How much to feed fish

[Lamie]

Basically would like to clarify how often and the quantity needed to feed fish? I feed bug bites

 

[otterblue]

It may be helpful to tell the fish you're feeding.

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

Basically would like to clarify how often and the quantity needed to feed fish? I feed bug bites

Generally, as much as they can eat in 5 minutes.
Other sources may suggest 5-10 minutes, although I thin that's why so much overfeeding may occur...the fish eat their fill after 5, so the fishkeeper throws more food in.
When in doubt, it's always better to underfeed, than overfeed and most effective fishkeepers will fast their fish perhaps one day a week.

There's also standard advice in that you feed them twice a day.

I generally feed them a little, several times a day, but then I do like watching my fish it and spreading the feeding out during the day extends my feeding viewing pleasure.

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

It's tricky to generalise, but some fish need more than others, depending on size, age and activity levels, amongst other things.
Fish also eat at different places in the tank. Some fish, like tetras, for example, will have a mad feeding frenzy when food's put into the tank, whereas other fish are continuously grazing and looking for something to eat, golden pencilfish, or pygmy corys, for example.
Some fish will eat anytime, whilst others are definitely crepuscular of even nocturnal in their eating habits.

Aren't you glad you asked?

 

[PheonixKingZ]

I feed mine twice day, in the morning and then at night. The Betta gets Omega One Betta Buffet pellets and fluval bug bites for small fish in the morning and night.

In the morning I feed the tetras and rasboras Fluval bug bite color enhancing flakes and the corydoras Fluval bug bites for small fish.

In evening, I feed them Omega One tropical fish flakes and Omega One shrimp pellets. (I also feed the Pleco Fluval bug bites pleco sticks)

I think as long as you aren't over feeding, and you have a good CUC (clean up crew) it's perfectly safe to feed multiple times in the day. I've seen a huge improvement in size, color, and behavior after I started feeding them a varied diet and feeding them 2x a day.

(I feed my saltwater fish 2x a day as well - frozen mysis in the morning and then NLS pellets at night. Coral gets fed mysis and Reef Candy every other day)

-----

It sounds like a lot of food to keep, and it is. But, it's much better for the overall health and well fare of the fish. I'll post a picture of my food stash when I get home.

 

[Lamie]

It may be helpful to tell the fish you're feeding.

Platies, 1 guppy and danios.

 

[Byron]

I concur with some, probably nearly all, of what has been posted here so far. I do not recommend feeding fish more than once a day, and I also do advocate missing one if not two days each week (call them fast days). This refers to healthy mature fish. Fry need more frequent feedings, but not adult fish. And it does have a cost.

In the wild, fish eat significantly less than we feed them, and it may not always be as high in nutritive value as quality foods. Fish will eat if food is available; this is an instinct to supply them with the necessary nutrition to perpetuate the species, and they know they cannot always find food. It is no accident that spawning occurs when the wet season commences and the flooding of the forest provides a plethora of food. Unlike birds and mammals that need food energy to maintain a high body temperature, fish do not; all their energy needs are related to spawning, surviving and maintaining their immune system and muscles--all of which takes a lot less energy. What is the highest cost of home energy? Heating the space. Fish don't have this need.

Years ago, in the 1980's and 1990's, I fed my fish prepared foods in the morning, then in the evening after supper I gave them their second feeding, of live and/or frozen foods. I certainly cannot say they were any healthier than my present fish that only get one feeding a day and miss two days a week, sometimes three.

The quality of the food is very important. Omega One is good, New Life Spectrum is good, and there are similarly good brands I cannot get and thus don't use. Fluval Bug Bites is ideal. Most fish can find what they need from a variety, flake or pellet for upper fish, sinking pellet and tab for substrate feeders. And you can provide incomparable nutrition from these prepared foods. Frozen and live are good for "treats," but unless you can match the habitat live foods the prepared will always provide better nutrition.

The time it takes to feed depends upon the species. Upper fish generally should only require less than a minute depending upon the fish and numbers; grazers (plecos, etc) and most catfish eat slower so the sinking foods will need to be in the tank for longer. Everything going in the fish is going to be coming out, and that means affecting the water quality. There is no value in feeding double what they need and having twice the waste in which they then must live.

 

[Guest14017]

Juvenile indoor fish I feed twice a day. Indoor adult fish I feed once a day. Outdoor fish are fed when I can be bothered. They don't need to be fed much, they can live off pond algae and bugs in the pond etc.

 

[FishHobby99]

Generally, as much as they can eat in 5 minutes.
Other sources may suggest 5-10 minutes, although I thin that's why so much overfeeding may occur...the fish eat their fill after 5, so the fishkeeper throws more food in.
When in doubt, it's always better to underfeed, than overfeed and most effective fishkeepers will fast their fish perhaps one day a week.

There's also standard advice in that you feed them twice a day.

I generally feed them a little, several times a day, but then I do like watching my fish it and spreading the feeding out during the day extends my feeding viewing pleasure.

I like your way of frequent small feedings & began doing that with my goldfish after you first mentioned this method.

A feeding hierarchy seems to exist in my 90 G tank of 15 cichlids & 5 catfish. Some make a quicker grab and I need to allow time for the others to eat. So the 5 minute rule is N/A

 

[FishHobby99]

I concur with some, probably nearly all, of what has been posted here so far. I do not recommend feeding fish more than once a day, and I also do advocate missing one if not two days each week (call them fast days). This refers to healthy mature fish. Fry need more frequent feedings, but not adult fish. And it does have a cost.

In the wild, fish eat significantly less than we feed them, and it may not always be as high in nutritive value as quality foods. Fish will eat if food is available; this is an instinct to supply them with the necessary nutrition to perpetuate the species, and they know they cannot always find food. It is no accident that spawning occurs when the wet season commences and the flooding of the forest provides a plethora of food. Unlike birds and mammals that need food energy to maintain a high body temperature, fish do not; all their energy needs are related to spawning, surviving and maintaining their immune system and muscles--all of which takes a lot less energy. What is the highest cost of home energy? Heating the space. Fish don't have this need.

Years ago, in the 1980's and 1990's, I fed my fish prepared foods in the morning, then in the evening after supper I gave them their second feeding, of live and/or frozen foods. I certainly cannot say they were any healthier than my present fish that only get one feeding a day and miss two days a week, sometimes three.

The quality of the food is very important. Omega One is good, New Life Spectrum is good, and there are similarly good brands I cannot get and thus don't use. Fluval Bug Bites is ideal. Most fish can find what they need from a variety, flake or pellet for upper fish, sinking pellet and tab for substrate feeders. And you can provide incomparable nutrition from these prepared foods. Frozen and live are good for "treats," but unless you can match the habitat live foods the prepared will always provide better nutrition.

The time it takes to feed depends upon the species. Upper fish generally should only require less than a minute depending upon the fish and numbers; grazers (plecos, etc) and most catfish eat slower so the sinking foods will need to be in the tank for longer. Everything going in the fish is going to be coming out, and that means affecting the water quality. There is no value in feeding double what they need and having twice the waste in which they then must live.

The Fluval Bug Sticks are good too. Think the same content, just bigger. Fish eagerly accept both

 

[itiwhetu]

I feed what every you can put on the black part of a fish's eye once a day.

 

[Lamie]

I feed what every you can put on the black part of a fish's eye once a day.

That's not much. Thanks

 

[Lamie]

Thanks for all your suggestions. It's been very informative and interesting to read about how much you feed your fish.

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

I feed what every you can put on the black part of a fish's eye once a day.

Sorry, but after paying attention to my fish, every single one of them ate way more than would fit on their pupil...every time they fed.
I'm curious as to where you found this nugget?

 

[itiwhetu]

Sorry, but after paying attention to my fish, every single one of them ate way more than would fit on their pupil...every time they fed.
I'm curious as to where you found this nugget?

Everyone feeds their fish way too much, so if you use my equation it means by the time, they double it and feed that amount it will be about right. If you tell the populous the correct amount they will double it and then it will be too much.