I recently bought a tropical fish tank and the lady at the shop told me to only feed them every other day. But the fish food that I bought says to feed them 3 times a day, every day. I've had one fish die already, did he starve to death as I was only feeding every other day?
2007-04-19 01:24:33 · 39 answers · asked by Spottie 2 in Pets ➔ Fish
I can guarantee that your fish did NOT starve to death. Fish can go a very long time without food, and even if you had a fish that should eat every day, it would take it months to starve to death feeding every third.
There is no fish that needs to eat every day, but there is also no reason not to feed every day - in the wild they are forced to go periods without food and eat sparingly, but in the aquarium, why should they live on the brink of starvation?
Keep in mind that packaged foods will tell you to feed more then you need to - the more food they sell, the more money they make. Feed your fish what they would eat in about two minutes, every day. You can feed, once, twice, three, or four times, but that is still two minutes TOTAL.
Fish need much less food then most people think. 90% of fish owners probably overfeed their fish.
Personally, since fish have such tiny bellies I like to feed little amounts more often, but I go every few days without feeding and won't blink at leaving them for a weekend or week of vacation without food.
2007-04-19 01:53:07 · answer #1 · answered by Ghapy 7 · 5⤊ 0⤋
That is a trick question. Different fish have different needs. Goldfish for example (not tropical) need fed 3 times a day. They do not have stomachs so they need to be fed more often for food and neutriant absorbtion.
Most fish in the wild will eat when they find food. While others will only eat once every few days.
Tropical or any aquarium fish are contained and have to rely on their owners. There are no food particles just floating by from currents or varied plants. They only have what you have in the tank.
For most, two times per day is fine, if you choose to feed 3 times, use smaller amounts.
It all boils down to what your particular fish's needs are. In a tank, every other day really isn't the best idea. Pond fish sure since they are eating bugs and other items that wash into the pond.
At least once per day.
2007-04-19 02:28:11 · answer #2 · answered by danielle Z 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Did you put to many fish in the tank at one time ? You are always going to get the odd fish die for no reason its the same with humans.
I have got 2 tanks i have had tanks for over 30 yrs i started having problems with them when i fed them twice a day Now i always feed them once a day not to much and they are fine it does the fish good to search for food but not in a new tank and only if there is live plants for the vegetation So i would say once a day is fine
2007-04-20 10:01:20 · answer #3 · answered by Black Orchid 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Every other day. Fish die from overfeeding. Food packets often say feed more so they sell more food. Listen to the lady in the pet shop. She knows what she's talking about. If your fish are dying, make sure you are doing enough water changes (1/3 once a week) and get your water checked (at the pet shop or you can buy kits to do it yourself) if you have more problems. Also check water before getting more fish and don't get too many all at once.
2007-04-19 11:13:23 · answer #4 · answered by Wolfchild 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have many types of fish from the simple betta to african cichlids. I feed my fish every day. Once in the morning before work and then at night, usually right before I turn their light off. I have not lost any fish. I tried to feed them 3 times like the package but ended up with more food in the tank then in their stomachs. Always feed them what they can eat in 5 minutes. Any left over food should be removed. As for the dead fish, it may have died of stress, if you just bought it. Fish are very sensitve to water temp and handling. Stress Coat or Aquarium salt help when introducing new fish to a tank. If the tank is newly set up then it should be ran for 48 hrs before adding fish. ok I think I answered more than asked....hope some of this helped.
2007-04-19 01:36:04 · answer #5 · answered by bfavre4gb 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
You are extremely unlikely to lose a fish from underfeeding. Fish can survive for weeks on no food, having said that there is no reason not to feed them. IT is better to feed them every other day or even every day but very little. If you feed them 3 times a day you will end up with dirty smelly water because the fish will not eat all the food. A rule to go by is feed them enough so that they eat it from the top of the water, if lots of it starts to sink to the bottom you have fed too much.
2007-04-19 01:29:15 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
A fish in the wild is always looking for food. So if you only feed your fish once every few days they will get sick and die. If you feed them once daily only part of their dietary need are being meet. They will not grow to their correct size and you will have more problems with them getting sick. If you feed them two times a day your getting closer to meeting the dietary needs. However their growth rate will be slow, but their over all health will be better. If you feed them three times daily their growth rate will be more normal and they may breed for you when they are ready. I highly suggest that you feed them three times a day. A diet of high quality flakes, live food, and frozen.
2007-04-19 08:32:10 · answer #7 · answered by fishbarn 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I agree with Ghapy. A basic rule of thumb is to put enough food in that equals the size of the fish's eye. Not a lot of food, is it? Twice a day with these parameters works pretty well. Plus remember that a healthy aquarium is going to have organisms on the plants, rocks, and decorations that the fish can pick at if they want a snack. I, too, have gone on a vacation for about 5 days without my fish being fed, and they did not seem any worse for the wear.
2007-04-19 03:10:21 · answer #8 · answered by lizzzy9 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I very much doubt it died from starvation!! The lady in the shop however is wrong you should not feed your fish every other day - you can feed your fish 1, 2, or 3 times a day. But bear in mind that if you are feeding them 3 times a day feed them only small amounts each time, compared to if you were to feed them once ot twice a day. Over-feeding is more likely to kill a fish than under-feeding!!
2007-04-19 01:36:32 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Over feeding a fish will kill them. 3 times a day is way to much. when you picked up the fish did you buy the food at the same time and ask the lady. Fish should really be feed every other day and 1 a day at the most. It could be the type of fish you have
2007-04-19 01:29:28 · answer #10 · answered by alismudge 3 · 0⤊ 3⤋