Interesting read for those who feed fish multiple times a day
- Thread starter Modest_Man
- Start date
I try to stay on schedule with feeding 3 days once a day and then no food and repeat. I do believe that most are overfed and also if you do this with the 50% - 75% water change every 3 days, you will notice your filters not clogging up or needing cleaned as fast. At least it works for me and after 30+ years in this hobby I agree with most overfeed.
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Awsome thread, sorry to derail but i do 30 to 50 percent water changes once a week, i dont under stand the significance of 75 percent every three days lol, thats a lot of water and money, does it really make that much of a difference?
That article makes so much sense most animals in the wild dont eat in abundance and are built to go with empty stomachs.
I will definitly cut back the feeding, but im a sucker for the begging lol
That article makes so much sense most animals in the wild dont eat in abundance and are built to go with empty stomachs.
I will definitly cut back the feeding, but im a sucker for the begging lol
Water changes definitely make a difference in growth rate. It also depends on your stocking density. I usually do 75%+ per tank at least once a week. I keep my tanks pretty densely stocked, though.
You also have to factor in that fish in the average aquarium gets very little excersize compared to when they are in their natural habitat constantly swimming looking for food, etc. I feed my fish once every other day to two days.
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They're pets! Same is true for domesticated dogs and cats. Once you enclose a fish in a glass box, food becomes more than a source of nutrition. Mental stimulation and even a bit of bonding going on as well.... Remember, not everything that counts can be counted and not everything that can be counted counts.
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Huh? You overfeed a pet dog or a cat and it's going to die an untimely death too. You see those obese people walking (waddling) their obese pets, the animals aren't fat because they're pets, they're fat because they're overfed...
And Ryan I definitely agree that very young fish need to be fed more often (unless you have a well established tank with plenty to graze on) as most cichlids start out as detritivores and swap over to a more omnivorous or piscivorous diet when juveniles.
Interesting read. Lots of good info in there, which I know I will dedinately take into conasideration when feeding next
I am unsure as to whether tank bred lines of fish will retain the ability to go without food for a sustained period of time. I can see the relevancy for those with wc or F#. But do you think there comes a point when fish which originate from lines of tank breeding require their food more frequently because they lack the 'natural' behaviour or instincts?
If this is the case, surely underfeeding becomes a factor. If a fish of tank bred linniage requires more food more frequently and it only recieves what its wild counterparts would eat, is that not underfeeding? Does that make it animal cruelty?
I have recently got some F1 Andinoacara stalbergi, and they are very shy and will not indulge on food. They will tend to eat in small dosages and only what they need. Whereas, many of the other fish I have kept, for example Kribensis, (which were bred by a friend from a TB line) would eat until they popped given the chance. This gives me reason to beliece that fish which are wc or decendants of those that are will not eat in as large quantities anyway. Although that isn't conclusive proof, and granted they would eventually associate me with food and begin toeat in larger quantities. But I think they would respond much better to the lack of food than any tank bred specimins would.
As for the 99% of people over feeding. I can't see the reasoning behind this. Have the people who undertook the research visited everyone who owns fish to check out their feeding regimes. Most definately not, so although I agree that the vast majority will overfeed (compared to the wild), I believe it to be much less than 99%.
Just my 2c.
I am unsure as to whether tank bred lines of fish will retain the ability to go without food for a sustained period of time. I can see the relevancy for those with wc or F#. But do you think there comes a point when fish which originate from lines of tank breeding require their food more frequently because they lack the 'natural' behaviour or instincts?
If this is the case, surely underfeeding becomes a factor. If a fish of tank bred linniage requires more food more frequently and it only recieves what its wild counterparts would eat, is that not underfeeding? Does that make it animal cruelty?
I have recently got some F1 Andinoacara stalbergi, and they are very shy and will not indulge on food. They will tend to eat in small dosages and only what they need. Whereas, many of the other fish I have kept, for example Kribensis, (which were bred by a friend from a TB line) would eat until they popped given the chance. This gives me reason to beliece that fish which are wc or decendants of those that are will not eat in as large quantities anyway. Although that isn't conclusive proof, and granted they would eventually associate me with food and begin toeat in larger quantities. But I think they would respond much better to the lack of food than any tank bred specimins would.
As for the 99% of people over feeding. I can't see the reasoning behind this. Have the people who undertook the research visited everyone who owns fish to check out their feeding regimes. Most definately not, so although I agree that the vast majority will overfeed (compared to the wild), I believe it to be much less than 99%.
Just my 2c.
While I agree that most aquarium fish are overfed, the frequency and amount that you feed them isn't the same for all species.
Ironically, one of the key points that Anton Lamboj made yesterday when he presented at our club meeting was that overfeeding is a key cause of death for Pelvicachromis (kribs). In nature, they consume micro-organisms out of the substrate...so a bite is 80-90% dirt/leaf litter and 10% "food"...but it all goes into their gut.
He started feeding for two days and skipping one and allowing algae and mulm (leaf litter to build up in his tanks). He sees the fish grazing on the sponge filters, mattenfilters, etc. on the days that he doesn't feed. And - most importantly - his "kribs" tend to live for a decade or more...
I will read the whole paper
Matt
Ironically, one of the key points that Anton Lamboj made yesterday when he presented at our club meeting was that overfeeding is a key cause of death for Pelvicachromis (kribs). In nature, they consume micro-organisms out of the substrate...so a bite is 80-90% dirt/leaf litter and 10% "food"...but it all goes into their gut.
He started feeding for two days and skipping one and allowing algae and mulm (leaf litter to build up in his tanks). He sees the fish grazing on the sponge filters, mattenfilters, etc. on the days that he doesn't feed. And - most importantly - his "kribs" tend to live for a decade or more...
I will read the whole paper
Matt
