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Feeding Time
<< How often is it necessary to feed the fish? I have a 20 gln that has been
going for 2 yrs. I feed my tetras every other day. Is that to often? I
have been told to cut back to twice a week or even to once a week. My
nitrates NO2 are less than 0.1, so I think the bio-load is ok. Just
wondering. I have a little algae problem, but it is being managed by the
fish, so I do nothing special for it.
>>
Hi Dave,
You'll get lots of different opinions on this. A LFS owner tells me "a hungry
fish is a healthy fish". When I called Marineland with questions about their
Eclipse hood, their rep told me to feed only 2x a week, claiming the fish
will even eat their own excretions, thus keeping the tank clean. The
Aquababies company advises feeding only infrequently also, to keep the
environment clean (a small cubicle housed with a few fish). People probably
expect "experts" such as this to give reliable advice and would actually
follow it.
IMO, if we want to enjoy the beauty of fish in an aquarium, we're stuck with
the duty of keeping it clean . . . and not rely on the fish to eat their own
waste out of starvation (if they really would), or to limit their excretion
by not feeding them. That's just cruel. I feed in one tank 2 x/day, and
another tank, where I try to prevent some herbivorous fish from eating my
plants, 3x/day. I'd suggest once a day as a minimum. And of course, follow
sane feeding laws . . . don't feed quantities such that you wind up with food
in the tank uneaten which would quickly pollute the tank. This feeding
regiment necessitates regular water changes . . . your nitrates are low
enough that it appears you're keeping on top of things.
Just my thoughts on the matter . . .
Sylvia