How much food does fish really need?

[SMS76]

I know it's a dumb question but has any one spent time to learn actually how much food do they need? I know that they will eat as much as you feed them and get fat and all that...but in ocean do we know how much food do they get?
When you ask question on forum about how many times you feed them then you get multiple answers as people feeding three times a day to once in three days. I know that certain speices of fish needs to be fed more then often but in general how much and how often should we feed our fish? I don't like to overfeed as it might crate problems with algae and such..

What do you guys think?
Thanks
Shoeib

 

[NeO]

Feed as much as they can eat in 3 min. I can't remember where I read this.

And I feed once a day.

Gustavo

 

[necco]

Feed as much as they can eat in 3 min. I can't remember where I read this.

And I feed once a day.

Gustavo

I've read that on the back of a frozen brine package. IMO feed moderatly, I'm sure there are some places in the wild where food is plentiful and others where it is not. Fish IMO have a eat as much as you can - for you don't know when your next meal will be mentality (survival of the fittest). I'm no expert though, just opinion. I like the 3min rule, with a treat

 

[davidrupe]

You have to define need to answer that question.
To me, need is survive.
To others, need is to grow.
And others, need is to look colorful and fat.
Even some, need is their own...they need to feed their fish cuz it makes them feel good.

Fish don't 'need' based on my defenition to survive, food to fill them up, more than one or two times a week. The will still be healthy and survive. I don't know how far between feedings you can go because I never wanted to starve my fish to death. I had fish before while I was on coop for 3 months who only got feed on my trips home, about once a month...I know, cruel...

So feed, based upon your definition of need. I enjoy feeding so even though I define need as survival, I 'need' to feed at least every other day.


How often do fish eat in the big blue ocean? Prolly depends on where in the ocean they are, but I have no clue...

 

[MarkO]

Depends upon the fish. Typically I feed them enough to prevent them from looking skinny. Some fish get skinny quicker than others. I had a Moorish Idol that always looked to be on the thin side. So when I fed, I directed the food towards him/her, and whatever the idol didn't get, the others did.
I think over time you seem to learn how much food your fish need.

 

[Moe_K]

The typical tank fish that I've seen in the wild usually are nice and plump. They also spend all day cruising for food and eating.
I like to try and keep them fed so they look like they do in the wild. Can't over-do it because the excess food will foul your water, but still I like to keep "happy" fish.

 

[Jim Tansey]

This summer I purchased a nice pair of percs from a BRS member taking a tank down because he was about to move. He had them for three years in his tank, nice pair but small. I know I feed on the heavy side and in the 5 or 6 months I have had them they each must be bigger by about 1/3, you can feed to little.

 

[mikestod]

my trigger always looks skinny, while the rest of the fish look well fed and even fat. Since i've gotten the trigger I've been feeding more, and have had some nuisance alge. With the trigger always begging for food its tough not to want to feed all day, but I may move to feeding once a day, and target feeding the trigger a few times a day.

 

[JustDavidP]

I completely over feed my tank. I feed once a day, and mix fish mush with formula one, two or something else. I also have a constant supply of macro, or selcon soaked nori on a clip. My percs look like they are constantly egg bound, they are soo fat! my wrasse and mandarin are fat and happy too. My poor tang however, is not happy. Again, it has a constant supply of nori and/or macro and it also eats the fish mush, mysid, formula 1 and 2. It's just skin and bones.

When I first got this fish, it was beaten. I took it to get him fat and happy. It had serious lateral line disease. To the point that you could measure the depth of the fissure in his lateral line and it was pink and fleshy. The LLD has cleared up, but I fear it also has a parasite. When it eats, you can see its stomach! You can also see food in the intestines etc. It's kind of gross. Anyway... no matter how much it eats, it is skin and bones. Look at the picture!

Does anyone have any ideas for me? Does anyone think they can help this guy? If so, let me know. If you think you could do better with him, by all means, let me know, help me catch him...and take him home to do your magic. I'm the FIRST person who would give up a fish rather than let it suffer.

Dave

 

[SMS76]

Thanks guys, good replies.