How Often To Feed

**Goes to 11!** · 11-14-2012, 09:12 PM

Originally Posted by ijankrom

Interesting, why the fast the day before you complete WC?

In theory:

Since they don't eat on Sundays their waste will be minimal on Mondays [WC day] and their new water gets one less day of pooping.

Mind you, I have no evidence that this is legitimately effective but it sort of makes sense that having 6 days of poop vs 7 in the tank cannot be a bad thing.

... And I prefer lazy Sundays

**Zander** · 11-14-2012, 09:17 PM

Wow you guys feed your fish a lot. In my experience that just creates more waste to clean up. Even if they are eating all the food they're going to produce more waste.

I feed my fish maybe 4 days a week. Sometimes I forget and I know there has been a week here or there where I only fed them twice. Other times I feed them two days in a row but not too often. My younger fish are growing plenty quickly and everything. There seems to be no difference in fish health from when I had just started keeping fish and fed every day.

**Goes to 11!** · 11-14-2012, 09:27 PM

Depends on the amount fed. I do not feed 'a lot', There is no doubt I feed often.

If the food quantity is adequate and of high quality I see no issue with your feeding schedule.

I am painting with a broad brush here but I firmly believe that most new [& some not so new] hobbyists feed far too much quantity wise.

**ijankrom** · 11-14-2012, 09:31 PM

Originally Posted by 850R

I am painting with a broad brush here but I firmly believe that most new [& some not so new] hobbyists feed far too much.

Thankfully fish don't get fat like us!

For those feeding to much, it's their headache - the fish probably love it.

**Goes to 11!** · 11-14-2012, 09:40 PM

I am sure they do lol but that is not the issue at all.

As Zander mentioned the excess just destroys water quality.

This in combo with overstocking, Lack of cycling/testing & minimal WC/underfiltration [ALL classic rookie errors] is a tsunami of "My tank has a problem" [In all caps with 14 exclamation marks] and they are all totally preventable with a bit of research.

It sucks when you see people struggling to fix issues that didn't have to happen and having crap water due to overfeeding is a common one.

**steeler1** · 11-14-2012, 10:40 PM

Totaly agree with 850R, even if you read the old books they always said "feed your fish only what they will eat in X time". Also likes that he "fasts" his fish one day a week (good for the soul LOL).

I usualy feed three days flake, than one day bloodworms or brine shrimpe, two days flake, one day fast, than back to bloodworms or BS.