Food Quantities, How Much Is Enough?

[aquafrogstuff]

I have an established tank with seemingly healthy fish (black ghost, elephant noze, bristle nose, three tetras and three discus). As routine I have been feeding a block of frozen blood worm every night and five or six shrimp pellets three times a week.

Forum advice says enough feed is based on a 5min duration in which all food is consumed. I read in a Discus book yesterday that discus like to be fed several times per day as this simulates their natural environment better. The book promotes automatic feeders for a few shrimp pellets during the day and suggests frozen and live blood worm at night.

Assuming the numberous feeds are consumed within 5min each time, there is still a significant difference in food quantity.

Can I get some advice on how much people are feeding their fish, particularly mixed tanks (i.e. not just Discus). I'd hate to think the poor guys are grosely underfed.

[electric molecular]

Hey there aquafrog,

I can't speak for everyone, but I feed mine as many as 5 meals a day. Unlike you, I have been wondering if I am too excessive!! I probably feed them enough for them to eat the majority of the food in a couple of minutes each time, however discus do also like to fossick about for food by blowing on the gravel for some time afterwards. My lfs advised me that it was sufficient to feed them only once a day, saying that fish have a stomach comparable in size to one of their eyes, and that I should visualise that amount when feeding them. But as I'm trying to get them to grow to their full potential and want them to be in good condition (plus I'm a big ol' softy!), I figure it can't hurt them to be fed more frequently, as long as I keep an eye on the ammonia levels etc.

I can usually tell when they are hungry too. I think the discus are quite demonstrative actually! They seem to get particularly animated when I come near the tank when they are hungry. Such pigs!! Sometimes I worry that the other fish in my tank aren't getting enough to eat because the discus are pretty good at polishing everything off. But the other fish I have also give me some signs to look for when they want more food--the tetras school more loosely and higher up, like they are looking for food, and even the usually shy bristenoses will come out and wait patiently on the bottom.

I hope this gives you an idea.


Claire.

[sammigold]

I have 3 tanks. One is a discus with cardinals, black widow tetras a couple of clown loaches and bristlenose. I feed them between 4 or 5 times a day. Usually flake, and discus granules in morning to feed everyone, then granules and tetra bits twice then later some more flakes and granules and then the 5th feed is usually a block of frozen brine shrimp and as i do w/c once a week at moment they will get a treat of beefheart the night before the w/c. Also put in zucchini and peas for the loaches and b/nose.
My other tank has 2 oscars a scat, a silver dollar and a synodontis catfish they are fed around 3 or 4 times a day. Mainly flakes also put in lettuce, peas and sometimes elodea which the scat and silver dollar make short work of at night we feed shrimp pellets so the synodontis gets a go and the others love the shrimp pellets too. And I give the oscars a treat sometimes of beefheart (but not very often).
the last tank is guppies and a couple of columbian tetras and they are fed about 3 or 4 times with fine flakes and then I sometimes give them so frozen brine shrimp as well. HTHs