Can you over feed fish

mike Bushie

mike Bushie

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I know this might be a stupid question but can you feed to much?
i have to feed my fish 2 times a day because i have a midas blenny who apparently needs to eat frequently ( that is right isn't it?)
But then again i have two clowns who as i am told don't need to be fed every day.
Reason why i started this thread is that i have noticed my female clown has got a bit of a budge around her stomach ( she might be pregnant i don't know).she is very aggressive at feeding time loves to eat.
Could this end up being a big problem or what. I don't feed an excessive amount and my shrimp deal with the food not eaten by the fish.

How do you know when clowns have reached sexual maturity. Ps she is paired but not big ?
what should i do if its food related ?
 
Basically yes you can feed to much, the water perameters will suffer.

Feed only what the fish can eat in a minute or two, so put tiny amoutns in until you can guage how much they actually need.
 
i do that already the water is cool i am a sticker for keeping that good. but i mean will it be detrimental to the clown fish eating 2 times a day? She looks like she is a fattie / pregnant:)
 
Hi Mike - Yes - fish should not be TOO fat, otherwise (just like in humans) it can shorten their lifespan. I know that I am one to talk, as my fish are as fat as pigs.

BTW: feeding 2x in one day is FAR too much. My fish are nice and fat, and I only feed dried food (Omega One pellets - both meaty and veggie) ONCE a day... a little bit.... And I have 15 fish......

IF you have a HUGE HUGE skimmer, and a HUGE HUGE amount of water flow in your tank, that the extra food not eaten can be removed from the water, then I would say, by all means - feed a lot. There are some folks here who used to (not sure if they still do), feed like 10 times a day - BUT, they also have the water volume and skimmer, to be able to remove THAT amount of food from the tank.

Remember - two things - 1) fish will try and eat as MUCH as you feed them - they do not really know when to stop, 2) all/any uneaten food becomes detritus that can and WILL leach phosphates/nitrates into the water that will cause unwanted nuisance macro algae growth, as well as inhibit the growth of corralline, and corals...
 
yes the guys have said it.you can overfeed.fish like Anthia however prefer being fed often,i would not feed more than 3 times a day.in our little glass boxes it is easy for water parameters to go of with uneaten food and high nutrients
 
this is where a FW planted tank comes in handy.... the plants just take up all the spare nutrients in the water :p
 
so in terms of a midas blenny will he be fed sufficiently only once a day.
( i have heard of guys feeding theirs like 3times a day)
. Keeping in mind its just the female clown that looks like a fattie
 
mike Bushie said:
so in terms of a midas blenny will he be fed sufficiently only once a day.
( i have heard of guys feeding theirs like 3times a day)
. Keeping in mind its just the female clown that looks like a fattie
Click to expand...

Nope, the midas is a very active fish and needs loads of energy. If you don't feed him enough he will become very inactive and can die.
 
Warr7207 said:
Nope, the midas is a very active fish and needs loads of energy. If you don't feed him enough he will become very inactive and can die.
Click to expand...


My blennies not the most active little guy. he loves just watching everything from his little cave and now and again will go swimming.
So must i keep feeding them the same and just hope she is pregnant then.
I mean its not her whole body that looks fat just her belly.
 
mike Bushie said:
My blennies not the most active little guy. he loves just watching everything from his little cave and now and again will go swimming.
So must i keep feeding them the same and just hope she is pregnant then.
I mean its not her whole body that looks fat just her belly.
Click to expand...

Send a pic, it doesn't sound right, extended belly
 
I don't think any photo will show it nicely. its not like overly extended. I mean i never noticed until my sister told me she thinks the fish is pregnant

Here is a photo she is on the right
 
Warr7207 said:
Nope, the midas is a very active fish and needs loads of energy. If you don't feed him enough he will become very inactive and can die.
Click to expand...

mike Bushie said:
My blennies not the most active little guy. he loves just watching everything from his little cave and now and again will go swimming.
So must i keep feeding them the same and just hope she is pregnant then.
I mean its not her whole body that looks fat just her belly.
Click to expand...

brentnorm said:
Warr, he was talking about the clown fish. Read the whole thread.:whistling:
Click to expand...

Bit weird, talking in cross purposes
 
My MidasBlenny also only gets fed ONCE a day - together with ALL my other fish....

The midasblenny, like some angels, and MOST tangs, are supposed to eat algae in the tank between feedings....
 
jacquesb said:
My MidasBlenny also only gets fed ONCE a day - together with ALL my other fish....

The midasblenny, like some angels, and MOST tangs, are supposed to eat algae in the tank between feedings....
Click to expand...

True, my Midas eats as much Nori as my Tangs :thumbup:
 
Another thing - I would really be worried if I see that my MidasBlenny "looks fat" - because they are long thin fish, their "stomaches" are spread out over the length of their bodies. Which means that they can eat one HECK of a lot, and still look "thin".

As long as their bodies are not dented inwards!
 
jacquesb said:
Another thing - I would really be worried if I see that my MidasBlenny "looks fat" - because they are long thin fish, their "stomaches" are spread out over the length of their bodies. Which means that they can eat one HECK of a lot, and still look "thin".

As long as their bodies are not dented inwards!
Click to expand...

That's what I was querying, but he is talking about the clowns
 
This was the original question.
mike Bushie said:
I know this might be a stupid question but can you feed to much?
i have to feed my fish 2 times a day because i have a midas blenny who apparently needs to eat frequently ( that is right isn't it?)
But then again i have two clowns who as i am told don't need to be fed every day.
Reason why i started this thread is that i have noticed my female clown has got a bit of a budge around her stomach ( she might be pregnant i don't know).she is very aggressive at feeding time loves to eat.
Could this end up being a big problem or what. I don't feed an excessive amount and my shrimp deal with the food not eaten by the fish.

How do you know when clowns have reached sexual maturity. Ps she is paired but not big ?
what should i do if its food related ?
Click to expand...
 
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