Newby Question: Am I Feeding My Barbs Too Little?

[Tom van Deijnen]

Hi all,

I've never had an aquarium before, so not sure about the following: Five days ago I introduced 6 five stripe barbs in my new tank. They're not fully grown yet (currently 2.5-3cm). I feed them once a day a pinch of flakes. Just enought for them to eat almost all of it. However, after about 5-10 minutes, they all come back to where some crumbs are left on the bottom of the tank and start pecking the gravel like crazy. It appears they are trying to pick up all the crumbs. Am I not feeding them enough?

Thanks

Tom

 

[cdelly]

i usually feed my fish(if poss) 3 or 4 times a day with small amounts



the fish are just searching for food as they would in nature

 

[docbanzai]

Hi all,

I've never had an aquarium before, so not sure about the following: Five days ago I introduced 6 five stripe barbs in my new tank. They're not fully grown yet (currently 2.5-3cm). I feed them once a day a pinch of flakes. Just enought for them to eat almost all of it. However, after about 5-10 minutes, they all come back to where some crumbs are left on the bottom of the tank and start pecking the gravel like crazy. It appears they are trying to pick up all the crumbs. Am I not feeding them enough?

Thanks

Tom

I'm sure you're feeding them OK. Barbs are greedy and it seems to be part of their nature. I feed mine twice a day with a small pinch of dried food and around twice a week with frozen 'community mix', brine shrimp and bloodworm (which they love) and seem very happy with this. I occasionally (maybe once a fortnight) leave them to 'starve' for a day. Again, this seems to be good for them. My Barbs are big and healthy (much better looking than when I got them) so they seem to thrive on this mixed diet and (ir)regular feeding.

'Pecking' at the substrate is not a bad sign. They have a healthy appetite and have the energy to go looking for food. If they were under-fed they would be listless and tired and would lose the impetus to search for food.

 

[Namelessthedogboy]

I to "starve" my barbs but once a week, I like to think these lean days recreate a natural day with slim pickings!

 

[krishanu]

barbs are rather voracious feeders. dont be worried now. the behaviour you describe is quite normal. they feed in what is almost a frenzy, especially when they are growing (as yours are). however if you do introduce any other fish into your aquarium do make sure that they get to eat enough. barbs are very aggressive feeders and often do not leave any food for the other fish.

 

[millym]

our barbs are the tank 'piggies' & obviously love their food! personally i prefer to feed ours twice a day & i give them a big variety of stuff changing what i give most feeding times, including tropical flake, spirulena flake, tubifex cubes, frozen bloodworm,mosquito larvae,brine shrimp,catfish tablets,algae tablets, peas,lettuce,dried daphinia & they go mad for all of it!!!!!

 

[highfire]

I can relate to all the answers to this question.
I have three golden barbs and they have got to be the greediest fish ever put on this earth! It's a good job that the other fish I keep with them are pretty nippy movers, because if they were slow I'm sure they would all starve to death.
All fish would eat all day if you let them!

 

[tetras4me]

as long as its a full pinch and your feeding them tree times a day then you fine. anyway alot of fish tend to do that

 

[Tom van Deijnen]

barbs are rather voracious feeders. dont be worried now. the behaviour you describe is quite normal. they feed in what is almost a frenzy, especially when they are growing (as yours are). however if you do introduce any other fish into your aquarium do make sure that they get to eat enough. barbs are very aggressive feeders and often do not leave any food for the other fish.

Thanks everyone for all the advice. So as I gather, barbs really like their food. So when I introduce new fish, how can I make sure the new ones will get enough food too?