Proper feeding of aquarium livestock (eg., fish, shrimp, snails) involves offering small amounts of varied foods, ensuring all food is consumed within a few minutes to prevent water quality issues. Key practices include targeting food for specific, slower moving inhabitants, ensuring balanced nutrition, and avoiding overfeeding.
Feeding livestock (fish, shrimp, snails) is enjoyable, watching their activity, appreciating their joyful excitement.
Overfeeding
- The tendency is to give them just a bit more, because we care about them
- However, fish will eat to excess
- In the wild, fish do not know where their next meal is coming from
- So, when given the opportunity, they will gorge, not knowing when to push back from the dinner table
- Fish really don't need much food, a couple of good gulps is enough to fill their belly, they fill quickly, within a few minutes
- Too much food results in stomach bloat, excess pooping
- Feeding too often
- Most aquarium fish only require 1 or 2 meals per day
- Feeding more often can lead to over feeding
- Feeding 6 days per week, with one fast day
- More nearly reflects life in the wild, mimicking natural feeding cycle, where food isn't always available every day
- Give their digestive system a break, reducing constipation
Diet - Foods
- Feeding fish the same food every day, even if high quality, the chances are they will miss some essential nutrients
- A varied diet improves the overall health and immune system
- Mostly dried foods are fine, as long as varied kinds like algae tabs, freeze dried brine shrimp, daphnia, bloodworms
- Once a week live or frozen foods like brine shrimp and daphnia (thaw before feeding)
- Rotate food to provide a balanced diet
When to feed
- Feeding fish the same food every day, even if high quality, the chances are they will miss some essential nutrients
- Don't feed when lights go out, and fish are winding down for the night
Observe the fish while feeding
- Are all getting food?
- Do they look healthy, active, good coloration? or do they have bloated bellies, long trailing feces, lethargic?
- Watch for the need for any kind of adjustments, more or less food, different kind of food
- Too much excess food leftover, along with fish waste can lead to deadly ammonia spikes, excess nutrients in the water column can lead to algae
Feeding fish on a regular schedule keeps fish happy and helps water parameters balance steadily.