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Re: Feeding time
On Wed, 1 Dec 1999, Mark Pan wrote:
> > The question in this thread probably shouldn't be *how often* one feeds,
> > but how much you feed and what you feed.
>
> Maybe ... How much do you reckon a little 1.5 inch tetra could eat? I have
> no idea how big its stomach is, but I reckon it is rather tiny. In a large
> tank with 100s of the little guys, most of us would try to ensure we put in
> enough so that every fish gets something. Based on this assumption, I reckon
> most of us would feed (overfeed?) every single time we put in food. Chances
> are the fish would overeat. Now if this were true, wouldn't a twice-a-day
> regime be a bit much?
With a twice-a-day feeding regime you needn't worry about whether every
little fish eats every time. The individuals that miss out in one feeding
get another chance at food within just a few hours.
>
> > Frequency of feeding alone doesn't address the issue.
>
> Yes it doesn't. The problem is, when we feed, the important thing to
> remember is the discipline to feed less, each time we feed. Even I worry
> sometimes that my twice-a-week regime isn't enough sometimes. For instance,
> I have not been able to keep to "slower" fish successfully in the same tank
> as my tetras. Simply because they cannot compete with the hordes of fast
> swimming tetras. So, if I were to feed more, then they would surely be able
> to survive. But I would be inviting an algae bloom too.
If you are actually at risk for an algae bloom then perhaps you are
feeding too much, regardless of the feeding frequency. Alternatively,
maybe you need more fast-growing plants so that your tanks can
better handle the nutrient load.
Roger Miller