What is proper
fish feeding?
To successfully keep fish as a hobby you must learn
to feed your fish the right type of food and the right
QUANTITY of food. If you “ overfeed” your
fish the ammonia level will rise quickly and ultimately
make your fish ill or kill them: Overfeeding your
fish is the #1 cause of problems in fish aquariums.
What is overfeeding?
“Overfeeding” is simply putting more food
in your aquarium than your fish will eat. Generally
if the food falls to the bottom of the aquarium you
are overfeeding.
How should you feed your fish?
It is best to feed your fish after the light has been
on for at least 1 hour. Start by taking a very small
portion of food (4-5 flakes or pellets per fish) and
put it in the tank. Now observe your fish. Do they
immediately eat the food while it is still on the
surface? If so put in a little more. As soon as food
begins to fall to the bottom, stop. Every tank will
require a different amount of food. Experiment to
find out what is right for your tank using the guideline
above. If you have liveleavers, stop at 7-9 per fish,
as they may overeat!
How often should you feed your fish?
When starting an aquarium we recommend you feed your
fish once, every other day. In a new aquarium it is
especially important not to overfeed. After 1 month
you can increase your feedings to once a day if you
would like. Remember it is difficult to “starve’
your fish, but very easy to “overfeed’
and cause ammonia problems.
What type of food should I Feed my fish?
There is no one right answer. The more variety you
give your fish, the more likely you will mimic their
natural diet. This variety will result in better color,
quicker growth and better health. Like any living
thing, the better the diet, the healthier and prettier
it will be. Don’t overfeed but offer variety
for a healthy and vibrant aquarium. A good rule is
a staple food 3-4 times and different foods are other
days. One feeding a day, though.
What other types of foods are there?
FLOATING PELLETS:
Floating food stays at the top longer before it sinks
which is great for goldfish and cichlids.
SHRIMP PELLETS:
Sinks immediately. This is good for bottom feeders
like sharks, loaches and frogs.
VARIOUS WORMS:
Many different dry worms are sold. Tubifex and Bloodworms
are the two most popular.
FROZEN BRINE SHRIMP:
A favorite of all fish. Great for growth, but be careful
not to overfeed.
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