Define "over feeding"

[stumpy08]

If the fish in your aquarium eat all of the food that you put in and none of it goes uneaten, would it still be considered overfeeding?

[useskaforevil]

only if they explode

[horwitzs]

I say nope, unless it's taking hours for it all to get scooped up.

[lakwriter]

some fish eat more than others. For instance, my o. clowns will eat until their bellies start to bulge. If I put in more food, they will eat more food. Other fish are not as revenous. Think about it this way...people can physically eat way more than they need. So can fish. remember that what goes in must come out. The more they eat, the more they poop, and the more waste and detrius accumulates in your tank. Give them only what they can comsume in about 30 seconds. Ignore the directions on food containers.

[stumpy08]

(only if they explode)
That's funny, I don't care who you are!

So I guess more food equals more poop equals more waste which causes problems. I try to feed once every other day but they look at me with those cute fishy eyes and wagging those little tails..........

[vanmo92]

I feed my fish 2-3 times a day (usually 2 ). And I dont think that I am overfeeding. All my params are good, and the skimmer pulls out a lot of stuff.

[gman0526]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12060617#post12060617 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by vanmo92
I feed my fish 2-3 times a day (usually 2 ). And I dont think that I am overfeeding. All my params are good, and the skimmer pulls out a lot of stuff.

So you're overfeeding only the skimmer is taking must of it out ;)

Fish only utilize about 30% of what they ingest, the other 70% goes right through...think about that for a second and then see if you're overfeeding.

[dendro982]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12059345#post12059345 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by stumpy08
If the fish in your aquarium eat all of the food that you put in and none of it goes uneaten, would it still be considered overfeeding?
Nope, IMHO.

[Mojo Jojo]

IMO "over feed" is when your systems parameters wont stay in check. I feed 2-3 times a day. This week wanted to do 5 feedings, but NO3 started to show up. Did a water change, and simply came back down to 2-3 feedings.

For the most part feeding once a day is good enough. I know some folks that wait 3 days before they feed again. Tank and fish all doing fine for years.

[packer]

I think feeding less more often is better. I feed twice a day.

[mokeyz]

2x a day too - I don't understand not feeding everyday, but obviously lots of people have been successful so who am I to judge?

[sk8rreefgeek]

ya, everyday. I like to keep my fish fat. If that means a lil extra work or maint, that's fine. My nitrates stay at 0 so...

sometimes i'll keep adding a lil more until they just look at it haha

guess they're spoiled, i don't care if anyone wants to tell me its too much. I don't understand every other day either

[jackets22]

Once a day. A liitle at a time so nothing settles and once they slow down I stop.

[silvers]

I do once a day now. I use to only feed about twice a week when I had a DSB and a crap css skimmer thats all my tank could handle.

[miwoodar]

fastfish feeds 8 to 12x/day!

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-12/totm/index.php


http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-12/totm/images/tn_DSC_0010a_jpg.jpg



---- I used to starve my fish (and have actually starved a fish to death!). These days I keep them fat as long as my parms in check! ----

[boxfishpooalot]

That is amazing if he feeds that much a day certainly. But despite the fact that we dont know other details its nothing to change the common belief for. For example does he have a phosban reactor the size of a garbage can? Does he do 50% water changes daily?

There is one fact that I know of. That as much as 80% of food fed to fish goes undigested.ie-ends up in the water.

Alot of food on the reef is recycled. So it never really polutes.

OH I would like to add he has a bb system. That would hint to one thing. What goes in, comes out.

[InLimbo87]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12059358#post12059358 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by useskaforevil
only if they explode

LMAO! As long as they're eating it all and your parameters stay in check, I'd say no you aren't overfeeding.

[sk8rreefgeek]

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r41/karlkidd/new001.jpg

[Larah]

OMG! What cute little fishy eyes! With tose staring at me I'd probably feed alot too!

Once a day for me....

[sk8rreefgeek]

haha. ya, its tough...





tough for the other fish to eat, cuz that freakin pig eats everything! lol


the other day he ate a freakin spaghetti worm!
Thank god he spit it out

[miwoodar]

guess they're spoiled, i don't care if anyone wants to tell me its too much. I don't understand every other day either

hmmm...I'm guessing that you've never had to wait through an algae plague while all of your livestock slowly got smothered to death. It was so bad, it took me nearly a year to recover (before the days of GFO and before I could afford an RO/DI unit). I blame it on the tap water I was using but regardless, it was a very humbling experience. In fact, I almost left the hobby.

[demonsp]

Thats a trick question. Its better to feed smaller amount more often and of a good mix of differant food.You can overfeed all you want of 1 type of food and still get poor coral and fish health.Then you want to feed just enough for health and not to much where they wont help with algea and sand cleaning.

[sk8rreefgeek]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12066140#post12066140 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by miwoodar


hmmm...I'm guessing that you've never had to wait through an algae plague while all of your livestock slowly got smothered to death.

dang, sorry to hear that. but no, I haven't had any problems. In fact, I think my fish are hungry...:D

[sk8rreefgeek]

:p

[miwoodar]

I've gone from feeding a few times a week (for about 5 years) to feeding 5 cubes a night (offset by a good skimmer, GFO, and vodka/sugar dosing). My fish are so fat they look like puffers - but I'm close to a balance in my tank so no, I don't consider it overfeeding.

[sk8rreefgeek]

what is vodka/sugar dosing?????

[miwoodar]

A topic for another thread or forum.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/printthread.php?s=&threadid=288714&perpage=1000

http://reefcentral.com/forums/printthread.php?s=&threadid=1260492&perpage=153

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/printthread.php?s=&threadid=898931&perpage=612

http://www.ultimatereef.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=320