Feed amount and frequency of ornamental fish

Feed amount and feed frequency: How much food do the fish need? Can you overfeed your fish? Two questions that are very important in aquaristics, because the question of how often they are fed and the question of the quantity are usually not really answered by the pet shop. Especially beginners are then very unsure how much food they should give their protégés. With this guide we want to try to give you some help.

The frequency of feeding

First of all, we want to briefly describe the initial situation, because we are assuming one Community aquarium in the freshwater area and want to go into certain special cases below, where other rules of feeding also come into play. But this is mainly about the standard pool, which most beginners have at home. find there guppy, armored catfish and also Platy's your place. Also the gourami or catfish are usually the first residents in this community tank.[the_ad id=”1019″]

As a rule, you should feed your fish every day, because after all, we also want to eat something every day. Once a day can be enough, but feeding twice a day is often a good idea.

This also has a specific reason, which we want to explain further when looking at the question of the right amount. But first a reminder.

 

The amount of feed

After we have already addressed the question of the frequency in most cases, we now come to the quantity, i.e. how much you should feed. Unfortunately, we have to disappoint anyone who expects an exact number of grams, because we will not and cannot pronounce it. Too many factors would affect this. Be it the type and species of the fish kept or the size of the fish. Many fish also have a special feeding behavior.

 

Factors that can influence the amount of feed

 

 

In addition, the basic nutrients in an aquarium are very different, so that the starting point is also different. Therefore it makes no sense to increase the amount of feed in grams / kilograms / micrograms to specify. Nevertheless, there is a basic rule that every aquarist should take to heart. This mainly refers to how quickly the fish can absorb the food. With most types of food such as dry food, flake food or even live food, you should make sure that the amount given can be eaten quite quickly. If a lot of food is deposited on the bottom of the aquarium, this is usually a sign that too much has been fed.

The water values ​​would deteriorate very quickly and it could also lead to an unwanted Algae growth come. The biological balance gets out of control. Up to fish diseases everything would be possible. So you should take the following basic rule to heart:

 

 

Now how do I do this in practice?

Of course it is not easy to find out the exact amount of food, but there are still some tricks. Above all, you should approach it slowly. At first, leave only a small amount of food in the tank and see how quickly it is absorbed. Then you can push another small load. This should be repeated several times.

Often one always reads about a time factor which comes into play here. Some say that you should only give as much food as can be eaten in two to three minutes. However, we would not make this dependent on time. Always feed small portions and then several times. If you with the Time If you want to take a clue, then we would pick it up 1 minute set. During this time, the given food should be used up and eaten.

 

Here we also come to the point that was already addressed with the frequency. It is better to feed less twice a day than a larger load once a day. This is not recommended. Many also say that feeding three times a day makes sense. We can also agree here.

 

Depending on the type of feed

Of course, not every type of food (live food, dry food, flake food, Artemia, mosquito larvae ...) the same and not every food has the same sink rate. For example, need am bottom-dwelling fish of course food which quickly sinks to the bottom. But the specialist trade also offers a lot of different tablets and co. Therefore, the basic rules should always be interpreted with a certain amount of leeway. This strict rule should not always be applied.

 

Correctly interpret and observe the physique of the fish

It is quite easy to find out that fish are well and properly nourished, because if you observe them you can easily see whether they are rather obese or slim. You should also do this, because then you can quickly draw conclusions about the food given and, above all, about the amount of food.

Observation should be part of your daily ritual, as should checking the equipment. In this way, you can quickly identify any illnesses or other problems in your residents.

 

 

insert fasting days

Again and again we see overfed animals in the aquariums. Very little one sees underfed and emaciated animals. The majority of aquarists simply feed too much. that's why you read about big problems with algae and co almost every day. All of this is closely related.

That's why we always recommend one fasting day to insert The ornamental fish don't mind, unless they are the exceptions listed below. In fact, many aquarists swear by feeding every other day. Some fast days every two weeks. This can sometimes be more than one day. It's even possible when you're on vacation, because the animals can go a few days without food. have to we have already written a guide.

 

 

Our observation has shown that the fish are better off with a regular fasting day than without it.

 

When are ornamental fish fed up?

Of course, this question is not easy to answer and in the meantime we have come to the point where it can be said that most fish would eat far too much and do not have such a feeling of satiety as we humans do. That's why you shouldn't go for it, according to the motto I feed so long and so much until the fish stop eating. This would clearly be overkill.[the_ad id="1019″]

 

Special case young animals and breeding facilities

First we come to the frequency, because with the young fish and also in breeding facilities such as babies, the food requirements are different than with already adult fish. Feeding once a day is not enough here. These animals are still growing and need a lot of nutrients, so you definitely have to feed them 3-5 times a day.

The same usually applies to the quantity, which we have already mentioned above.

 

Sick animals and special species

Sick ornamental fish also have special food requirements. Above all, you have to observe exactly how and whether they eat anything at all. In addition, they may not eat certain foods.

There are also special fish species that do not eat food every day. These exceptions must of course be observed in the above rules.

 

All of which apply in principle

Basically, the most important thing is that the ornamental fish, shrimp, invertebrates, snails and Co get a varied and high-quality feed. If you feed one-sidedly and only the same thing over and over again, you shouldn't be surprised if you have problems. These can be overweight, dull colors, lethargy or even fish diseases. In the case of the latter in particular, the immune system and the vitamin balance play a major role. Bad, too much or the wrong food can quickly trigger stress in the ornamental fish. You should always keep this in mind.