during the week i feed adult fish one to two times a day. fry 3 to 5 times a day. on weekends, adults 2 to 3 times and fry 5 times. if i let them eat for the full three minutes, i would be broke. they will eat everything i put in there in 3 minutes. i could drop 40 pellets in there and my male would eat every one. he is a pig. i don't do this, but he would eat them all if i did. it is hard to get enough food for a female to get any if he is in with her.