feeding time

[suebob28]

hi have just put my clown loaches in with my barbs with the lights off all seems to be ok but when i feed night do i feed with the lights off and the air and filter too and is it one feed in the morning one early evening and one at bed time with the light off please just need to be sure thanks sue x

[Diana]

Young fish need to be fed more often, and have a pretty generous amount of food available. I would feed young fish with the lights on.

New fish need to be fed when you can watch them eat. You need to monitor them for health, including their reactions to food, and to the social issues as they develop in the tank. I would feed new fish with the lights on. Maybe not all their meals with lights on, but at least one meal a day for the duration of quarantine (1 month minimum).

Established, mature fish do not need to be fed every day, but should be fed at the optimum time for them to eat, depending on the species. Fish that are shy, or active at night should be fed when the lights are out. Fish that are normally active in the day should be fed when the lights are on. It does not matter what time of day, just so long as the lights are on for the diurnal fish, and off for the nocturnal fish.

I rotate foods and feeding times so that my assorted fish in each tank have different opportunities to eat a wide range of food, and at different times of the day. Most of the time all the fish come out to eat whenever I feed. I scatter the food so some of the nocturnal fish that hide in a cave during the day can reach the food at the entrance to the cave without having to argue with the highly active mid-tank fish. Some respond to that, some do not. But I also put food in there when the lights are off, and the greedy day-time fish are not active. So there is something for everyone. Fresh or lightly cooked vegetables are left in the tank overnight, and in the morning it is amazing how much of the food has been eaten.

[NancyD]

I agree with Diana, young fish need more frequent feedings than mostly grown up fish. 2 or 3 times a day is good & some crespucular fish (dawn & dusk active) can be gradually accustomed to "lights on" feeding...try to get them on a schedule that works for both you & them... dimmish room lights on, then brighter, then low light tank lights. I also feed veggies overnight in case they need a midnight feed. You do want to "spoil them" so they are happy to see you & ready for whatever food you offer, romaine, ooh, bloodworms, alright! Barbs, at least those I've kept, were quite fond of veggies so leave them some "daytime" to eat them...the loaches may learn by watching if they're shy.

[suebob28]

hi thanks so much i will too it now sue x