How Often Do You Feed & What?

[Melody]

Mr. Edgezilla got me to thinkin' about this one.

How often do you feed your adult fish?

Do you vary the type of food (as in protein for one, vegies for the other, frozen then flake, etc)?

How about weekly? Do you include live, frozen or freeze dried foods on a treat basis here and there?

Then there's the growing fry - how do you feed those?

Its difficult to feed them several times when you work away from home - have you come up with other ways to provide a steady food source to fry?

My adults are fed once or twice/day, and the bottom feeders (including snails) are fed after lights out so the other fish also get some of that. I alternate protein & vegies along with type/brand. Several times/week they get frozen food and around three times/week they get my homemade food. They get fresh vegies ... hmmm... never tracked that...lol...I'd say every three or four days.

Fry are miniscule amounts, several times / day as I work at home at the moment. When I worked outside the home it was once before I went to work, once in the afternoon (I only worked a 6.5 hour shift and was home by 2:30PM), again in the early evening and one more time before I went to bed.

[Danzig]

i feed my 2 oscars 2-3 times daily, their staple is hikari bio gold pellets, i also feed them krill, shrimp,zuccini, cucumber and spring to fall the get occasional rainbow trout filet pieces(i dont go fishing when its cold out lol).

i also have a baby polypterus senegalus which i am feeding hikari sinking carnivoir pellets (broken up), krill pieces and fresh shrimp pieces.
i feed him up to 5 times a day but as he grows the feedings will become less, and for the most part will be similar to the oscars diet.

[Melody]

Oscars are awesome, tank hogs, but awesome ;) .

Do you prepare the fresh fish at all? Or just debone and chuck it in? I think that's the first time I've heard of someone feeding freshly caught fish, although the grocery store stuff can't bee too old...lol...its just something a person doesn't normally hear about. They must love it.

[Danzig]

yes they do love it hehe, i prepare it as filets for myself.
i keep them in the freezer cut small chunks of the meat off and thaw it in hot water for a few minutes.
the filet of a roughly 4-5lb rainbow can last quite a while as fish food.
i do catch and release mostly but when it comes to rainbow and bbq season i cant resist hehe.
i dont feed them anything "live" to avoid any potential aggression incline, but still wanted them to get the nutrition from live fish to supplement their main diet.
i only feed them fish chunks about 3 times a week. Krill every other day, pellets everyday, and veggies every 2-3 days.

[Melody]

They sound like spoiled fishies alright :yes: . Thanks for the details.

The aggression theory is interesting, I've read that before. Is it just the live food or raw food in general do you think?

Its even been tossed around as a theory that it increases aggression in snails, believe it or not, but that of course, is raw food, not live.

[CACAdmin]

I feed my adult fish once or twice a day (twice if there are fry in the tank as well). I feed my fry (in their grow-out tank) three times a day. Of course, when I toss in algae wafers, or zucchini or shrimp pellets just before the lights go out for the snails and bottom feeders, the rest of the fish get some of that too (so I guess that's an additional feeding).

Hard to vote in the poll because of the variations in feeding :confused: but I guess I'll make it an average.

As for what I feed, I try to vary it so that they get both veggies & protein in the same day and most days change what (or brand) I'm feeding so they get variety & don't get bored with their diet (do you think fish get bored with their food :FishQuestion:)

[Danzig]

im not sure if feeding live fish actually can increase aggression or if its myth, but as i dont know for sure, i figure better safe than sorry hehe

[CACAdmin]

Well Danzig, you could run your own experiment. Have 2 tanks and feed one live food and one chunks of fish... then test their aggression levels with other fish after a period of time... of course, you'd have to deal with the aggression if the live food did indeed make them more aggressive. (Kind of hard to put the genie back in the bottle so to speak.;))

[Danzig]

the hard part wouldnt be dealing with a potentially aggressive fish, the hard part would be trying to get my wife to let me get another large tank LOL.

[CACAdmin]

Just tell her it's in the interests of science. ;)

[blainep]

I usually feed twice per day. In the morning I feed a staple flake, in the evening I feed something else ( worms, veggies or anything else I can find thats healthy).

[Corbin]

i feed them once every other day, for a bit, but usualy 2times a day.

[Melody]

the hard part wouldnt be dealing with a potentially aggressive fish, the hard part would be trying to get my wife to let me get another large tank LOL.

So we can conclude that in this case it would definitly increase aggression, but whether it effects fish or not is still up in the air. ;)

[Edgezilla]

How often do you feed your adult fish?

1-4 times a day depending on how hungry they look and if I am conditioning them for breeding.

Do you vary the type of food (as in protein for one, vegies for the other, frozen then flake, etc)?

varies on the type of product but still favor what they get are naturally in the wild. i.e. If they are meat eater, I feed them strictly meaty diet but varies on the type (wardley shrimp pellet, hikari carnviore pellet, tetra tablet etc.)

How about weekly? Do you include live, frozen or freeze dried foods on a treat basis here and there?

Strictly dried food.

Then there's the growing fry - how do you feed those?

Its difficult to feed them several times when you work away from home - have you come up with other ways to provide a steady food source to fry?

I feed them mostly live food in the first month with a mixed of dried food. I usually add enough in the morning so they can have something to munch on till I am home. One feeding when I am home and one feeding before bed time. I add more than they can consume at one sitting. live food usually last till the next feeding. I keep pond snails in the grow out tank to keep the bottom cleaner. Bascially, there is a constant supply of food 24/7 (give or take a couple hours) during the first month. Once I start adding more dried food to the diet, I stopped leaving large quantity of food at the bottom for long duration.

I guess this doesn't work too well if they are not bottom feeder in a bare bottom tank. no extra lighting to the tank unless I am cleaning or checking on the fry.

[Melody]

Thanks for all of the detailed posting - very interesting!

How about using plants & Applesnails for infusoria? I actually got into snails years ago for just that reason. :yes: Between the nice digs for Infusorians (Java Moss, Algae, etc.) and the fact that Applesnails 'produce' infusorians in the digestive tract, you can have another constant supply of food that doesn't pollute the water. They also keep the mess and dead fry cleaned up. Of course, too many Applesnails will add their own polution, so less is more.

Vinegar Eels will last quite some time in fresh water so they're a good food for feeding before work.

[Sailor]

I feed my hungry kitumba juvies 3 times a day. Mixture of nls growth, cichlid pellets and flakes. I'm sure if it was up to them it would be more often as it always seems like they're hungry.

[CACAdmin]

It's been a while since we ran this poll so I figure it's time to get some input from our newer members on how often and how much you feed your fish.:yes:

[_BaDgUy_]

I "try" to feed at least once a day!

Food varies between quality flake foods, live brine shrimp, walter worms, CBW, frozen brine shrimp, frozen bloodworms, vegies (for those who eat it), and other live foods when I get my hands on them!

[ChrissyFishy]

I found old polls when I was looking for the hith link :Research: . I feed most of my fish 2 times everyday and sometimes 3 times for babies.

[Pamelajo]

Fry I try to feed 4 times a day. Alternate between microworms, egg flake, omega first flake, decapsulated shrimp and spirulina.
Others one to two times a day. Alternate between spirulina, premium with natrose, veggie and shrimp flake. Also throw in roughly once a week krill and blood worms.
Bottom feeders spirula wafters, juvie food, veggie pellets and shrimp pellets.
Veggies too, brocolli, zuchini and cucumbers.

[KnaveTO]

How often do you feed your adult fish?
Adult fish are fed twice a day. The bottom feeders do get fed after lights out and usually is either a veggiies, pettets or frozen food.

Do you vary the type of food (as in protein for one, vegies for the other, frozen then flake, etc)?
food is varied between frozen and flake. Day 1 they are given flake at both feedings and day two it is flake in the morning and frozen in the evenings. Frozen food can consist of brine shrimp, daphnia, blood worms or mysis shrimp.

How about weekly? Do you include live, frozen or freeze dried foods on a treat basis here and there?
I don't do anythink weekly

Then there's the growing fry - how do you feed those?
They are fed twice a day with ground flake in the morning and baby brine in the evenings till they get to a size that can handle the larger foods.

[James]

I feed the guppy tank twice a day, each time also put in sinking pellet for the cory cats. The brown snails are on their own.

Oscar's, well how can you not give them something when they are begging at the top of the tank,,,looking so hungry. For them they get the pellets twice a day, and snacks in the evening,,around the same time I go to kitchen for my snacks..

[Melody]

I found old polls when I was looking for the hith link :Research: . I feed most of my fish 2 times everyday and sometimes 3 times for babies.

Thanks for bumping it Chris - lotsa new members that we'd like to hear from. :smile:

[DaFishMan]

How often do you feed your adult fish?
I was feeding once per day a combo of 2 or 3 foods (HBH Meat Lovers Flake, Spirulina Flake as the staples. I feed the protein on one side of the tank, spirulina on the other. No more then the fish could eat in about 5 minutes.

Now feeding twice-3times per day, smaller amounts.

Do you vary the type of food (as in protein for one, vegies for the other, frozen then flake, etc)?
Basically a combo of flakes, Freeze dried bloodworms a few times per week, algae tabs a few times per week. Freeze-dried brine shrimp. Have frozen blood worms & mysis shrimp that I'm saving for future breeders, along with earthworm flake.

How about weekly? Do you include live, frozen or freeze dried foods on a treat basis here and there?
Freeze dried blodworms or brineshrimp. Shrimp pellets.

Then there's the growing fry - how do you feed those?
When I had just livebearers (years ago), at least 3 times per day. I'd take different types of flakes, pellets, freeze dried foods (brine shrimp, krill, daphnia, tubifex worms, bloodworms etc), and powder it along with a couple multi-vitamins. Also hard-boiled egg yolk.

[Melody]

I think I would like to be your fish.... although I would pass on the wormies. :nah:

[hp10BII]

I think I would like to be your fish.... although I would pass on the wormies. :nah:

Don't knock it until you've tried them!

How often do you feed your adult fish?
Usually a couple of feeds a day, pellets in the morning, flakes or frozen foods for their evening meal. Frozen foods ie. blood worms, brine shrimp, mysis shrimp once or twice a week. I throw in an algae wafer/processed veggie food product a couple times a week with the pellets in the morning. Some simple veggies a couple times a week ie. green peas, zukes.

Do you vary the type of food (as in protein for one, vegies for the other, frozen then flake, etc)?
I try to rotate the pellets and flakes between a couple of different companies just for variety sake. But generally sticking to pellets am, flakes pm.

How about weekly? Do you include live, frozen or freeze dried foods on a treat basis here and there?
As above, the only fishies getting frozen foods daily are the growing babies and juvies.

Then there's the growing fry - how do you feed those?
Trying out the Ocean Nutrition instant brine shrimp for fry, feed that about 3 to 4 times a day. Easy enough to do because it only lasts 6 weeks, more than enough for fry. Other growing fish, juvenile discus gets fed 4 to 5 times a day, mainly a protein diet.

[DaFishMan]

I think I would like to be your fish...
Done ! :wink:


Don't knock it until you've tried them!
:no: She is VERY allergic to bloodworms unfortunately...

[Melody]

:no: She is VERY allergic to bloodworms unfortunately...

Yes, otherwise I'd be all over them with a spoon!

Maybe... :nah:

This thread is very informative, thanks for all of the detailed responses!:notworthy:Some seriously spoiled fishies in this forum.....:biggrin:

[KnaveTO]

Some seriously spoiled fishies in this forum.....:biggrin:

I blame you Melody :NoSass:


:Neener: :BOLTS:

[Melody]

Now why doesn't that surprise me? :twitcy:

[Katalyst]

Now why doesn't that surprise me? :twitcy:

She's not known as the Princess Ninja Mermaid Enabler for nothin' yanno. :BOLTS:

[Katalyst]

How often do you feed your adult fish?

Two times a day in the Winter, 3 times a day Spring/Summer.

Do you vary the type of food (as in protein for one, vegies for the other, frozen then flake, etc)?

They get more of a varied diet then I do!

How about weekly? Do you include live, frozen or freeze dried foods on a treat basis here and there?

Yep, as well as fruits and veggies.

Then there's the growing fry - how do you feed those?

4 times a day varied crushed flaked food, golden pearls, frozen foods, live foods, mashed up pellets and homemade food. I also feed them hard boiled egg yolks which are fed right before a HUGE water change.

Its difficult to feed them several times when you work away from home - have you come up with other ways to provide a steady food source to fry?

I keep automated feeders on fry tanks and in the past have left them in the am with live foods to snack on while I was out.

[Melody]

I expected to see a trend for once/day. I'm surprised to see that twice/day is more common. :Think:

[PintoHawk]

How often do you feed your adult fish?
Twice/day. Morning when I am having my coffee, and after supper at night.

Do you vary the type of food (as in protein for one, vegies for the other, frozen then flake, etc)?
Morning is a combo of flake food with a small chunk of dried Tubifex, which they LOVE.
Night feeding is frozen bloodworms OR my home-made food.
Pleco gets one or two wafers at night - sometimes it's two simply because the other fish pick at it and I worry he won't have enough when he finally gets his little spotted butt out there to find it.

How about weekly? Do you include live, frozen or freeze dried foods on a treat basis here and there?
The frozen foods are an everyday thing, it's the veggies that would be considered a weekly treat, BUT my home-made food is very full of veggies so it's not a huge deal.

Then there's the growing fry - how do you feed those?
Its difficult to feed them several times when you work away from home - have you come up with other ways to provide a steady food source to fry?
I haven't had any (surviving) babies yet, but when I do, I will feed 4-6 times/day. I work from home, so multiple feedings won't be a problem.

- This thread was VERY interesting and helpful. :D

[CACAdmin]

I thought I'd bump this poll to get some input from our newest members.
:bump-5:

[Gramma]

How often do you feed your adult fish?
Twice a day. In the morning and again after dinner.

Do you vary the type of food (as in protein for one, veggies for the other, frozen then flake, etc)?
Mornings are always a NLS flake food and pellets.
Evenings vary and alternate. Other flake foods, frozen blood worms 3 times per week, freeze dried brine shrimp, shrimp pellets, algae wafers, sinking pellets & Melody's Bottom Bites.

Then there's the growing fry - how do you feed those?
4 times per day

[Katalyst]

Can I derail this for a second??? :offtopic:

Thanks!

I ran out of fry food recently and was in a bit of a panic...I took Melody's Bottom Bites and ground them up with a mortal and pestle into a fine dust. The fry went NUTS over it. :yes: Much to my pleco's dismay my stuarti fry are now eating Bottom Bites Fry Dust lol.

And Now Back to your regularly programed schedule........:laugh:

[Pamelajo]

ground them up with a mortal and pestle into a fine dust.

Where did you get a mortal and pestle, I have been looking for one???

[Lisachromis]

Many kitchen stores will carry them.

[Pamelajo]

Thanks Lisa!

[Katalyst]

Many kitchen stores will carry them.

Hi Lisa,

Good to see you here! I'll be seeing you in a months time I'm sure!

Pam,

I think mine was origionally belonged to my Mother, its as old as the hills but does the trick.

[pinantanjohn]

I only feed once per day because all my fish are omnivores and it causes them to graze and keep the substrate clear of uneaten food and stuff. I feed general tropical fish flake to both my adults and my fry tank. Probably not that good of an idea but I have not got much choice at this time.

John

[Melody]

ran out of fry food recently and was in a bit of a panic...I took Melody's Bottom Bites and ground them up with a mortal and pestle into a fine dust. The fry went NUTS over it. :yes: Much to my pleco's dismay my stuarti fry are now eating Bottom Bites Fry Dust lol.


I go to all of that trouble to make them perfect gross green slabs, and she pummels them... have you no respect? :laugh:

[Katalyst]

I go to all of that trouble to make them perfect gross green slabs, and she pummels them... have you no respect? :laugh:

:wideeyed: But...but...but!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Then you're really not gonna like the fact that they have also become betta bites lol.
:BOLTS:


Its the perfect food I tell you..Maybe I'll try giving it to my husband for dinner tomorrow lol.

[Melody]

I wouldn't - I still tease Mr. Mykiss about him trying his fish foods after I sent Bottom Bites home with him... and he spawned. :laugh:

I'm all excited because I just scored a Canadian source of bulk seaweeds, all of which is harvested in Canada too. Then I eat a Cheezewhiz sandwhich, pop a vitamin and call myself healthy.:rolleyes: I should eat Bottom Bites, but it's green and my body would go into a reaction I'm sure.

[Lisachromis]

Hi Lisa,

Good to see you here! I'll be seeing you in a months time I'm sure!



Great! Looking forward to it. :)

[distanc3]

3+ for 7xkoi 9goldfish (pond)
2 for softshelled turtles
2 for 3 koi, 2 snails, 3 crayfishes (tank)

[firestorm]

I feed my discus tank as well as my fry tanks 3 times a day. Fry I give golden pearls, NLS grow out formula BBS or BS depending on how big the fry are. I also throw in algae wafers every now and then if they are herbivorous fry. In my discus tank they get either NLS optimum flakes in the morning, or NLS discus formula (still trying to get them to eat this last one) then when I get home I feed them some flakes or whatever again. Then before bed they get one of three types of frozen foods being the jack wardleys discus formula, bloodworms, or brine shrimp, and I always throw in about 5 algae wafers for my BN's to eat.

All my africans or large CA cichlids get the NLS 1mm or 3mm pellets, my CA's also get hikari carnivore pellets, my SA's get optimum flakes, or tetramin flakes and I usually throw in some algae wafers for the pleco's in their tanks, and they get frozen treats only once a week of blood worms, brine shrimp, krill, the africans or herbivores don't get the blood worms. It is very confusing yes :err:

My shrimp I throw in a few optimum flakes one day, the next I will throw in some algae wafers (only get fed once a day). And for my synodontis petricola I always throw in some hikari bottom feeder wafers, they also eat the flakes or pellets I put in the tank.

Have I lost everyone yet, feeding my fish at night usually takes me about 1/2 hour lol. (having 18 tanks with all different fish makes things take a little longer):wideeyed:

You probably don't even want to know how much time it takes to feed the plants in my tanks haha.

[Gobies et al]

I had to laugh about how complicated your feeding regime sounds and then I read it to my husband!

When I am working a stretch of evening shifts, I have little sticky notes on the tanks with instructions on feeding. I must say he is being good-natured about it.

[firestorm]

Haha, yeah last time I went on holidays I had to have my brother just feed them once a day, and I put their daily feedings all measured out in plastic ziploc baggies with the tank and day of the week labeled on them. I think I might have to print out some feeding and maintenance schedules so I know what I did and when lol, as sometimes I tend to forget.

[Gobies et al]

I have a crappy memory about some things, too. For the past 4 or 5 years I have kept a weekly planner and recorded water changes, parameters, filter cleanings, any treatments, fish purchases, etc.

For awhile, I kept a list of which frozen food to feed on what day to my Dragon Gobi to be sure of variety not what is easiest.

[Melody]

LOL here's some free aquarium software (http://www.canadianaquariumconnection.com/forum/showthread.php?t=154) to help you out!

[Gobies et al]

:Holiday-9:

Thanks Melody!

It's almost time to start a new planner! :laugh: I'll take a good look at those programs first!

[tigerbarb420]

I feed once every day or 2. Sometimes I miss a day but that's ok. I try to alternate between flake, frozen blood worms and freeze dried krill. Now that I just read the caution blood worms thread it will have to be substituted with something else.

[Addicted2Trophs]

i feed my trophs very small amounts 3-4x a day
forgot to mention what: its a mix of NLS color enhancing formula, NLS thera A, and dainichi veggie FX, all 1mm pellets (i mixed the 3 containers up in a big bowl)

[mikebike]

my plecos, goldfish/koi/Cichlids/Cories/ and guppies (all tanks) get a large leaf of Romain lettuce each evening.
They eat more greens than I do<G>

I also bought 10 KG of Spirulina Flake, 5 lb Spirulina wafer, 5 LB. of sinking 2mm Cichlid pellets, and 4 - 19 OZ cans of Tetra Colour granules.
I blend together a mix of Spirulina flake, 2mm sinking Cichlid pellets, and tetra Colour Granules in equal parts.

I have 'finger bowls' on top of the tanks so I can drop some into the tanks as I'm going in for the AM/Noon/dinner time feedings.

I also supplement the feeding with Bottom Bits and Critter Bits for treats.

I'm experimenting on making gelatin feeder blocks for a time release feeding.

[Devonian]

I feed sparingly twice a day. They usually get Omega One freshwater flake in the morning, but I give them a variety of things (not at once, of course) for the later feeding. I’m using Hikari sinking wafers soaked in strong garlic solution, Spectrum community pellets, which they take a while to find, so I don’t worry about dry food problems, and a couple of feedings of fresh peas a week, which they devour. They also get shrimp pellets, frozen bloodworm, daphnia, and brine shrimp, but only occasionally as treats. I squash the occasional tiny ramshorn snail (–sorry, snail lovers…) against the glass for a little fresh snack food. Planning to try making some gel food soon, and to try more veggies on them. They enjoyed some of that historic Fraser River salmon run, thanks to the fish I froze at the time.

[Ursus sapien]

I feed sparingly ...

now there's a trick I wish I could learn!

[Kimr]

I feed twice a day as well, and I am much better at the sparingly now then I used to be!!!