Challenged feeding correct amount of daily food

[FishHobby99]

I have always said " A fish will eat what you can put on the black bit of its eye each day"

interesting, but difficult for me with so many types of varying sizes. hard to control them coveting the neighbors’ eyes.

 

[itiwhetu]

interesting, but difficult for me with so many types of varying sizes. hard to control them coveting the neighbors’ eyes.

Your cichlids will eat what you put in the tank, if one fish doesn't eat today don't worry it will be hungry enough tomorrow to eat. It is very hard to over feed a Cichlid tank.

 

[FishHobby99]

So good to hear! Thanks!

 

[CaptainBarnicles]

I tend to feed once, every other day...and like others have mentioned its better to start little and add than dump a load in that goes uneaten or (if you have greedy fish like my rainbows) have fat, bloated blobs swimming about!

 

[FishHobby99]

Every other day, wow.
haven’t heard of that yet, but lots of stuff I don‘t know. I feed the dogs & cats twice a day too.

 

[CaptainBarnicles]

Fish can go many days without a meal and will be just fine

 

[Myraan]

I don't really advise this as the best way to do this.... but a bacterial bloom and/or an abnormal level of nitrate (or even ammonia/nitrite).... will let you know if you have overfed.
The bacterial bloom more so because that's from food no-one wanted to eat. Elavated nitrogen could simply be you are feeding correct amount but your tank is too small or too sparsely planted ofc.

 

[FishHobby99]

I need to try that (for myself )

 

[CaptainBarnicles]

I need to try that (for myself )

Trust me it doesn't work, you just get so hungry that you eat twice as much

 

[FishHobby99]

I know! For reals!

 

[Myraan]

same goes if you try to exercise to lose weight.... you get stronger and healthier but ur brain makes u eat even more cus it thinks **** i need fuel for the next time my stupid body exhausts itself

 

[Byron]

Every other day, wow.
haven’t heard of that yet, but lots of stuff I don‘t know. I feed the dogs & cats twice a day too.

This has reminded me of something I don't think has yet been mentioned, and that involves the reason animals eat to begin with. It is to obtain energy to drive their respective physiology. Mammals like dogs and cats, and humans, along with birds, need to eat more per volume because much of the energy is used to keep the internal temperature at "x" degrees. Fish do not have this issue, as they are ectotherms and their internal temperature is governed by (and the same as) the temperature of the water they swim in and are constantly taking in via osmosis through every cell. There are reptiles (also ectotherms) that can manage with one meal in several days and even weeks.

Given the above, and when one considers that the fish in the aquarium require considerably less energy than would their wild counterparts because of other factors like not having to deal with escape from predators, etc, you have even less need for so much food.

 

[FishHobby99]

This has reminded me of something I don't think has yet been mentioned, and that involves the reason animals eat to begin with. It is to obtain energy to drive their respective physiology. Mammals like dogs and cats, and humans, along with birds, need to eat more per volume because much of the energy is used to keep the internal temperature at "x" degrees. Fish do not have this issue, as they are ectotherms and their internal temperature is governed by (and the same as) the temperature of the water they swim in and are constantly taking in via osmosis through every cell. There are reptiles (also ectotherms) that can manage with one meal in several days and even weeks.

Given the above, and when one considers that the fish in the aquarium require considerably less energy than would their wild counterparts because of other factors like not having to deal with escape from predators, etc, you have even less need for so much food.

Makes sense to me!

 

[BLK]

I continue to find feeding the correct amount of daily food a challenging task for a novice.

What exactly is a pinch? The guy who sold me ~20 fish, some relatively large, said 2 pinches twice a day. The guy who sold me a few guppies said the same thing. I see some saying all they can eat in a given period of time, usually 2-5 minutes. I would prefer something more precise, even if it meant using my gram sensitive scale for a while.
What do y‘all do?

I feed for about 2-3 minute a little at a time, making sure most is gobbled up before adding a little more. I assess whose eating, making sure my smaller fish who are less assertive during mealtime, get their share. I like small and micro pellets that float on top b/c food that floats down more quickly can be missed and increase waste. I crunch up a little flake food which also floats nicely. I started feeding them frozen brine shrimp too - defrosting for a few min beforehand and spooning small portions in at a time. So like, I divide the thawed cube into 4 or so separate additions. Mainly because it sink pretty fast.
Hope this helps

 

[FishHobby99]

Yes! It helps immensely! Thanks.

PS. My friend near Santa Rosa owns a vineyard. They‘re harvesting now.