Feeding Fish Multiple Times Per Day?

[Sir Alex]

I've seen a few fish such as the chomises that on liveaquaria it says they should be fed at least 2 times per day. I just looked at the blue spot jawfish and it says you should feed it at least 3 times per day??? :confused:

Don't most people feed once a day or less?

 

[Rufio808]

I'd say you could feed multiple times during the day just make sure they're small portions. I know Nemo feed his tank multiple times during the day, but he has triggers and some heavy eating fish.

 

[Reef Nutz]

2 times per say is fine ast stated by Rufio. Small portions.

 

[Sir Alex]

But is it required?

 

[Lizardgi]

I'm not sure if it's required, but a few small meals per day is probably much closer to the natural feeding habits of fish - which typically would be to graze all day and eat when they can. I feed mine twice a day, I usually thaw a bit of mysis shrimp and squirt some in the tank and then squirt what is left about 4 hours later.

 

[parrotchute]

Tangs, for instance, constantly graze - by not feeding them often, it contributes to a feeding frenzy behavior and potential aggression. Plus, it's just not natural to their metabolism and the added stress can weaken their immune systems.

What I think helps is to get an automatic feeder. You can feed flake/pellet food a few times during the day automatically, and then give them their "main" meal, maybe frozen mysis/bloodworms etc.

Additionally, having a refugium can really help! Pods are prime foods for "finding" during the day. Also, you can take some macroalgae from the fuge and put it in the tank, wedged into rocks, for them to find and eat!

 

[Sir Alex]

How often should I feed algae sheets?

Aren't pellet and flake foods bad for the phosphates and nitrates. I get free instant ocean stuff with my salt and it has awful ingredients in it (preservatives, chemicals, etc.).

I don't mind feeding twice a day. It's a good excuse to prevent me from doing my school work. :D

 

[Bifferwine]

You don't need to feed that often in an established tank. There will be natural food sources for the fish to eat. In a new tank, it's better to feed more frequently, because there's nothing else in there for the fish to eat. I feed my tank every other day. Yote fed his once a month. I would feed a new tank once or twice a day.

 

[Sir Alex]

Yote fed his once a month.

:shock::shock::shock::shock::shock::shock::shock:

He must have a lot of natural food...

 

[Reef Nutz]

Yea. What the heck did he have in the tank for fish then??

 

[Bifferwine]

He had many fish. I don't remember which though.

 

[Sir Alex]

Isn't that a little extreme though?

 

[BL1]

Isn't that a little extreme though?

Not at all, regardless of how good a quality food you use, feeding your tank will always add to the waste level. The owner of my LFS has a 210g tank that he only fed once last year and all his fish always look fat and happy.

 

[Sir Alex]

Not at all, regardless of how good a quality food you use, feeding your tank will always add to the waste level. The owner of my LFS has a 210g tank that he only fed once last year and all his fish always look fat and happy.

:shock::shock::shock::shock::shock:

 

[Reef Nutz]

I'm stumped.

 

[Jmck]

hahaha you have to get fish which dont need to rely on our food.

For example, lawnmower blennies, mandarins, and other fish which can graze on algae and the pod population. I remember him saying that he chose to do that because he hated feeding them :P

My fish are fat and healthy and i feed them once every couple of weeks :)

 

[Bifferwine]

Fish aren't artificially fed in the wild. They find stuff on the rocks and in the substrate to eat. In a large enough tank, that has been set up for several years, the same thing can occur. Of course, the tank can't be overstocked, or the fish would run out of food.

 

[parrotchute]

Flakes & pellets can add phosphates - depends on the quality, some are better than others. If you choose to feed multiple times a day, it doesn't mean you are overfeeding - if the quantities are small, it's fine. It all depends on the filtering capacity of the tank.

Like Biff said, they browse naturally all day, which is why a fuge helps a lot to grow out microfauna. Certain clean up crews, such as conchs and sand sifting starfish can eat a particularly large amount of microfauna in the sandbed, so you'd want to be careful about that. If your tank grows a lot of algae, you could probably get away without ever feeding a foxface or a tang!