How do you decide how much to feed your fish?

[smitten with ocean life]

some people feed several times a day. some feed several different foods. but how do you decide how much is enough?

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Following this because I always feel like I'm guessing!

 

[BryanM]

What I've always read is feed as much as they can consume in about 2 minutes.

I feed 3x a day.

 

[TX_REEF]

What I've always read is feed as much as they can consume in about 2 minutes.

I feed 3x a day.

Agreed with this - if there are no leftovers after 1-2 full minutes, then it’s good. You have to remember that in the wild, fish aren’t being bombarded with a slurry of easy to eat, low competition food. They are constantly foraging or hunting for their next meal. Aside from predators who engorge themselves sporadically between meals based on successful hunts, fish aren’t generally “eating their fill” constantly. Less is more!

One of my favorite equipment purchases has been the Plank feeder from @AVAST Marine because it allows you to feed a little bit at a time on a schedule throughout the day, and it re-hydrates freeze dried food for you (can use flake or pellets as well, but at that point might as well use a cheaper auto feeder…)

 

[EricR]

Good question and not really sure how I got to what I do now but it's working so I'm just running with it.

I feed frozen food 2x/day.
I'd say roughly 1/3-1/2 "cube" worth each feeding for only 4 small fish.

I mainly feed LRS Reef Frenzy but sometimes Rod's Food or even S.F. Bay Marine Cuisine just depending on availability.
I have mostly soft corals (and a couple LPS) and they seem to get what they need from this also.
*looks like a massive amount when I dump it in but no real problems with nutrients so whatever

 

[smitten with ocean life]

mine gobble everything and theres nothing to see in about 30 sec. they all seem well fed. but im curious about the 2 min time. do you keep adding food for that long?

 

[KrisReef]

mine gobble everything and theres nothing to see in about 30 sec. they all seem well fed. but im curious about the 2 min time. do you keep adding food for that long?

I bet most people don’t actually use a timer for this function. Your observation that the food is gone in 30 seconds is probably fairly close to what other people have reported thus far?

I like to feed at least once (when I’m sick the fish go hungry) and at least twice, or three or four or even five times if I lose count? But I try to lower portions when I am home and feeding more times per day than just two.

I am always looking at the fishes to see if they are fighting (hungry fish nip more often) or if they are looking fat. I never want to give them a Thanksgiving meal because they rarely see that kind of food availability in the wild.

Slow and steady, I don’t like obese fishes.

 

[exnisstech]

I just flood the tank so it looks like a snow storm. I feed frozen PE mysis & rods, 4 types of pellets and two types of flake. I mix it all together and add a little selcon and vitachem and feed at least 3 times a day. I've never bothered to time how long it takes them to eat it all but it doesn't take long. I also never calculate the amount I'm actually feeding I don't base my feeding on N and P test results like some do.
Like Kris I feel that hungry fish can become aggressive because they feel the need to fight for survival.

 

[Sophie"s mom]

I don't really know how I got to what I do either, but I feed a good size pinch of Ocean Nutrition formula 2 in the morning and switch up different frozen cubes in the evening. I have 7 fish in the tank, and they are all really rather plump!

 

[X-37B]

I have always practiced the heavy in/out method. Feed alot and have the filtration to handle it.
I mix 6+types of cubes, rods, larrys, sometimes dried phyto to a cup 2-3× a day.
I mix it up so some days they get less food and other days the get a big dose.
Thaw, stir and feed. Hard to say how much I add because it goes to 5 systems and I feed 4-5× a day.
In the 150, 10 fish, I pour in enough for it to take 2-3 minutes for it to be eaten, around 2 cubes.
In my 50 with 4 fish I do similar but with less and 2-3 times while the 150 is eating. I have a very large red tail Damsel that is a food hog so I feed in increments or the others won't eat. It is as big as my swallowtail angel in my 150.
Other smaller systems are fed the same way just less.
So I feed around 15-18 cubes a day in volume. 8+ are going to the 150.

 

[winxp_man]

Bad news….. no such thing as feeding too much. Mine will eat as much as I put in.

They sucker me in so bad! They are on a constant we will keep asking for more!

 

[smitten with ocean life]

interesting! i never thought about them nipping at each other when they are hungry. good thought!

 

[kevgib67]

I believe in variety in attempt to meet all their nutritional needs. Three frozen that I alternate in the evening four dry I alternate in the morning. I stuck to the 2 minute rule by practice and error.:

 

[Freenow54]

some people feed several times a day. some feed several different foods. but how do you decide how much is enough?

was once now twice my bristle worms have to eat 2

 

[BeanAnimal]

Good question, and I honestly don't know. I just feed them and the look healthy? I think decades ago that I severely overfed and created insanely high phosphate levels. I feed less now, but can't really quantify it. That sounds crazy, but it is the truth. Right now the plank runs 5-8 times a day (random windows) and I throw in a cube of frozen when I remember.

 

[smitten with ocean life]

Good question, and I honestly don't know. I just feed them and the look healthy? I think decades ago that I severely overfed and created insanely high phosphate levels. I feed less now, but can't really quantify it. That sounds crazy, but it is the truth. Right now the plank runs 5-8 times a day (random windows) and I throw in a cube of frozen when I remember.

sounds familiar

 

[smitten with ocean life]

I believe in variety in attempt to meet all their nutritional needs. Three frozen that I alternate in the evening four dry I alternate in the morning. I stuck to the 2 minute rule by practice and error.:

youre saying 3 frozen cubes?

 

[kevgib67]

youre saying 3 frozen cubes?

Mysis, brine and LRS reef frenzy. All three different nights with Selcon, Vitachem and garlic extreme added.

 

[smitten with ocean life]

so it doesnt sound like there is a certain thing to go by like there is with how many fish can comfortably fit in a tank

 

[JumboShrimp]

I generally feed at least 4 times a day (frozen), sometimes 6, but I rinse it first to keep watery 'junk' out of the tank... FOWLRs, so no corals need anything.