HOW OFTEN DO YOU FEED YOUR FISH?

[mmw64]

2 X a day.

 

[EMeyer]

This thread has been eye opening for me. I always wondered why I fail to register measurable amounts of nitrate despite feeding what I considered heavily.

I feed daily when I remember; turns out many people are feeding >4 times per day. Thats a lot of food!

 

[kchristensen8064]

Twice a day for me.

 

[dimo]

I feed whole tank 2 times daily. A pinch of flake food in the morning before I leave for work (while lights are still off, but fish out and about) and a cube of frozen food in the evening around dinner time. I also feed a 1/4 sheet of nori 4 times a week for my yellow tank and black spot foxface.

 

[squampton]

Once a day.

I work very early at 3am and not home until 4p and really isn't anytime to feed them twice, let alone 4-5 times a day.

 

[Halal Hotdog]

I see a few mentions of "it depends on the fish" but I wonder, does it really? If the fish could eat more often, wouldnt they? Grazers and predators certainly have different habits but they also have significantly different sized meals as well.

My schedule
10-11am (lights on) - LRS Reef and Herbivore Frenzy
4pm - SeaVeggies on a clip
8-9pm - LRS Reef and Herbivore Frenzy

Found some Reef Roids at the bottom of a shipping box while we were packing for the move a few weeks ago so I've added 1-3tsp once a week, the past three weeks.

I have clowns as well as a trigger and tang. I have tried to just do one meal a day and they ate their fill, however it wasn't enough. Now I do two meals that are spaced out ~6 hours. I feel with triggers a lot of people start seeing heightened aggression due to insufficient feedings. If I had just clowns and mollys then I would absolutely just do one meal/day or every other day.

 

[Daniel@R2R]

1-2x

 

[Kmsutows]

I see a few mentions of "it depends on the fish" but I wonder, does it really? If the fish could eat more often, wouldnt they? Grazers and predators certainly have different habits but they also have significantly different sized meals as well.

My schedule
10-11am (lights on) - LRS Reef and Herbivore Frenzy
4pm - SeaVeggies on a clip
8-9pm - LRS Reef and Herbivore Frenzy

Found some Reef Roids at the bottom of a shipping box while we were packing for the move a few weeks ago so I've added 1-3tsp once a week, the past three weeks.

I'd say yes, it matters greatly. My anthias need to feed many times a day. Where as something like a clown fish is darn near bullet proof and will make due with less. My marine betta could probably do just fine on one larger meal a week. Others may survive off the liverock. Amount and how often a tank should/could be fed is entirely dependent on the inhabitants.

 

[John Worthington]

2 times a day

 

[madweazl]

I'd say yes, it matters greatly. My anthias need to feed many times a day. Where as something like a clown fish is darn near bullet proof and will make due with less. My marine betta could probably do just fine on one larger meal a week. Others may survive off the liverock. Amount and how often a tank should/could be fed is entirely dependent on the inhabitants.

These are the things I'm getting at. Our belief that a specific species only needs to be fed once a day to survive doesnt mean it's remotely healthy. When I started keeping a reef (mid '90s), it was common to only feed every other day to keep nutrients under control (many of us didnt know any better). Fish lived (somehow) but they certainly werent as healthy as they could have been. Like us, the fish will adapt to continue living as long as possible but it certainly isn't healthy. I think we're crazy to believe multiple daily feedings aren't necessary for good health in regard to the vast majority of species we keep in our tanks. Add a poor quality food to the mix and the issue is even worse.

 

[Kmsutows]

These are the things I'm getting at. Our belief that a specific species only needs to be fed once a day to survive doesnt mean it's remotely healthy. When I started keeping a reef (mid '90s), it was common to only feed every other day to keep nutrients under control (many of us didnt know any better). Fish lived (somehow) but they certainly werent as healthy as they could have been. Like us, the fish will adapt to continue living as long as possible but it certainly isn't healthy. I think we're crazy to believe multiple daily feedings aren't necessary for good health in regard to the vast majority of species we keep in our tanks. Add a poor quality food to the mix and the issue is even worse.

Completely agree!

 

[ZaneTer]

This thread has been eye opening for me. I always wondered why I fail to register measurable amounts of nitrate despite feeding what I considered heavily.

I feed daily when I remember; turns out many people are feeding >4 times per day. Thats a lot of food!

Please don’t misunderstand, most of us that feed upwards of 4 times per day actually feed multiple smaller feeds instead of lesser larger feeds. I am a firm believer that fat healthy fish have little to no aggression issues. I have had the same set of chromis for the last 2 years without any losses. Before I began feeding more often I often had mysterious losses of anthias/chromis.

 

[vetteguy53081]

One manual feeding of frozen foods and 3 mini feedings via Apex auto feeder with flakes and pellets.

 

[Syed123]

Please don’t misunderstand, most of us that feed upwards of 4 times per day actually feed multiple smaller feeds instead of lesser larger feeds. I am a firm believer that fat healthy fish have little to no aggression issues. I have had the same set of chromis for the last 2 years without any losses. Before I began feeding more often I often had mysterious losses of anthias/chromis.

I agree. From my observation with the fish I have kept, fish who are fed multiple feedings per day (3-4 X) seem to have lower aggression. Fish are concerned with getting their next meal in the wild which means they have to be territorial to keep their piece of the reef (varys between species). Well fed and frequently fed fish should be less territorial then usual because they have a reliable source of food, the aquarist. Not only that, multiple feedings seem to calm them down even more. This is all anecdotal of course and just observations in my own tank. But anyways this is one way I have been combating aggression between my fish and it seems to be working really well.

 

[ca1ore]

I feed my tank heavily. Two sheets of nori first thing in the morning, three feedings of frozen mix, and then sometimes some pellets in the evening. While the quantity of food per feeding is less than when I only fed daily, the sum of all daily feedings is quite a bit more. I estimate 12-15 cube- equivalents per day. I've kept anthias for many years, and they simply will not survive long term on a single daily feeding. They either slowly lose weight or the squabbling increases to the point that the submissive dies. The key is to have nutrient export mechanisms that can handle the higher inputs.

When I feed frozen, I pour it right into the vortech pump. Marked improvement in feeding response and ensures every fish gets some.

 

[zcedric]

Every second day.

 

[Robink]

3 X daily, twice frozen and one meal pellets.

 

[andyg1960]

You have to feed them??? Crap.

 

[accline]

I always read that you shouldn’t feed because of nitrate issues. Nitrates were the death of corals. Today, I see a different philosophy completely. I now feed Reef Frenzy once a day and pellets 1-2 times per day. I have high nitrate readings, but my corals have never looked better. The corals are eating a lot as well. Oh and I do Reef Roids target feedings for coral, once a week. I agree that the fish are more peaceful. Two tangs, Pygmy Angel, and pair of Clowns. Hopefully to get more fish soon.

 

[Katrina71]

I feed every other day, but my guys are all very small. I do give in when the pederson shrimp does his little dance sometimes.