Unlimited food supply… what happens long term???

[Magnum Man]

So I have some water meal thriving in a tank ( growing fast than the fish can eat it ) I’m not sure all are eating it, but it’s supposed to be a good food source… of the 2 varieties of African tetras, that I know are eating it, each of these look pregnant, they have been eating so much… I’m worried they may have no self control, and eat themselves to death… fish in the wild must run into seasons of abundance… are they likely to eat themselves to death???

 

[MaloK]

I doubt any fish would eat to the point of death on any readily explosive available poor food source.

They could with treats tho. But If your fish are gone veggies for survival purpose only, it's not adequate.

Tetras diet is comprise in order of insects, nymph and adult, small crustacean. Zooplankton and algae last.

They are omnivorous and might lack meat in their diet. If they poo a lot is another flag.

I would try to enrich their diet with more insect based food, daphnia and copepods as bonus.

 

[GaryE]

They can kill themslves with food, much as we do. We don't explode at the buffet table, but we do die of heart disease and such if we become obese. With fish, they don't store fat between the muscle and skin as we do - they fill their inner body cavity with it. THis puts pressure on their internal organs, and if they don't lose the weight, they die from that.
Since they are cold blooded, they don't burn fat to maintain temperature, so fat doesn't gomaway quickly.I'd wager that in nature, a fish that got fat would rapidly be eaten.

What's water meal though?

 

[MaloK]

Water meal has zero fat content. The probable reason why they are overfeeding on it.

Fat in fish is used long them energy source, fatty acids, are critical fuel to physiological processes, including brain function, immune system health, and cardiovascular health.

Water meal is not a substitute while it has high protein content.

 

[Magnum Man]

Just to clarify, they get an adequate, and varied diet… they typically get fed at night, but I witness them feeding on the wolffia at 1st light the in the morning…

 

[Magnum Man]

Also wollffia is highly recommended as a nutritious food source

Water meal…

I inherited some water meal, in with some other floating plants… it’s literally half the size of common duck weed… it’s been choking out the Asian water moss in my African Tetra tank… but I’m noticing many of the Tetras have been eating it, some, pretty heavily… reading up on it, it’s highly...

www.fishforums.net

 

[GaryE]

My rainbows eat lots of duckweed with no problem. I haven't ever seen water meal.

Still, just because it's natural doesn't mean it's good, or natural to the fish encountering it. I wonder how it is with livebearers from the Genuses that need veggie content. Hmmm.

 

[Magnum Man]

Not all the Tetras are eating it, really just 3 species… the Yellow Tails, Blue and Golds, and the common Congo Tetras… the other 4-5 varieties don’t eat it… the female yellow tails, and female Congo’s don’t seem to be able to help themselves… they may not eat it at all during the day, when I’m not here, and they eat the regular foods at night, but eat continually for the hour or so, that I get to watch them in the mornings… it’s supposed to be a good food source, and if they eat their fill, that’s fine, but if they are like potato chips, and they can’t stop eating, when they are full, that wouldn’t be good… they all look particularly healthy right now anyway…