How Often Do You Feed Your Fish?
- Thread starter dvs
- Start date
kart racer
Member
I have always fed every other day.
texasex
Member
Clowns don't eat algae, they prefer pellets or frozen food. I feed mine marine quisine, it's kind of a mix of stuff. I feed two to three times a day, very small amounts. I have been told to feed several times a day,and be careful not to over feed. I would like to know what everyone else does, too. And how successful their schedule is.
lefty
Active Member
I feed my clowns once a day, usually around three in the afternoon. I feed them mostly pellets, but sometimes I'll give them flakes (I tend not to though, as they make a nice mess in the tank). About once a week they'll get a small piece of freeze dried brine shrimp. 
I plan on getting some frozen cubes next time I'm at the LFS to see how they like those.
-lefty
I plan on getting some frozen cubes next time I'm at the LFS to see how they like those.-lefty
viet-tin
Active Member
Periodic feeding isnt healthy for fish. Fish are adapted to gathering nutrients continuously and not in batches. Periodic feeding can cause atypical feast/famine cycles of nutrient input and severe stress. This information was all taken from Marine fish and Reef 2005 annual magazine.
ophiura
Active Member
This is true, especially if you do not have LR...or you are dealing with things like seahorses, manadarin gobies, and some others like anthias. However fish in reef tanks spend a lot of time "grazing" on LR and eating many of the microfauna or microalgae on the rocks, glass, etc. So this should be taken into consideration as a nutritional source...VERY few fish in this hobby are underfed.
ocellaris_keeper
Active Member
VERY few fish in this hobby are underfed.
I agree - The only time I ever seen fishes underfed is at the LPS. Typically folks overfeed their fish which puts undue stress on the ecosystem.
Fish may or may not eat every day, depends on their staple food supply and it's availability, clowns can hide in their host anemone for an extended period of time depending on weather (it still effects the reef).
I agree - The only time I ever seen fishes underfed is at the LPS. Typically folks overfeed their fish which puts undue stress on the ecosystem.
Fish may or may not eat every day, depends on their staple food supply and it's availability, clowns can hide in their host anemone for an extended period of time depending on weather (it still effects the reef).
michelle l
Member
Like several others here, we feed twice a day.
I feed small portions, and I monitor them at every feeding to be sure that all of the food is consumed. If it is not, I cut back the next time I feed. Currently I alternate between flake, some frozen Angel Formula, and frozen brine that is enriched with spirulina. I have been looking for Nori sheets but can't find any, so this weekend I am picking up some Seaweed Selects. Just as a treat, I occasionally give a leaf of Romain Lettuce or hold a floret of broccoli in the water and let my angel nibble on it. My fish also graze constantly on the live rock in the tank. All of my fish are very fat, needless to say.
If they don't eat twice a day, I feel guilty. I have a juvenile Cortez Angel that acts like a dog...he rushes to the front of the tank every time he sees me or my husband and frantically swims back and forth. (All of my fish...the Cortez, a Flame Angel, and two Perculas...always group at the front of the tank and pretend to be starving.) He chews on my fingertips if I dip them in the water!
My tank is fairly new, so since I do feed twice a day, I am sure to test my water every 3rd or 4th day.
I feed small portions, and I monitor them at every feeding to be sure that all of the food is consumed. If it is not, I cut back the next time I feed. Currently I alternate between flake, some frozen Angel Formula, and frozen brine that is enriched with spirulina. I have been looking for Nori sheets but can't find any, so this weekend I am picking up some Seaweed Selects. Just as a treat, I occasionally give a leaf of Romain Lettuce or hold a floret of broccoli in the water and let my angel nibble on it. My fish also graze constantly on the live rock in the tank. All of my fish are very fat, needless to say.
If they don't eat twice a day, I feel guilty. I have a juvenile Cortez Angel that acts like a dog...he rushes to the front of the tank every time he sees me or my husband and frantically swims back and forth. (All of my fish...the Cortez, a Flame Angel, and two Perculas...always group at the front of the tank and pretend to be starving.) He chews on my fingertips if I dip them in the water!
My tank is fairly new, so since I do feed twice a day, I am sure to test my water every 3rd or 4th day.
ophiura
Active Member
One of the most important lessons of keeping fish is the same as keeping dogs - it is don't let the fish train you. It is most common in goldfish, but the fish learn that when someone approaches the tank, they get fed from a certain corner. So when someone approaches, they often run up to an area of the tank. We then interpret this as "being hungry" when they are trained...and then in reverse train us.
scoobydoo
Active Member
O, you are so right! My fish race to the top right hand corner of my tank when I walk over there! When they realize I'm not feeding them at that time, they go back to normal. They also know I'm the only one that feeds them so they only do it when I go to the tank. They are smarter than we think!
viet-tin
Active Member
Thats another reason why i dont do periodic feedings. I feed very little at random times. This way the fish really dont swim to the top when being fed or when anyone comes near the tank. Most of my fish are well fed and are always grazing on my Lr and eating small pods on my glass.
