My fish eat TOO much

[mystic7]

I don't know what it is, but these guys are getting ridiculous. From the moment I turn the lights on in the morning they all come out and bunch up in the left corner of the tank where I usually feed them and go into a frenzy when they see me. Even 5 minutes after a hearty feeding as soon as they see me they go nuts up in the left corner of the tank. It's getting where when I dip the strainer into the tank they're banging their heads on it!
I tried overfeeding them for 2 days. Two heavy feedings, mysis and brine soaked in vitamins with spinach thrown in for good measure. Even still, 5 minutes after cleaning up every last bit of food I'll walk in to the room and here they come. I mean it's a mad frenzy, banging their heads against the glass, crashing into each other, BEGGING for more food. What's the deal with these chowderheads!?!

 

[tim_12]

How often do you usually feed them and how long before they finish their food? My guess is that you've conditioned them to think they're getting food every time you come to the tank. I remember hearing somewhere that fish dont ever feel full. Whenever they get a chance to eat in the wild they take it because they dont know when they're going to get food next. In our tanks we need to know how to moderate how much they eat for them. Just because they're begging for food doesnt mean they're hungry. I feed my fish once daily and they finish it within a few minutes.

 

[mystic7]

Normally I also feed once daily, and they take about 5-8 minutes to finish. They will then go madly around the tank searching for more food. Not grazing, mind you, but a frantic search. This goes on for about an hour.
I've been doing this for 25 years. I know normal fish behavior. This is not normal. I'm afraid if I stick my finger in the tank they will eat it! I'm being facetious, of course, but you know what I mean.

 

[moby]

Since they associate your presence with food, try a little behavior modification.
Always feed at exactly the same time but most importantly give them some other signal that its dinner time.
I gently tap on the rim of the tank with the food dish first and do this every time. After a short amount of time(several weeks)of doing this they ignored my presence(pretty much) until I tap. This changes the feeding stimuli from a visual one to an auditory one. I can't guarantee this will work for everyone but I started doing this years ago with all my fish and have success in stopping the "mooching whenever I approach the aquarium.
Give it a try and let me know if it works.
Moby

 

[unleashed]

Originally Posted by mystic7
I don't know what it is, but these guys are getting ridiculous. From the moment I turn the lights on in the morning they all come out and bunch up in the left corner of the tank where I usually feed them and go into a frenzy when they see me. Even 5 minutes after a hearty feeding as soon as they see me they go nuts up in the left corner of the tank. It's getting where when I dip the strainer into the tank they're banging their heads on it!
I tried overfeeding them for 2 days. Two heavy feedings, mysis and brine soaked in vitamins with spinach thrown in for good measure. Even still, 5 minutes after cleaning up every last bit of food I'll walk in to the room and here they come. I mean it's a mad frenzy, banging their heads against the glass, crashing into each other, BEGGING for more food. What's the deal with these chowderheads!?!
i guess the best question here is what type of fish are you feeding.it does not sound to me like they are getting a very nutritous diet IMO.brine has very little to no nutritional value to sw fish its more of a filler than anything and has been IMO to be a major contributer of malnutrition. although mysis is very high in protien it does lack other nutrients that fish need. spinache may be ok for some vit but still is not a complete source of vit and minerals also needed for fish health.
i personally recommend trying a new diet for your fish. I feed all my fish 3 times daily
am feeding consist of: thera+A non medicated antiparesitic formula pellets by spectrum
midday: thera+A pellets plus and added dose of veggie flakes by omega One
pm feeding is a mixture of frozon prepaired foods and other added frozen variety foods all combined into a cup of water soaked and thawed with selcon and garlic extreme.
these foods consist of herbivores)tangs, foxfaces ect. formula 2 ,emerald entrese,and seaweed selects(added a couple times a week shredded).
(omnivores):formula 1,prime reef,angel formula,pigmy angel formula, for fish such as clowns, damsels,flame hawk ,dottibacks,angel, wrasses ect
also added foods for carnivores: mysis shrimp,chopped squid,phlankton,chopped clams,krill, for all meat eaters
larger preditors are also fed silverslides,chunks of marine variety fish,scallops,larger squid,large raw shrimp.fish such as sharks, eels, lions, puffer,groupers,ect
every thing i feed is to benefit each species of fish along with other inverts or crustations such as crabs,lobster and anenome.
this list may seam excessive but i mix and match and alternate what is fed nightly to ensure a good variety of all foods is given to all species needs. you may find they will still act like they are starving but ou will have no doubts whatsoever that your fish are not starving if you ensure proper diet and feeding schedule.
BTW herbivores do require multipul feedings as often as 3-5 times per day.
omnivores 2-3 times per day
carnivores at least 1-3 depending on species requirements
such as wrasses ,triggers,ect
large predators vary depending of size and species i feed most of at least once a day
eels every 3 days
I hope this helps

 

[coachklm]

Originally Posted by moby
Since they associate your presence with food, try a little behavior modification.
Always feed at exactly the same time but most importantly give them some other signal that its dinner time.
I gently tap on the rim of the tank with the food dish first and do this every time. After a short amount of time(several weeks)of doing this they ignored my presence(pretty much) until I tap. This changes the feeding stimuli from a visual one to an auditory one. I can't guarantee this will work for everyone but I started doing this years ago with all my fish and have success in stopping the "mooching whenever I approach the aquarium.
Give it a try and let me know if it works.
Moby
we have pavlov in the house........... lol but you are correct..

 

[saltwater8]

It's my understanding that most fish need to be fed at least twice a day and some need to be fed three times a day....
Only as much as they can eat in a 2-4 minute period each time...

:happyfish

 

[moby]

Always feed at exactly the same time
As often as required for the appropiate amount required by species.
BTW herbivores do require multipul feedings as often as 3-5 times per day.
omnivores 2-3 times per day
carnivores at least 1-3 depending on species requirements
I agree with this schedule based on species requirements,my point was not to suggest how often, only how to stop the "begging" response using a Pavlovian method proven to work.
As unleashed explained improper feeding will result in the fish being fed but not getting the nutrition required. Sort of like "eating one self to death".
You could eat a stomach full of cheetos but starve to death if that were all you ate. Brine shrimp are the equivalent of eating pork rinds 3 meals a day.
Moby

 

[unleashed]

sometimes you just have to let the puppy dog eyes roll off you my fish are fed 3 times a day andif they see me at all they all run to the same corner i feed them at but its also the corner closest to a doorway I walk by a million times per day. scary but true story here for an example of fish guilt trips.last summer i had my sister tend to my house pets an of course my fish.while i was away on vac for a week I done my stock of food shopping befoe I left so i wouldnt have to worry about it when i returned. i printed up strict scheduled instructions such as lights feeding ect.nothing could go wrong right? oh yeh lets not forget the fact i spent 200 dollars on a months worth of fish food.well before i left i warned her they will make her feel guilty like they are starved to death she didnt beleive me.and said (quote unquote ) they are fish they are mindless and cant do that to her. well 4 days later she called me while i was on my trip mind you 3 days before i was to return home.guess what ?she ran out of fish food !!!!!!!!!:scared:

. i about fell over as i had to send her back to my LFS to get another weeks worth of foods :

they did to her big time.and they would do it me if i let them .all but 3 times a day when i walk by the tanks i touch the glass say hi and walk on by .omg talk about guilt.but I look back on that mishap and remeber the massive water changes and and OMG the algae i had in my tank was horid I HAD HAIR ALGAE!!!!!!!IN MY REEF

in over 3 yrs i couldnt grow the stuff if i tried(trust me I tried) and my sister managed to infest my tank with it in a matter of 1 week

so nope no more guilt for me

 

[anthropo]

the question of the day is what kind of fish do you have in your tank because a lot of fish in the ocean are constant grazers, which would mean you would have to feed them 2-3 times a day.

 

[saltyreef7]

If your fish look healthy and not skinny....then good. I have seen at the lfs many fish that need too eat!!! there stomachs are sucked in and they look unhealthy. My friend if your fish looks good, plump and healthy......so be it..... Fish are always acting like they are starving..... that is good health.... However when you start getting fish that dont want to eat this could be a sign of bad health.... also try changinging where you drop the food in the tank.... I think you are lucky, because so many people complain about fish that dont eat and starve to death... Good luck

 

[unleashed]

Originally Posted by saltyreef7
If your fish look healthy and not skinny....then good. I have seen at the lfs many fish that need too eat!!! there stomachs are sucked in and they look unhealthy. My friend if your fish looks good, plump and healthy......so be it..... Fish are always acting like they are starving..... that is good health.... However when you start getting fish that dont want to eat this could be a sign of bad health.... also try changinging where you drop the food in the tank.... I think you are lucky, because so many people complain about fish that dont eat and starve to death... Good luck
amen to that

 

[vanos]

Remember Tangs have very fast metabolisms and can feed 2-3 times per day. I put in a clip of nori and it's gone in 10 minutes but my trigger eats a lot of it as well.