Feeding Question

[Bex]

I know it's good to give my fish a variety of foods but I'm confused with what, when and how often?

At the moment, I am feeding flake food once a day and either algae wafers or catfish pellets. I also have bloodworms.

My question is, should I put flake and algae wafers/catfish pellets at the same time? Will my catfish eat the algae wafers or should I also put the catfish pellets in - and will my plec eat catfish pellets?

How often should I put bloodworms in? At the moment I am only putting them in once a week and don't put flakes in on the same day - just the catfish pellets or algae wafers. I also put a bit of cucmber in once a week for the plec but only leave it in for 24 hours. Can I leave it until it's all been eaten or will it upset my water?

I am quite confused as I don't want to overfeed and mess up my water readings?!

If anyone could explain a simple feeding plan I would very much appreciate it!

 

[KimA]

Hi Bex,

Just to check first, what fish to you have in the tank.

You're right only leaving the cucumber in for 24 hours max, otherwise it might cloud up your tank as it starts to fall apart (I learnt this when feeding my Plec with Courgette).

 

[Bex]

Hi KimA

My tank is 120 litres (soon to be upgraded to a mahoosive 300l!) and I currently have 3 mollies, 4 platys, 2 high fin catfish, 1 green phantom pleco, 6 tiger barbs, 2 silver shark (I know these guys are gonna get big which is why we are upgrading!) and 1 red tail shark.

 

[KimA]

300l - I'm very envious

One of my current tank's has fish in it that also like a varied diet, so I just monitor the amount I feed them each time, to try to make sure it's actually being eaten and not left to go off.

It does sound like you're doing okay though with flakes daily and bloodworms once a week (know the Silver Sharks like bloodworms, although they're also flake eaters, but do like a varied diet, so may be worth upping to twice a week with the bloodworm, but keeping an eye on the amount that's eaten so you don't add too much and it's left over) - may also be worth adding some flakes at the same time for the mollies, platies, barbs etc and cucumber/courgette once a week as a treat is great.


Afraid I really don't know anything about high fin catfish, so can't comment on their feeding - maybe someone else on here could help out with that.

 

[Bex]

Thanks! I guess it really is down to how much your fish eat and as everyone's tank is different everyone will have different ways of feeding?

Something I have learned from fish is that it can be trial and error!

 

[KathyM]

To answer the courgette question, yes you can leave it in a little bit longer. It's much more solid than cucumber, which breaks down a lot quicker. Most plecs prefer it to go a little bit softer before eating it. If you're worried about leaving courgette in for too long, then cucumber is a good alternative which they tend to eat faster as it goes soft quicker (unless they're De Niro who doesn't like it *lol*).

I like you used to worry about leaving the courgette in for more than a few hours, but once left it in a little longer and De Niro finished it for the first time. The next time I put it in, he wolfed it quickly, and now it never lasts 24 hours and is gone hours before it would've needed removing.

 

[Bex]

Cool! Might try Louie with some courgette - he was a littel unsure of the cucumber so if I can leave some courgette in longer he might go for it!

Still trying to get hold of a camera so I can post a pic of him. He doesn't seem too shy so getting one won't be too difficult. Getting a camera seems harder! lol

 

[BigIan]

Monday: tetra prima as it sinks slowly all the fish get some and they all snap it up.

Tuesday, Flake and catfish pelets, While the angels and mollys snap up the flake the corys get the pellets

Weds: frozen food, all the fish love this they snap it up and every one gets some too


Thursday: starve day (i do the mantanance on the tank and the fish don`t seem to feed well afterwards)

Friday: tetra pro and catfish pellets

saturday normaly live food if i go to the lfs or tetra prima,

sunday POT LUCK


and every night at lights out alge wafers for the pleco

 

[Bex]

Monday: tetra prima as it sinks slowly all the fish get some and they all snap it up.

Tuesday, Flake and catfish pelets, While the angels and mollys snap up the flake the corys get the pellets

Weds: frozen food, all the fish love this they snap it up and every one gets some too


Thursday: starve day (i do the mantanance on the tank and the fish don`t seem to feed well afterwards)

Friday: tetra pro and catfish pellets

saturday normaly live food if i go to the lfs or tetra prima,

sunday POT LUCK


and every night at lights out alge wafers for the pleco

THanks BigIan

That seems like quite a good diet plan! What is Tetra Prima? I only have flake food for the moment but was going to get some different stuff as apparently fish can get bored of the same thing - understandable really!

Also, what's tetra pro?