will be coming. I don't think that instinct can be bred out (even in Goldfish).

Oo random day? Oo ok that's interesting.

 

[jcolon]

I feed once a day with a random day of fasting. Your Cichlids sound like my Black Moors and act like they're on the verge of starvation, eat like it's their last meal and booking (foraging in gravel) non-stop.

Hey Mr. Limpet ... sure your not talking about my Barbs? I have them trained like pavlov's dogs. In the AM, the instant they see me ... they ALL ... not joking either ... and yes the RTS included ... rush to the middle upper front glass! The flakes, BW, B-shrimp (evening meals) barely have time to make a splash before it's gone

After reading your piece on fasting for a day ... I think I may start to do that. Skip a evening and next morning feeding.

 

[5x5]

Is the day of fasting important?

 

[Hubert90]

Is the day of fasting important?

Yes IMO, it allows ur fish digestive system to clear itself out and rest!

 

[HUKIT]

IMO there's no reason to feed fish everyday with the exception of fry, helps keep water chemistry better as well. I feed every other day for around 90 seconds for most species, some take a little longer due to aggressive behavior.

 

[5x5]

When you say 90 seconds. You mean that you put in enough food so that it is completely gone in about 90 seconds?

Any concerns that the shy fish or nocturnal fish will not get any?

 

[HUKIT]

When you say 90 seconds. You mean that you put in enough food so that it is completely gone in about 90 seconds?

Any concerns that the shy fish or nocturnal fish will not get any?

I will continually feed for 90 seconds making sure none hits the substrate. Bottom feeders are fed after the tank goes dark, as far as shy fish I don't really own any of those, they're not allowed in the house.

 

[huma-huma]

I feed mine 2x a day. but its more like a single meal split into 2 feedings..my barbs tear up the food about 3x faster than my methodical angels do...I've never tried the random day of fasting but imma start now..my angels and barbs are getting slightly bloated.