How do you decide how much to feed your fish?

[smitten with ocean life]

oh wow! i tried rinsing the food in the early years, but felt like most of it went down the drain. lol. maybe it is better to

 

[JumboShrimp]

These are for loose tea; they work great even for mixes with brine shrimp.

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

I feel bad if I’m only feeding once a day. It’s not bad to feed once a day, I just feel bad. Same with my dog! Ha!

The best question is what you asked secondly. How do you know when it’s enough?

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

Would love to hear from some people that know about feeding fish like @Jay OR @Nutramar Foods!

 

[Kooma]

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

I have an auto feeder drop pellets twice a day.

I feed frozen once at night. I was taught to feed the equivalent of the size of the fishes eyes in food daily. I pour it in, let them clean it up and if it seemed quick or they seem they want more, I add more.

I like fat healthy fish, keeps pests and issues away and lessens aggression.

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

I like fat healthy fish, keeps pests and issues away and lessens aggression.

This!!!

 

[MC Blowfish]

After reading everyone's responses. I'm wondering if I'm doing something wrong. I only feed once a day. I know they're still eating after two minutes. But I also have 4 fish in one tank and 3 in another.

I spot feed my corals. Sunday is for reef roids.

 

[X-37B]

oh wow! i tried rinsing the food in the early years, but felt like most of it went down the drain. lol. maybe it is better to

No need to rinse cubes, they feed the system. I often add roe, eggs, the ones in the bottle, into the cup with the cubes.

 

[JumboShrimp]

(Again, in terms of rinsing, mine are FOWLRs. There IS no "system". Lol! You either have clean water, or dirty water., "Happy Water = Happy Fish.")

 

[CHSUB]

Of my seven fish, three could do fine without any feeding and one could do ok. The other 3 require feeding so they get a few mysis or brine shrimp daily. The corals and micro organisms in my tank get direct feeding also.

 

[william Lutman]

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

I feed once a day, fish and coral together 2 cubes brine shrimp, one mysis, then 3 more changing mix with choice of baby brine, rotifers, daphnia, fish eggs, cyclops, reef plankton. That's it

 

[ClownSchool]

I broadcast feed once a day.
I start with a sizable pinch of algae-rich pellets, followed by about five 1/4 tsp scoops of Rod’s Frozen mixed with a splash of R/O that I keep in the fridge.

 

[JumboShrimp]

I guess all things are relative-- I no longer own these particular fish, but I guarantee you I wasn't just feeding them just once a day!

 

[Rich Klein]

I feed frozen and am using the AF4 automatic frozen food system. I feed my fish twice a day the maximum amount that keeps my nutrients at the optimal level. I run an chaeto reactor and chaeto refugium that absorbs enough PO4 and nitrate to keep everyone well fed.

 

[gmsmagic1]

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

I'll take a different angle on answering this question since the answer is also dependant on several factors that are dictated by what your tank can tolerate.

If you have a well established tank with excellent filtration including a good protein skimmer, and you closely monitor your nitrate and ammonia levels, do frequent water changes and observe your fish for added aggression, your tank can be very forgiving on days when you overfeed.

Targeted feeding, using accessories like feeding rings, and shutting off pumps during feeding can also reduce waste so food doesn't quickly scatter and rot in the substrate.

Just recognize the fact that you can do much more harm from overfeeding than from underfeeding since fish are swimming in their toilet and they can typically go several days without a meal if necessary. You will know you're underfeeding if they become overly aggressive, lethargic, or start preying on each other.

 

[Buckster]

I feed twice a day. I thaw 5 frozen cubes and portion between the 32 biocube and the rest in the 180. All is consumed in less than a minute. Every few days I put Nori in the tanks as the tangs devour it.

 

[richserpe]

I feed a chunk of Reef Frenzy first. I put it in frozen and let the little savages peck at it until it defrosts. If one drags it too deep, the Blood Shrimps come out and steal the remains. They grab it and go into a cave or hole where the fish can’t follow. Then I follow up with two cubes of mysis shrimp defrosted in a small cup of aquarium water. I pour a little in at a time. Between the 5 Blue Green Chromises and the others ( 3 gobies, purple tang, wrasse, false dottyback, starry Blenny and royal gramma) the food doesn’t have time to sink into the Scolys, Zoas, Acans, torches or elegances. From start to finish it takes about 3 minutes for everything to be consumed. The snails and crabs have to hope something slips past the crowd. I supplement the softies and other LPS with Reef Energy + and occasionally drop in some Benepets Reef and LPS pellets for the sand dwellers.

 

[ChrisfromBrick]

quite frankly, i go by what my hanna no3 and p04 tell me. I am also comfortable with skimming harder to remove the junk that frozen food comes with that doesn’t equate to a cleaner tank

 

[oakcityreefer]

I do a mix of frozen and freeze dried. I mix enough up in the morning in a squeeze bottle, condiment bottle. Then do a squeeze or two 3 times a day. If there is anything left I throw it away and rinse out the bottle for the next day.

 

[coralmonsters.judy Verified Sponsor]

Oh boy... we're bringing up this topic? According to my husband, I'm a chronic overfeeder!

Let me start by saying I spend most of my day in the fish room. Every time I walk by a tank, all the fish stop what they're doing and give me the look. You know the one... like they've never been fed a day in their lives. So I feed them... and then I do it again.

To be completely honest, here's my schedule:

9:00 AM – Pellets and lettuce/algae for the herbivores
12:00 PM – Nori
3:00 PM – More pellets and lettuce
8:00 PM – Fresh scallops

And then there are the completely random feedings throughout the day when customers walk in and say, "Can I see them eat?" Of course the answer is yes... so they get another snack!

My wrasses get pods in between as snacks, and my puffers absolutely love crabs.

I also keep a lot of fish together in the same systems, so the constant availability of food really helps minimize aggression and competition. Fish that aren't constantly worrying about their next meal tend to be much more tolerant of each other.

I also have a massive filtration system to support my bad feeding habits. At the end of the day, I sell fish, so I want them fat, healthy, and in the best possible condition. Well-fed fish are stronger, handle shipping better, and transition into their new homes much more successfully.

And my clownfish? Those spoiled little things get fed about eight times a day... especially the babies!

Judy