Guest Author - Jilly Florio

How often to feed your aquarium fish is a controversial subject. Some say to feed once a day, and some recommend many small daily feedings. Who is correct?

I have two pamphlets that include basic fish feeding information - one from Tetra and one from Wardley. Both recommend at least three feedings daily, in small, easily digestible amounts. Tetra says to feed flakes no more than the space it takes to fill up a dime, three times daily. They say, "A dime for every 10 gallons or 10 fish." Wardley, on the other hand, suggests to pinch in as much food as it takes your fish to eat in five minutes each time.

While I respect the opinions of both Tetra and Wardley, it is my understanding they are in the business of selling fish food. Naturally they will recommend several daily feedings. :) Personally, I feel this is unnecessary and creates a higher bioload in your tank and greater work for your filters.

In the wild, fish do forage and graze continually, every day. When food is plentiful, they eat themselves sick - much like your pet fish will do at home. However, there will be days when wild fish do not find any food at all, or it is not safe for them to go looking, due to hunting predators. Fish can certainly handle a bit of a fast - for days, if necessary. As a cold-blooded species, fish lack the continous need for glucose that mammals possess.

I feed my own fish once a day, and enough food that they can "clear the table" in about five minutes. I also do a fasting day once a week, and sometimes give them an entire weekend fast if I plan to be out of town. My fish are healthy and never have swim bladder problems, or constipation. They are not fat, nor skinny. For my fish, this feeding schedule is just right.

You can, of course, feed your fish the recommeded 3-4 times a day, provided you are VERY SPARING in your feedings. When Tetra says "no more than a dime," they do mean it. Overfeeding is one of the most common causes of fish death, starting with a constipated fish, leading to GI tract problems and resulting in a weakened swim bladder.

You can read all about real people's fish problems, challenges, treatments and creative solutions at the BellaOnline Fish Forum.

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