Question bout feeding

[Paste]

I got a few different frozen foods from my lfs mysis shrimp... Some frozen prepared thing (forgot name. Like Kens or Joes or some crap) question isn't really about type of food atm.. But amount /frequency.

How do I tell how much is too little /too much?
Currently I am feeding a small chunk once a day, and they eat it all within 3 mins or so. My fish are tiny, so I don't wanna under feed... But don't want them to pop either.

I am sure they are healthy buy is there some rule of thumb here?

 

[LoveJC03]

How many fish do you have? We feed the equivalent of half a block of brine shrimp in the morning and half a block of mysis in the evening. They eat it all and there isn't algae growing everywhere so that's what we stick with.

Some people feed half a block of food a day and that's it.. some people feed a block every few days. You'll probably get mixed answers on this one.

 

[Paste]

Currently:
2 ocellaris clowns (tiny) and a tiny Cromis.
I got a little brown algae... But that's from when I cycled and is clearing up with water changes (only on the rocks not on glass) and nitrates stay at 0.
Had a blenny... But he died 2 days after we got him and we are convinced it was just stress.

 

[MikeG]

+1 LoveJC - You are gonna get a bunch of different answers on this one.

As long as you aren't overfeeding or underfeeding you will have to come up with what is best for your tank. A lot of people only feed once a day, some feed every other day and others go a couple of days between feedings. I prefer to feed my tanks twice a day with only as much as they will completely consume in about 2 minutes. That is just what I feel comfortable doing.

Best of luck on this one as every response will be different. :Cheers:

 

[Bifferwine]

It sounds like what you are doing is fine. Once a day is good for those guys, and feeding as much as they can eat in a couple or few minutes is okay too. If you start to see more algae or your parameters creeping up, then you know it's time to cut back.

 

[Nonfamous]

Yes that sounds about right. I have ten fish. I feed one cube a day (plus I add pods to the system every two weeks) and a 1/2 cube equivalent of Rods every third day. The key is water testing. If you start showing any change you are likely over feeding. IF this happens, cut back a little and give the tank time to recover. Levels will not drop in a day or even a week. Algae growth is another clue. Just keep your eyes on it and adjust accordingly.

Feeding fish is a bit harder than feeding a dog. My guys always look hungry, but that is because they are opportunistic feeders. In the wild they never know when they will get the next meal. Fish are hard to over feed, tanks are not. Keep the tank in check and the fish will eat what they get.

 

[Kelz88]

Dogs and cats can be opportunistic feeders too lol. My kitty used to eat 4 meals a day til she started getting really really fat. Thats when i found out she was getting fed by me and my bf twice a day lol.

 

[Nonfamous]

LOL! Yeah, my Berner was up to 203 lbs at one point. (No, thats not a typo) We found out his thyroid was shot and now he is down to 155 lbs.

Do fish get fat? I wonder....... I guess the tank would crash first huh. How about in the wild?

 

[Kelz88]

You can fatten up fishes lol like tangs, they can get pretty chunky

 

[MikeG]

Do fish get fat? I wonder....... I guess the tank would crash first huh. How about in the wild?

Yes, my Blue Damsel in my 60g is a pig and has a fat, round belly. But every once in a while he'll go for a few days of not eating even though I am still feeding the tank, he'll slim down and then in two or three days turn right back into a chow hound again. :mrgreen:

 

[little_fish]

Fish dont get fat, fish get oily. Have you ever had to cut fat off of your fish dinner? When they get big and chunky like that, it means they are well muscled and healthy

 

[Kelz88]

Never thought of that, but then again i dont eat much fish lol.

 

[LoveJC03]

Fish dont get fat, fish get oily. Have you ever had to cut fat off of your fish dinner? When they get big and chunky like that, it means they are well muscled and healthy

Ha! I never thought about that.. they don't have fat! I love fish.. I wouldn't eat any of our reef fishies though LOL!