I feed my fish 10-15 times a day

[Chicklette]

I feed my fish little amount of different food about 4 or 5 times a day. I just think it's better for their digestion. We eat or supposed to eat three times a day and most of us snack. I just think it's better then them getting one big meal a day. Their is also less waste.

 

[jclyde13]

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 ...

Know wun iz leckchuring aniwun N speling, i wuz jist jokng wit hem an hee wuz jokng bak.

 

[elting44]

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.

Wow Karen, thanks for all the info!!

 

[kdrun76]

I feed my fish little amount of different food about 4 or 5 times a day. I just think it's better for their digestion. We eat or supposed to eat three times a day and most of us snack. I just think it's better then them getting one big meal a day. Their is also less waste.

You are a mammal. Your body has a very different digestive system and the resources for continuous anabolic and catabolic activity. Your needs are polar opposite what the needs of an ectothermic organism are. I have said that 2x before now. The needs of a mammal are so radically different from the needs of a fish that they simply can't be compared. Its like saying my car runs better when I put the good gasoline in it, so clearly my bicycle will too.


Yes it is good for you, no it is not good for your fish. Its not better for their digestion, its not better for the quantity of waste produced.

YOU enjoy feeding them several times a day, its better for YOU, its not better for them.

 

[ballinouttacntrol]

who is home long enough to feed their fish 10-15 times a day?

 

[NCStateFisher]

who is home long enough to feed their fish 10-15 times a day?

right?? haha

 

[MonsterMinis]

Wow Karen, thanks for all the info!!

X2 That was short.. sweet but gave the info needed i think Are there any big differences that people know of between carnivore/piscivores and Herbivore/scavengers ? I'm assuming veggie vs meat diets change the ideal amounts? otherwise I'll have to wait and really sit down and read those links.

PS - working in a LFS i get all types of people, and alot of stay at homers who work from home or are stay at home parents.

 

[Richie_ELP]

I didn't question your fish's ability to survive being on the floor for 8 hours.

 

[TheRealAndyCook]

Know wun iz leckchuring aniwun N speling, i wuz jist jokng wit hem an hee wuz jokng bak.

el oh el, i no rite?

who is home long enough to feed their fish 10-15 times a day?

Fish tanks beside computer, I'm a programmer so I spend alot of time watching them. My fish are my tv


But back to the topic, thanks for all the info Karen, I believe its clear that you're correct and i'll take on a more appropriate feeding style for my fish. I'll leave the academics of fish keeping to the scholars.

Also, I don't mean to undermine anyone else who mentioned similar information, but like

...He has made it clear that his fish are doing fine and is unwilling to change his feeding habits unless there is a scientific paper that clearly dictates that feeding fish small amounts throughout the day is detrimental to their health.

Clearly tho I've been proven wrong and there is no reason for me to be stubborn about it.

 

[kdrun76]

You guys are all most welcome. I am glad I could be of help.