Every Day Or Every Other Day?

[rachcake]

Another feeding question!

At the moment I have 1 molly & 2 cherry barbs in a little 35L tank, I do plan to get a few more in the near future though. Should I be feeding flakes every day or every other day? (And would it change when I do get a couple more fish?)

Also I've noticed the day after feeding, when I test the water it shows ammonia a little more than 0ppm but less than 0.25ppm...is this normal? Then next day it'll go back down to 0...& nitrite has been consistant at 0

 

[Em29]

I could be wrong - but I suspect the rise in ammonia is down to the fact that the fish you have are too big for the tank.

Keep feeding every other day in order to keep the waste products down.

I am sure someone more experienced will help soon.

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

Your fish need a bigger tank than a 35l, especially the Molly that should reach close to 12cm needs a 3-foot tank, while the Cherry Barbs really need at least a 2-foot tank. Such small tanks can go toxic very quickly, there is so little water to dilute ammonia and nitrite, as your readings show.

Did you "fishless cycle this 35l for ~30-60 days, dosing ammonia to maintain 2-5ppm, or did you "fish in cycle" (adding fish to an immature tank/filter, which often means 50%+ water changes most days for 60+ days depending upomn ammonia/nitrite readings with a liquid test kit)?

A 35l tank is fully stocked with a Siamese Fighter Fish and a few Nerite Snails, for example, with a "cycled" filter.

 

[rachcake]

A bigger tank is something I've been looking into actually as a few people on here have said the same sort of thing.. Unfortunately due to bad advice from a LFS I did a fish in cycle, which caused a lot of hassle in the first couple of months so next time I will definitely be fishless cycling! Its a shame I didn't find this forum before starting up! But what's done is done now.... As for the feeding then, is flakes every other day ok or too little?

 

[Em29]

I think every other day will be fine for now but I am not experienced enough to know if it ok long term.

 

[Aqua Tom]

I feed 5 days a week & miss out Tuesday & Thursday.


If you do every other day its kinda hard to keep track, a week being 7 days an all.



Tom