How Much And How Often Should I Feed My Fish?

The question that every person that owns an aquarium asks is, “How much and how often should I feed my fish?” The answer, it depends, you can’t just look at your fish squint one eye closed, and go eeehhhh 1 cube per day, which simply doesn’t work. Add to the fact that overfeeding jeopardizes your fish and your aquarium’s overall health far more than them not getting food. In the wild fish swim freely and snack as they swim, they do not have a feeding schedule and sometimes food can not be found or is very limited.

A fishes eye is the size of its stomach, so when you feed you fish you should start by feeding a small amount and then waiting about 5 minutes to watch and see how much of it gets eaten vs. just sinking to the bottom or being skimmed off the top into the overflow. If they eat it all or most of it you have done your job perfectly. If they eat it all in less than five minutes add a little more the next time or if they didn’t add a little less.

The best times to feed your fish are once in the morning and once in the evening. If you miss one it’s alright, your fish will not starve, and remember it’s better for them to have less food than too much. Consider this; if you missed your breakfast and lunch you probably would not sit down to dinner and eat the equivalent in one sitting, neither will your fish.

Young fish need to be fed daily; while an adult that is healthy will be able to go several days without eating. If you are going out of town for more than a few days you can also look to an automatic manual feeder to supplement while you are out of town. If you choose to have a neighbor or relative feed your fish while you are out of town, it would be advisable to provide detailed instructions if not portion out the food.

The moral of our story:

Less is more.

Further Reading

• To Make Your Aquarium Beautiful: Placement Of Fluorescent Leather Coral In Fish Tank
• Aquarium Fish and Aquarium Heating Tips For Aquarians (FAQs 2022)
• Plant For Your Fish Tank: How To Keep “Giant Hygro”
• Be Careful Of Crossbreeding! More About Haplochromis sp. Tomato
• Are You Wondering Which Anemone You Should Buy? Tips For Choosing Bubble Tip Anemone 2022
• Gobies & Gudgeons: Empire Gudgeon Guide
• Armoured Catfish: Corydoras Catfish Guide On Origin, Maintenance Needs And Varieties 2022
• How To Choose The Best Amazon Aquarium Protein Skimmers?

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