How Much/often Should I Feed My Fish

[FlyingFish78]

This has to be the ultimate newbie question: How much should I feed my fish and how often should I do so?
 
FYI I have a 240 litre tank which is presently stocked with 6 Zebra Danios who are beginning the fish-in cycle. (Yes I know you should cycle before adding fish but I disastrously forgot to de-chlorinate during a practice water change).
 
This is the fish food I'm using: http/www.amazon.co.uk/King-British-Tropical-Flake-Food/dp/B0033NA6P0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1388853016&sr=8-1&keywords=king+british+fish+food
 
Obviously I don't want to overfeed my little fishes but I don't want them starving to death either.

 

[lrhodes]

Put a little bit in at a time. If they eat a pinch, put in another pinch. If you see food they they haven't ate after a few minutes, then stop. My guppies get fed once a day. My cichlids get fed small amounts several times a day.

 

[EllieJellyEllie]

Put a little bit in at a time. If they eat a pinch, put in another pinch. If you see food they they haven't ate after a few minutes, then stop. My guppies get fed once a day. My cichlids get fed small amounts several times a day.

 Fish are built to eat all they can.
 
If you go by their stomach is the size of their eye, it makes it much easier. You should fast them one day a week at the least.
 
I feed mine every week day but some people feed theirs every other day, every two days, etc.
 
Fish can go about 2 weeks without food, so fasting wont hurt them.

 

[KirkyArcher]

Agree with the above, the rule of feeding only what the fish can consume in under two minutes is quite flawed for that reason, most fish will eat as much as they can whenever they can, and all that results is loads more fish poo.

 

[FlyingFish78]

Thanks for the replies.
 
It's still difficult to know how much food should be in each 'pinch' of flakes. That's the bit I don't understand.

 

[EllieJellyEllie]

About the size of six danio eyes, and thats all they get. If you can find micro pellets, they are betta as flakes sometimes cause bloating

 

[ShinySideUp]

 Fish are built to eat all they can.
 
If you go by their stomach is the size of their eye, it makes it much easier. You should fast them one day a week at the least.
 
I feed mine every week day but some people feed theirs every other day, every two days, etc.
 
Fish can go about 2 weeks without food, so fasting wont hurt them.
 

 
While I agree with this for the most part, I wonder if this only applies to fish of a certaiin, smaller, size. If I didn't feed my Clown loaches for two weeks they'd be in a very sorry state indeed. As it is they usually get fed twice a day, plus there is always cucumber in the tank for them to peck at -- and they do,big time. My Clowns are up to six inches in length and will demolish anything very quickly. My smaller fish, tetra's, neon's etc do very well with what flies off the catfish pellets that the Clown's demolish. Any smaller bits are hoovered up by the Khuli loaches and the peppered cory's. My Oto's just potter around grazing, I've never seen them eat food at the time I've put it in. And I have to mention the BN catfish who is now six years old, very bristly and is aloof to all that goes on. He eats when he feels like it and chases the Clown loaches away from any algae tabs I put in.

 

[FlyingFish78]

Put a little bit in at a time. If they eat a pinch, put in another pinch. If you see food they they haven't ate after a few minutes, then stop. My guppies get fed once a day. My cichlids get fed small amounts several times a day.

 Fish are built to eat all they can.
 
If you go by their stomach is the size of their eye, it makes it much easier. You should fast them one day a week at the least.
 
I feed mine every week day but some people feed theirs every other day, every two days, etc.
 
Fish can go about 2 weeks without food, so fasting wont hurt them.

  

About the size of six danio eyes, and thats all they get. If you can find micro pellets, they are betta as flakes sometimes cause bloating

Well that's made things a lot easier now that I know their stomachs are as large as their eyes. Thanks for the tip!