Fish Fasting - Who Does It?

[Deleted member 149562]

Personally I fast my hooligans one or two days a week. I find that it cuts down wasted food, they seem to be a lot more active and healthier. The water chemistry is better, clarity is alot better...as with any animal (inc human) too much processed food can be detrimental over time.

(The downside is that I can no longer eat infront of them on fasting days cos I get a few dozen eyes staring at me in disgust.....I do try and tell them that I am fasting them for their own good....but....well....they never seem to understand and they go sulk or dig up the closest plant or just throw a tizzy tantrum )

So who else fasts their fish and for how long/how often?

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

Personally I fast my hooligans one or two days a week. I find that it cuts down wasted food, they seem to be a lot more active and healthier. The water chemistry is better, clarity is alot better...as with any animal (inc human) too much processed food can be detrimental over time.

(The downside is that I can no longer eat infront of them on fasting days cos I get a few dozen eyes staring at me in disgust.....I do try and tell them that I am fasting them for their own good....but....well....they never seem to understand and they go sulk or dig up the closest plant or just throw a tizzy tantrum )

So who else fasts their fish and for how long/how often?

Yes...on a fairly random schedule, but usually once a week.
I'm never troubled by anthropomorphical considerations and am content in knowing that not eating every day is how the fish were designed.
As a sort-of aside, I fasted the tank whilst my Red Line Apistos were settling in. When I started feeding, I noticed that my tank was suddenly devoid of the many tiny snails that had previously been abundant.
Fish are nearly always looking for food and, when I'm not feeding them, they will scour the tank for suitable microflora and fauna, so I'm not worried about them starving.
I also feed them at random times, sometimes once a day, sometimes twice, or even three times a day.
The tank population now appears to recognise my bulk as a food source, rather than the time of day.

 

[bigroof]

I do the same. I go one day a week without food. It can be good for the fishes health. For example i have mbunas and they are very prone to bloat. So fasting them once a week keeps them healthier and less prone to bloat. I do the same for all my cichlids. Another thing is it keeps them keen for food. Nothing better than a greedy fish, like as soon as you put the food in they start demolishing it.

 

[Slaphppy7]

I feed my fish every other day, or sometimes every third day

Just depends on what fish you have, and what their dietary requirements are...but IMO, there's very few fish that need to eat every single day

 

[JazzyV]

Yes...on a fairly random schedule, but usually once a week.
I'm never troubled by anthropomorphical considerations and am content in knowing that not eating every day is how the fish were designed.
As a sort-of aside, I fasted the tank whilst my Red Line Apistos were settling in. When I started feeding, I noticed that my tank was suddenly devoid of the many tiny snails that had previously been abundant.
Fish are nearly always looking for food and, when I'm not feeding them, they will scour the tank for suitable microflora and fauna, so I'm not worried about them starving.
I also feed them at random times, sometimes once a day, sometimes twice, or even three times a day.
The tank population now appears to recognise my bulk as a food source, rather than the time of day.

Yes, I am also on that random schedule. I mostly just watch my fish and decide. They have snails and black worms to hunt in betweenie meals instead of anticipating on me dropping in. I don’t like watching my fish stress full of anxiety all honed in on a particular schedule or time and they get all worked up about. I prefer keeping the engine warm so to speak so they slow feed for hours and hunt all day. I like watching them in their own world and not get stress over food. I fast them randomly. If I had to guess..maybe 1-2X weekly. When I start up again I may start with daphnia.

 

[AbbeysDad]

I normally don't fast fish. However, there are different schools of thought about fasting fish.
Charles Clappsaddle of Goliad Farms, a fish farm in South Texas, describes two types of fish feeding habits.
These are grazers and gorgers. Grazers take in small amounts of food throughout the day. Gorgers may eat a large amount and then fast for a long period. Very large fish and are often gorgers, while most of our aquarium fish are grazer's.
A rule of thumb in the hobby is to feed fish once a day and only an amount the fish can finish in 2 minutes or so. It's important not to over feed.
In the wild, it might be said that finding food is not always easy. So fish may go for periods of time without eating. Food may be abundant sometimes and very scarce at others.
Fish are "programmed" to eat whenever food is available and will often seem to beg for food when anyone comes near the tank. This doesn't mean they are hungry. They just can't help it.
From time to time I go to swap meets or auctions. To prepare the fish for long periods in bags, I will fast the fish for 3 to 4 days and they're just fine.
I also believe that most adult fish can go without food for two weeks or perhaps more, with no problem whatsoever. I would NOT make the same claim for fry. I believe that fry need to be fed three times a day in order to promote proper growth and health.
So I guess it could be debated as to whether fasting adult fish periodically is beneficial. I don't really know it's beneficial or not but I believe it causes no harm.

 

[JazzyV]

I absolutely feel no guilt when I take a day off from the hobby and do nothing. Hmmm idk how to use quote lol but yes when you mention the wild and how it’s scarce or abundant..a school of yummy sardines just ain’t an everyday thing lol

How do you get into swap meets and auctions? Swap meets and auctions have pique my interest for a while. I have not found one to go to yet tho.

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

Swap meets and auctions have pique my interest for a while. I have not found one to go to yet tho.

They hear that you're coming!

Sorry.

 

[Guest14017]

I do not fast my indoor fish. There is no evidence that I can find that says tropical fish fast in the wild. Just seems pointless. Coldwater fish fast/go dormant during the winter because food supply is low and the water is too cold for their digestive systems to work well, but tropicals cannot survive cold winters so are different.

My outdoor fish I rarely feed during summer/spring etc, but this is not fasting them. They have plenty of algae to eat and also bugs etc now and then. There is no reason to feed them a lot. I completely stop feeding them once the water reaches 50°.

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

I do not fast my indoor fish. There is no evidence that I can find that says tropical fish fast in the wild. Just seems pointless. Coldwater fish fast/go dormant during the winter because food supply is low and the water is too cold for their digestive systems to work well, but tropicals cannot survive cold winters so are different.

My outdoor fish I rarely feed during summer/spring etc, but this is not fasting them. They have plenty of algae to eat and also bugs etc now and then. There is no reason to feed them a lot. I completely stop feeding them once the water reaches 50°.

They don't fast...but food isn't always available 24/7.

 

[Avel1896]

Hi, yes, once a week

 

[JazzyV]

I do find warmer seems to have a higher metabolism ..I only keep tropical fish..but that makes sense on the cold water fish you mentioned…I guess it depends on what we keep also…this summer my temp is so warm…I find they seem to have a bigger appetite frequent. I do find my so called fast is not like many others duration…almost like I really don’t fast but if talking about fast that’s what I do. Do I consider them fasting ..not really. I find everyone’s degree of fast is different for various reasons.

 

[Avel1896]

Summer heat is a problem for many of us.
I feel lucky I have a/c !

 

[Slaphppy7]

Summer heat is a problem for many of us.
I feel lucky I have a/c !

Where I live, it is inhospitable without A/C during the summer months...

 

[WhistlingBadger]

My South American fish are at a business, so they usually don't get fed on the weekends. Makes me feel like a hero when I go in on Sunday morning to do maintenance. Angel fish act like, "Oh, wise and benevolent fish master, we humbly beseech thee to bestow some dried brine shrimp..."