Am I underfeeding?

[FoundMoney]

I've read all of the warnings to newbies about overfeeding. I've been very cautious about it, but perhaps too much so. I've actually cut back feedings to once per day. I have 8 flame tetras and 1 bristlenose cat. I usually throw one algae wafer in for the bristlenose each night, he seems to finish it off in a couple of hours and would probably eat more overnight if I put another one in for him. He also has the option of cleaning algae from the tank if he so chooses (he's a bit lazy). The tetras get a small portion of crushed flakes or a small chunk of defrosted cyclops. I alternate back and forth.

At first I was feeding the tetras twice per day but it seems like they are much more active in the tank with the one feeding. Am I starving them and causing them to get more aggressive or are they more healthy with a bit less food? They are not quite fully grown so am I risking stunting their growth?

Also, I have pond snails in my tank. I've been trying to take them out bit by bit, but I notice there are quite a few egg sacks on the plants. Will the tetras eat the snail eggs? If so, how do I encourage that?

 

[WILDER]

It's a varied diet that counts, I feed mine flakes once aday, frozen, and a veg.

 

[FoundMoney]

I'm feeding flakes and frozen. I can't get my bristlenose to eat veggies yet, although some of the tetras pick at the algae wafers.

 

[skye4jc]

i have a great LFS guru that i went to the other day... his advise? feed only a very little, once, every other day... so no. youre not starving them. fish are hard to starve. less food = better water quailty = happier fish. (but that said, i wouldn't do it too much less than that, unless theres a problem.)

ps... i was overfeeding and my fish now have popeye, body fungus and other atrocities to deal with. dont want that - and i was feeding b/w once and twice a day!

btw, my advise guru was not from my own store! he owns and operates his own beautifully thriving store solely and privately, and ive heard nothing but excellence about him (incase you were doubting the source... those of you who know i work at petsamrt! lol)

 

[FoundMoney]

Thanks for the advice. Once per day sparingly is good then. Water quality hasn't been a problem as of yet but as I add a few more fish it may become an issue.

 

[paulthegreat]

I try to give my fish a rotation of black worms one day, brine shrimp one day, dry food one day and a mush made up of cooked greenpeas, shrimp and vitamin supplement that I buy at my lfs one day. I also skip a day of feeding every ten days or so if the Swordtails are not close to birthing. In the grow out I feed twice a day but the water needs changes much more often, but hey I want the fry to grow fast so I am willing to do the extra work.

 

[gale]

I feed my fish every other day (except my betta-he gets fed twice a day). I use crisps, bio-bites (or something like that), frozen bloodworm and jarred daphnia and an occasional pea.

 

[OohFeeshy]

Crisps??? Do you mean Cheese and Onion or do I misunderstand?
When I get my betta he will be fed once a day on one item out of brine shrimp, mosquito larvae, bloodworm, daphnia and... something else. The shop has just got in a frozen 'Tropical Quintet'.. Ooh...

 

[gale]

Tetra crisps-they're like flake but don't dirty up the tank as much.

Bettas have a high metabolism and should be fed small amounts twice a day. I let my betta fast for half a day about once a week or so.

 

[OohFeeshy]

Oooooooohhh... tetra crisps. Just thought it a bit odd to feed your fish on Wotsits

 

[paulthegreat]

I got some free samples of the tetra crisps and they are great to crush for my fry tank. My community tank fish seem to enjoy them as well