How do you know?

How do you know how much to feed your fish?

I've heard of everything from 3 times a day, to twice a week!

Personally, I feed once or twice a day, and at times leave for about 2-3 days and don't feed at all.- that's not very often though.

Everytime a walk by, or get close, all my pet fish come up to the glass to greet me! They figure it might be a feed I think.

Also, I try and feed so most, if not all is consumed in 1 min. usually way less.
All my fish seem healthy, etc.

How do you know how much to feed? TIA

 

If you feed very small amounts multiple times a day is good. If you are keeping fish that are picky eaters they will need to be fed multiple times a day. Fish like anthias need to be fed this way. But feeding larger meals once every couple days suffices as well. It really depends on your stock. But overfeeding is a very common problem with aquariums.

 

This is a question with no answer really. Fish in nature feed at will around the clock.

When you look at your fish do their bellies look full, trim or pinched?
When you look at them head to tail do they look like they have "shoulders"?

I like to look at the fishes body shape in the wild and try to get my friends bodies to look similar. It's a game of keeping them "chunky" w/o effecting water quality.
Keeping excess nutrients down is the primary reason people feed less often and small amounts which is fine as long as the fishes belly doesn't begin to look pinched.
Pinched/dented looking is a sign of starvation.

Adjust your amounts and occurrences so that your fish are getting enough to eat but water quality isn't jeopardized.

 

Thanks for the replies.

That's pretty much the rule of thumb I've been using, and trying not to overfeed.

Any other factors, signs we haven't touched on yet? Feel free to add your 0.02.

 

I try to feed small amounts once or twice a day. If I feed more than that the fish seem less interested and let a lot of food drop.

 

Thanks Steeler,

I usually feed my Spectrum pellets- the sinkable ones.
Every few days I feed Limpits frozen Reef Buffet, and they always devour that also.
My fish usually always get it all, or try to anyways.