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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