Feeding: Routine or Random?

[sabhain]

Hi All,

Hope you're having a good day.

Just working through some constipation (& maybe parasite) issues with my platy's. I'm learning that they're really hogs and have no self control. A couple of them have gotten really bloated, and then somewhat lethargic.

Parameters are really good, and they're in a big tank by themselves. But it seams like every 4-6 weeks 2 of my females get fat & sluggish. They've been preggo & dropping fry .. but this is something different.

There were some other signs that pointed to potential parasite things .. so I did a course of the API general cure, and that seemed to help things a bit.

What really seemed to do the trick was the shelled peas and fast technique. I did that right after the API and the two of them took HUGE dumps the next day and seem to be back in the active routine with the others now.

My long winded leadup is to this question: Do any of you keeping platy's have a regular routine for doing the Peas & Fast technique, or do you just do it as necessary when they appear to eat too much?

Clearly the primary thing I'm doing is cutting back on feedings, to 1-2 per day rather than 2-3. I've never had issues with un-eaten food .. these girls gobble it all up. I think the frequency might just have been too high.

So I'm wondering if I should do the Peas & Fast every couple of weeks on a cadence or not?

Thanks for your time!

[Wild Turkey]

Fasting one day a week is usually recommended. I do it with all of my fish

The peas are more of an "as needed" but you can feed them as a treat, no harm.

[Lady Hobbs]

Platies are known to be hogs and getting constipated goes along with it. Just because they beg for food doesn't mean they need to be fed. They're just plain beggers. The one day fast each week is a good idea but also cut down during the week. Babies need to be feed more often than adults. You may also want to try a pellet food if for nothing else but some variety.

Worms would be if they had long, white, springy poo.

[Sasquatch]

I find it's more a question of quality than of quantity. With the platies I've had, feeding once a day with a variety of foods worked very well and kept them healthy and producing babies. Fasting for a day per week also helps.

We feed a variety of flake (rarely), pellets, dehydrated and frozen. Spirulina should also help with the constipation, so try to get a few varieties of food that include it.

[Taurus]

:goodpost: Yup, once per day, each day something different, fast one day per week. Flakes or pellets should include spirulina. It's winning formula.

[troy]

Feeding them veggetables once a week should keep them from being constipated.

[chrisfraser05]

I do fasting on wednesdays and put a couple of peas in a week.

I know what you mean about platys being piggies too lol

[drgallahad]

thumbs2: yes when i walk into the room they head for the feeding corner. i do feed twice a day but on wendesday it fasting day. On thursday it flakes in the morning and blood worn or shrimp that evening. then back to the flakes the rest of the week. they eat most of the food i put out in about 30 sec :18: but that all they get. I feed my baby twice a day every day worm and flakes. good luck :22: