Can they over eat?
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Can they over eat?
can clown loaches over eat? their bellies seem so big ! im worried
currently-90gallon-5 rummy nose tetra,9 clown loach,3 rainbow fish, and soon 10-15 cardinal tetra.
Yes, fish can overeat.
An occasional big belly is not a problem as long as the fish are not looking like blimps, and the fat tummy goes away without any problems like constipation.
Consistently overfeeding the fish leads to problems like fatty liver, possibly constipation and is not a good idea.
In nature fish may go for quite some time with small or no meals, then get the opportunity to gorge. Overall they maintain growth, reproduction and so on, but are rarely overweight.
In an aquarium they are exercising less and have consistent food suppies. It is harder for them not to gain weight. As responsible owners it is our job to not overfeed.
I feed a reasonable amount twice a day. A wide variety of food. Some days certain fish turn up their noses at the food, and go hungry. Some fish get a big belly once in a while (not every day) Other days they have quite a free-for all grabbing the food (tonight was live worms... feeding frenzy!)
I also skip feeding one day per week. The fish can eat algae, or microorganisms, or even the plants if they want.
Some days I do overfeed, and see quite a few fat bellies. The food is digested, however, and the next day they are fine.
Several species are breeding, fry grow quickly, and water quality is good.
An occasional big belly is not a problem as long as the fish are not looking like blimps, and the fat tummy goes away without any problems like constipation.
Consistently overfeeding the fish leads to problems like fatty liver, possibly constipation and is not a good idea.
In nature fish may go for quite some time with small or no meals, then get the opportunity to gorge. Overall they maintain growth, reproduction and so on, but are rarely overweight.
In an aquarium they are exercising less and have consistent food suppies. It is harder for them not to gain weight. As responsible owners it is our job to not overfeed.
I feed a reasonable amount twice a day. A wide variety of food. Some days certain fish turn up their noses at the food, and go hungry. Some fish get a big belly once in a while (not every day) Other days they have quite a free-for all grabbing the food (tonight was live worms... feeding frenzy!)
I also skip feeding one day per week. The fish can eat algae, or microorganisms, or even the plants if they want.
Some days I do overfeed, and see quite a few fat bellies. The food is digested, however, and the next day they are fine.
Several species are breeding, fry grow quickly, and water quality is good.
38 tanks, 2 ponds over 4000 liters of water to keep clean and fresh.
Happy fish keeping!
Happy fish keeping!
Young fish, fry and juveniles do need more consistent food supplies to grow well. Feeding plenty of food often allows very young fry (under 1" long for Clown Loaches) to eat without needing to spend much energy looking for food. They can use the food for growing. Small tank + lots of food = frequent cleaning, too.
As they get older, between 1-2", the frequency of feeding can be reduced, encouraging them to forage more between meals. When mine were this size I fed them three times a day, and they doubled their size in a few months without getting fat. They had been treated for parasites at about 1" or slightly bigger. The tank had snails in it, so the Loaches were free to eat snail babies (all that would fit in their mouths) and the snail population never grew larger.
After the fish grew larger than 2" I moved them into a larger tank, so they had more space to play and to search for food. When I fed them the food would scatter all over the tank. I fed them twice a day. I kept adding snails to the tank, too, so between meals they could search for snacks. Sometimes the food was a sinking wafer that the youngsters could nibble on as it broke up, which fed them slowly over a couple of hours.
For the youngsters described here I did not skip a day of feeding. When they were big enough to compete in the main tank they would still have snails and other things to eat on the 'fasting day'.
As they get older, between 1-2", the frequency of feeding can be reduced, encouraging them to forage more between meals. When mine were this size I fed them three times a day, and they doubled their size in a few months without getting fat. They had been treated for parasites at about 1" or slightly bigger. The tank had snails in it, so the Loaches were free to eat snail babies (all that would fit in their mouths) and the snail population never grew larger.
After the fish grew larger than 2" I moved them into a larger tank, so they had more space to play and to search for food. When I fed them the food would scatter all over the tank. I fed them twice a day. I kept adding snails to the tank, too, so between meals they could search for snacks. Sometimes the food was a sinking wafer that the youngsters could nibble on as it broke up, which fed them slowly over a couple of hours.
For the youngsters described here I did not skip a day of feeding. When they were big enough to compete in the main tank they would still have snails and other things to eat on the 'fasting day'.
38 tanks, 2 ponds over 4000 liters of water to keep clean and fresh.
Happy fish keeping!
Happy fish keeping!
-
Gary Stanton
- Posts: 1412
- Joined: Sun Jan 21, 2007 7:31 pm
- Location: Lake Tahoe, CA
I have fifteen 5-7" clowns and I feed them ONCE a day and skip one or two feedings weekly. They are in great health. Overfeeding is a major error people make. Vary the food and don't overfeed and they will last a long time.
"Beware of the fish people, they are the true enemy."
-- Frank Zappa, speech to a pro-choice rally in Los Angeles around 1989-90
-- Frank Zappa, speech to a pro-choice rally in Los Angeles around 1989-90
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