"chas good" wrote in message
...
On 29 Jun 2004 21:27:14 -0700,
(Christy84065) wrote:

I am so curious what everybody considers to be over feeding. My
thought has always been that if the fish eat it they are hungry or
need the food. I feel bad if I selfishly give them less so that they
don't poop too much so I have less work to do. Clearly if they can eat
it they need it and/or are still hungry. So, I guess I need some more
clarification on this issue. Thanks to all your input in advance.

Some fish are like dogs and can eat way more than they need if given
the chance. Gorging is not healthy and adds extra poop to the water.
Tiger Barbs are like this. Pigs is what they are.

But most of the time overfeeding means food sinking to the bottom of
the tank uneaten. To much or to much to fast.

I feed as much as they can eat in a few minutes twice a day. Once in a
while 3 times a day. I use three foods and just rotate at each
feeding.


Exactly what I do. Many people also include a fasting day, once a week.
Once a fish's health is stable and it's well acclimated to a stable
environment, it's health will be far better if fed too little than too
much. A couple of things to consider. In nature a significant amount of
their life is dedicated to the hunt for food. Their very-evident
enthusiasm has more to do with instinct than with real need. Another
consideration is that they are highly efficient in their use of energy.
With people, I would estimate that the majority of the calories we burn
are consumed for either motion (ie: walking), or generating heat (to
maintain a steady body temperature).. and for digestion to maintain this
level of energy usage.

With a fish's streamlined body, motion requires minimal effort (flick a
fin & coast). By closely tracking the water temperature, they use very
little energy in regulating their internal temperature. A small meal can
go a long way to maintain them. Sometimes, the key is meal size. Some
fish have higher metabolisms or short intestinal tracts, so they need to
be fed more frequently than others, but the quantity they need can be
very small, much much much smaller than what they want ;~)
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