Alternative Ways To Feed Fish

[geer head]

Hi,

I don't know much about feeding fish other than the usual you can buy at the fish store (dry flakes, froze food, etc). I would like to know what other things you can feed fish (i.e. make your own fish food). I also thought this would be a good chance to start up a sort of 'database' since I didn't find much else on the site.

• Tropical fish flakes (or goldfish flakes) - Note: 'colour enhancing formula' isn't effective. If you wish for your fish to have nice colour, keep them in a healthy environment and give them a varied diet of flake food and other food.
• Frozen fish food - most commonly brine shrimp or blood worms.
• jourdy288 says: "Here, I wrote and article:
  [URL="http/www.freewebs.com/jourdy288/alternativefoods.htm"]http/www.freewebs.com/jourdy288/alternativefoods.htm[/URL]" {Very useful short reference!}
• Dwarfgourami says: "many fish ... need some vegetable matter in their diet: boiled peas, sprouts, spinach, courgette, and broad beans are also appreciated."

2. Aggressive tropical fish (please include fish names):

3. Saltwater fish:

4. Special Diet fish (please include fish names):

• rdd1952 says: "unless you are going to be gone for at least 2 weeks and probably a month or more, you are better off leaving the fish unfed." Results in cleaner tank and less waste, your fish can go a while without food. Vacation feeders usually make a mess of the tank.
• Personally, I wouldn't go much longer than a week without feeding my fish, but it depends on how many you have, what's in your tank, etc. If you are gone for less than a week, your fish will easily survive for that long without food, and will keep your tank clean by snacking any algae that grows. Regular vacation blocks are not suggested!
• kribensis12 says: TetraMin Gel Feeder Block is a great feeder that doesn't mess your water up. Its basically TetraMin flake in a Gel substance, so it dosent disolve in the water, and the fish have to literally pick it off the block, or it wont get eaten. Here is a link: <a href="http/www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod...mp;pcatid=16833" target="_blank">http/www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod...mp;pcatid=16833</a> {I have heard good things about this feeder block as well}
• Dwarfgourami says: {If you have someone willing to fish-sit} You can a days worth of food in each compartment of a pillbox and have your fish-sitter add one compartment each time they feed your fish. Have them feed your fish less than usual, every two or three days instead of every day, to cut down on waste and maintenance while you are gone.

• rdd1952 says: "Automatic feeders are extremely unreliable unless you go with the high dollar ones." If you are getting an automatic feeder, get it 2 to 3 weeks before you go so you can properly test it to figure out proper food amounts, etc.

I will periodically update this first post to include what people suggest (I will try to credit too).

 

[geer head]

been away for a while, I'll try and start putting some stuff up soon

 

[rdd1952]

I will comment on 2 things in your list, those being the vacation feeders and automatic feeders. For the most part, unless you are going to be gone for at least 2 weeks and probably a month or more, you are better off leaving the fish unfed. They can easily go that long without food. You will probably come back to a much cleaner tank and the lack of food will cut down on the amount of waste they produce thus helping in case of a filter failure.

Vacation blocks are nothing but plaster (or whatever it is that those blocks are made of) and a very small amount of food. They make a total mess of the tank. Automatic feeders are extremely unreliable unless you go with the high dollar ones. They will either not feed anything or dump it all in at once.

If you do decide on an auto feeder, buy it at least 2 or 3 weeks ahead of time and go ahead and start using it so you can learn how much it dumps and adjust it to the proper feeding amount. That way you at least know the right amount is going in if it works properly.

One other option for feeding while on vacation is to have someone you trust feed them pre-measured amounts. Put the amount for a normal days feeding into cups or what every you want (some people use the pill containers that have the days of the week on them). Then all the person has to do is pour in one cup each day they feed them. Hide the other food so they can't decide on their own to fedd more.

 

[geer head]

thanks for the input!

 

[kribensis12]

Vacation blocks are nothing but plaster (or whatever it is that those blocks are made of) and a very small amount of food

That is mostly true, but there is a Vacation blcok that i've used, and other people on this forum have used, and i've had great results with it, as in, regualr water when comming back, no dead, fish, and some left over. Its called TetraMin Gel Feeder Block, its basically TetraMin flake in a Gel substance, so it dosent disolve in the water, and the fish have to literally pick it off the block, or it wont get eaten. Here is a link: http/www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod...mp;pcatid=16833 I suggest it for anyone who dosent want to risk leaving there fish w/o food.

 

[dwarfgourami]

About food:

many fish, e.g. livebearers and many catfish need some vegetable matter in their diet: boiled peas, sprouts, spinach, courgette, and broad beans are also appreciated.

Basically have a look at what you're having for dinner and see if any of it will also feed your fish.

About vacation feeding: compartmented pill boxes from a pharmacy are ideal leaving with a fishsitter- put a day's feed in each compartment. If you have several tanks, you can number each pillbox and tank so they don't get mixed up. I usually ask my fishsitter to come in and feed one portion every two to three days, so as to cut down on the mess when I'm not around to do water changes.

 

[jourdy288]

Here, I wrote and article:
http/www.freewebs.com/jourdy288/alternativefoods.htm

 

[geer head]

Thanks for the input again. I'm not around much (work too damn often), so I don't get a chance to get on the forums much, but I do make an effort to at least update here every couple of weeks.

 

[geer head]

I really can't think of much to add at the moment....