I feed my fish 10-15 times a day
- Thread starter TheRealAndyCook
- Start date
kdrun76;4556215; said:
I am going to take the Professor of Ichthyology \ Marine Biologist's side on this debate, even though it is not my current practice to feed 5 times a week, I feed daily.
I would, any day, take an educated persons suggestions over my own, however I just don't follow that advice blindly...He made a bunch of valid points and everyone else seems to agree...
So I'll feed a few times over the day since my new fish are strong enough to keep up with the others in the tank.
So I'll feed a few times over the day since my new fish are strong enough to keep up with the others in the tank.
Hlee019;4556759; said:
tbh it was probably about 6 or 7 sometimes feedings, sometimes twice in a minute or two, but like a pinch or two of flakes nothing massive, I have 13 fish in that tank.
But, i wanted to get past the BS and get right to the point so i took the thread a little over board, thus the " *waits for rage*
"
TheRealAndyCook;4556761; said:
I believe Karen is a she
and like I said, I feed my fish everyday. I also try to make sure that everyone gets fed.
In my opinion, when it comes to nutrition for my fish, what I feed is more important than when I feed.
If so I hope she excepts my apologies. And, I hope no one ends up mad for me exaggerating 
but, new feeding regime tomorrow =]
but, new feeding regime tomorrow =]obviously the gent is not asking for a lecture in spelling ,if you can understand what he meant that should be good enough ,not everyone is endowed with your skills ...TheRealAndyCook;4556321;4556321 said:Its much easier if you actually have a calender likee this.
Then throughout the day you can throw out the day
Both sides make sense.. I'de be interested in any papers reguarding the long-term effects of power feeding fish verse "natural feeding" because if I'm incorrect feeding 10-15 times a day would consitute whats commonly called "Power feeding". I know an excess of protiens fed to young mammals can cause kidney and liver issues due to the body improperly being capable of flushing them from the body. Not knowing much in reguards to cold blooded fish, I'm assuming similar problems can occur and likely alot easier due to low body temp and lack of metobolic rate. Over the years I've found in my fish personally that 5 days of feeding followed by a 2 day fasting or a similar feeding regime has been the best "quality of life" I can offer my fish. During the first year of my fishes lives as a general rule I will feed 3-5 times a day for those 5 days.. but the fasting period seems to be important for allowing their growth to develop at a steady healthy rate.
Logically if fish where designed like us, many small meals a day opposed to 1-3 larger meals would be better, but their metebolic system is very different. rarely do we need to fast either. their are species that likely break some general rules.
I think the OP is look not just for an "answer" but an explination as to what he's doing is right or wrong. I don't blame him for not wanting to blindly follow, and knowledge is power or some such as they say. I wouldn't mind know the exact numbers myself as they say.
Logically if fish where designed like us, many small meals a day opposed to 1-3 larger meals would be better, but their metebolic system is very different. rarely do we need to fast either. their are species that likely break some general rules.
I think the OP is look not just for an "answer" but an explination as to what he's doing is right or wrong. I don't blame him for not wanting to blindly follow, and knowledge is power or some such as they say. I wouldn't mind know the exact numbers myself as they say.
As I have stated, mammals (those of you thinking that YOU eat several meals a day-> you are a mammal) and other endothermic organisms have a very different form of digestion and assimilation than an ectothermic organism. I will also add that Vertebrates are very different from invertebrates.
Also keep in mind the differences between adults and juveniles. Those of you feeding your grow out tanks several times a day... keep doing that! Adults do not have the same needs as juveniles. As fish mature the rate of assimilation lowers considerably and metabolic energy demands are much lower.
I doubt that the entire articles of these can be read without a university subscription, but the abstracts are meaningful. Nearly all studies of this topic are done with juvenile fish and are done to increase growth rates for aquaculture purposes.
This states that for juvenile sunfish age zero, optimum feeding frequency was 3x a day. They tried feeding from 1-4 times daily.
This is a catfish study that fed from 1-24 times a day and found optimal growth at 2x a day.
This article done with adult fish looks at the metabolic energy used in digesting food. It measured metabolic rate by measuring oxygen uptake from the water. It found that each meal a fish consumed caused an increase in its energy demands that lasted from 37-39 hours, peaking between 1 and 6 hours. During those peak hours, food is digested, but can't be assimilated. If its not assimilated it just passes through the digestive tract. If you shut anabolism down for 1-6 hours every time you feed your fish, do you really want to feed them 10x a day?!?! Anabolism is a slow enough process, no need to shut it down for 80% of the day!
And to show you that I am not biased... This study done with trout fed from 1-6x a day found no significant differences between groups. "The general lack of response to feeding frequency was attributed primarily to the low metabolic rate of trout and to the characteristically slow rate of food passage in the digestive tract."
I hope that helps.
Also keep in mind the differences between adults and juveniles. Those of you feeding your grow out tanks several times a day... keep doing that! Adults do not have the same needs as juveniles. As fish mature the rate of assimilation lowers considerably and metabolic energy demands are much lower.
I doubt that the entire articles of these can be read without a university subscription, but the abstracts are meaningful. Nearly all studies of this topic are done with juvenile fish and are done to increase growth rates for aquaculture purposes.
This states that for juvenile sunfish age zero, optimum feeding frequency was 3x a day. They tried feeding from 1-4 times daily.
This is a catfish study that fed from 1-24 times a day and found optimal growth at 2x a day.
This article done with adult fish looks at the metabolic energy used in digesting food. It measured metabolic rate by measuring oxygen uptake from the water. It found that each meal a fish consumed caused an increase in its energy demands that lasted from 37-39 hours, peaking between 1 and 6 hours. During those peak hours, food is digested, but can't be assimilated. If its not assimilated it just passes through the digestive tract. If you shut anabolism down for 1-6 hours every time you feed your fish, do you really want to feed them 10x a day?!?! Anabolism is a slow enough process, no need to shut it down for 80% of the day!
And to show you that I am not biased... This study done with trout fed from 1-6x a day found no significant differences between groups. "The general lack of response to feeding frequency was attributed primarily to the low metabolic rate of trout and to the characteristically slow rate of food passage in the digestive tract."
I hope that helps.
