Is it beneficial to skip daily feedings?

[FishHobby99]

The guy who had the big tank of cichlids & catfish said he feeds twice a day for three days & skips one. The eBay guppy seller said the same thing. Now the axies seller is saying that too. I haven‘t skipped days. Is good for the fish?
Thank you.

 

[Myraan]

I try to, but they keep looking at me - so I don't know

 

[Ch4rlie]

Yes, missing a meal or two for most fish species is fine for them, in fact some say it is beneficial for them to fast once or twice a week or at least once every two weeks.

I have done this before and no issues at all, in fact it encourages them to forage for food so it’s encouraging normal behaviours imho.

 

[Byron]

Yes, with some clarification. Feeding mature fish more than once each day is not generally recommended. I feed once daily, except I miss two, sometimes three, days each week. Water change day is a "fast" as one should never do this sort of work after feeding the fish, and it is best to give them some "down" time after the W/C. Though a couple hours later could be the time to feed the weekly "treat" of frozen daphnia or bloodworms.

Fish in an aquarium do not need the energy like wild fish, that are constantly foraging for food, perhaps avoiding predators, etc, all of which takes considerable energy. In the aquarium one would hope neither of these issues applies, so food energy should be less. And as fish do not need energy to provide a regulated internal body temperature like mammals and birds, that means significantly less food. Think of it something like, your dog needs considerably more food per body mass than do the fish.

 

[FishHobby99]

Yes, missing a meal or two for most fish species is fine for them, in fact some say it is beneficial for them to fast once or twice a week or at least once every two weeks.

I have done this before and no issues at all, in fact it encourages them to forage for food so it’s encouraging normal behaviours imho.

Thanks, I’ll give it serious thought. I’m a dog, cat & bird person, so never been an option. It may behoove me to join the fast.

 

[FishHobby99]

Yes, with some clarification. Feeding mature fish more than once each day is not generally recommended. I feed once daily, except I miss two, sometimes three, days each week. Water change day is a "fast" as one should never do this sort of work after feeding the fish, and it is best to give them some "down" time after the W/C. Though a couple hours later could be the time to feed the weekly "treat" of frozen daphnia or bloodworms.

Fish in an aquarium do not need the energy like wild fish, that are constantly foraging for food, perhaps avoiding predators, etc, all of which takes considerable energy. In the aquarium one would hope neither of these issues applies, so food energy should be less. And as fish do not need energy to provide a regulated internal body temperature like mammals and birds, that means significantly less food. Think of it something like, your dog needs considerably more food per body mass than do the fish.

Interesting. The previous big tank owner fed 2X a day. I definitely won’t feed on the water change day. Should feed once a day. Does morning or night matter ?

 

[Byron]

Interesting. The previous big tank owner fed 2X a day. I definitely won’t feed on the water change day. Should feed once a day. Does morning or night matter ?

Earlier in the day is preferable because most fish will be more active after the night "rest." Species that naturally feed at dusk of course are different. I tend to feed an hour or two hours after the tank lighting comes on. Always give them at minimum 30 minutes, preferably an hour, to adjust to "daylight" which is represented by the tank light.

In the 1980's and 1990's I fed twice daily; flake (dry prepared) food in the morning, then frozen in the evening after I got home. The fish were no better off then than they have been during the past 12+ years with only the one feeding, or subsequently the two fast days. The fact that they can go one week, even two weeks without feeding and be no worse off should tell us something.

 

[FishHobby99]

Earlier in the day is preferable because most fish will be more active after the night "rest." Species that naturally feed at dusk of course are different. I tend to feed an hour or two hours after the tank lighting comes on. Always give them at minimum 30 minutes, preferably an hour, to adjust to "daylight" which is represented by the tank light.

In the 1980's and 1990's I fed twice daily; flake (dry prepared) food in the morning, then frozen in the evening after I got home. The fish were no better off then than they have been during the past 12+ years with only the one feeding, or subsequently the two fast days. The fact that they can go one week, even two weeks without feeding and be no worse off should tell us something.

Thanks, I will email this to myself so it’ll be easier to find.

Would I have problems feeding AM because my favorite catfish is nocturnal or will he come out of his cave & eat if that‘s when chow’s served?

 

[Deleted member 149562]

My fish are fed alternate days and when I had Phoenix, my Axie, he was fed alternate days when a baby and then once or twice a week when adult (they have slow metabolism so daily feeding is not required and can in some cases bring on constipation which needs treating by placing Axie in an aquarium water filled sandwich box for a week or so in the fridge to allow excess food etc to pass without damaging the Axie)

 

[CaptainBarnicles]

My fish are fed alternate days

I've always done this, keeps the tank cleaner as there's less waste and the fish, as mentioned above, naturally forage for snacks...so algae etc is kept to a minimum making my life easier when it comes to maintainance. I do believe despite it being convenient for me that it's beneficial for the fish too, never had issues with constipation or bad water dramas from overfeeding

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

Fasting at least one day a week is a must for me and was something I was encouraged to do, early on in my fishkeeping.
This habit helps counter the possibility (probability?) of over-feeding and encourages the fish to search for food, as they would in the wild, resulting in a cleaner tank.
It also helps you see all of your fish when you do eventually feed them, as they are somewhat keener for it.

For those of us who struggle to not overfeed our fish, I was given a useful tip...you don't have to feed the fish once or twice a day...you can feed them a little and more often! Measure out the daily ration and then distribute that amount during the day.

 

[FishHobby99]

My fish are fed alternate days and when I had Phoenix, my Axie, he was fed alternate days when a baby and then once or twice a week when adult (they have slow metabolism so daily feeding is not required and can in some cases bring on constipation which needs treating by placing Axie in an aquarium water filled sandwich box for a week or so in the fridge to allow excess food etc to pass without damaging the Axie)

Thanks for your invaluable insights
Much appreciated

 

[FishHobby99]

Fasting at least one day a week is a must for me and was something I was encouraged to do, early on in my fishkeeping.
This habit helps counter the possibility (probability?) of over-feeding and encourages the fish to search for food, as they would in the wild, resulting in a cleaner tank.
It also helps you see all of your fish when you do eventually feed them, as they are somewhat keener for it.

For those of us who struggle to not overfeed our fish, I was given a useful tip...you don't have to feed the fish once or twice a day...you can feed them a little and more often! Measure out the daily ration and then distribute that amount during the day.

Liking the little & more often but have some reservations with tank that has 20 not so small catfish & cichlids. They seem to have a feeding hierarchy going on.

 

[Avel1896]

Hello
I always fast my fishes once a week but the day after, as soon as I passed before the tank I was faced with this

 

[JemZ]

I skip one or two days a week, the second day feeding my platy a pea before fasting her the next day; It seems to help her to poop (I do especially if I had overfed the day before and want to lessen her bloating.)

Always make sure to change up what you feed. I rotate between bug bites, bits of algae wafer, peas, and cucumber. I'm working on adding in freeze-dried brine shrimp and some fruits now too. Variety is nice for them and I enjoy watching her eat different foods too!