Newbie here

[naturalbornrokstar]

The man at the store said to make it a very small amount. Like maybe the size of your fingertip. It just don't seem like it is a lot of food to me. the Shrimp alone could eat that no problem.

[Hajra]

i would say when feeding remember what goes in must comeout. so as long as you feed just enough to keep themhealthy they should be fine. i have a 10 gallon and a 36 gallon tank i usually use a half cube a day and split it over the tanks. sometimes a whole cube but never all at once. if i do a whole one i break it into two feedings anyway. but i have a hell of a CUC. pretty much anything that hits bottom is gone in about 20 mins.lol

[Bergy]

as stated below, shrimp and other clean up crews shouldnt be fed, if they are, then they wont do what you want them to do, which is CLEAN up un-eaten food...

and like haj said, the least amount of food the better... what goes in, must...   either way, it is something for you to worry about/maintain

im guessing that most folks, 99%  over feed...

a good practice would be to cut back, a little bit, each day,

also, i suggest feeding at the same time of day, so the fish arent always begging.. yes, just like dogs... if you notice that your fish go ape everytime you walk by, then you probably dont feed regularly, and they are just hopin NOW is the time...

[Hajra]

i aint gonna lie. they get fed everyday just not at the same time. sometimes twice a day. lol. i know they eat good though. and they dont really beg believe it or not.

[Just_Greg]

altho there are a few exceptions, as mentioned, most captive fish are overfed, and one of the common causes of early death in captive specimens is fatty liver degeneration as a result of too much, or the wrong kind of food.

if you think about it, fish in the ocean have to work at getting food, which involves hunting, swimming, etc. but captive fish are basically sitting on the sofa eating bon-bons and watching Opra, especially those that are in smaller setups (have less swimming room).  that being said, some fish will beg no matter what, and some can literally eat themselves to death if you let them.  for instance, volitans lions and anglers will eat to the point of regurgitation, which is not good, but they will also eat so much that the food literally begins to decompose in their GI tract before their slow metabolisms can process the food.

it's really important to know what and how your fish eat in the wild, and try to feed them a nutritious, varied diet.

[cruzincaril]

wow..ill probly get shot for this..i feed HALF cube twice a week to seven fish...thats it..maybe ill give em a treat in between times.some flake or other. remember those cubes when they melt they give off tons of organisms so..i think they fed..what do uuuu guys think? im starvin em?

[Just_Greg]

sounds a bit light...

i'm not sure what you mean when you say:

remember those cubes when they melt they give off tons of organisms

are you referring to the fact that the "juice" gets into the tank and pollutes it?

how often you feed depends on what species of fish you're feeding.  for example, here's what our tanx get:

adult predators:

M-W-F, they get mixed seafood fed from a feeding stick until they have little belly bulges.

SH, Anthias, barnacle blennies, and BSFF: 

fed daily, a mixture of mysis and BS+

juvie preds:

besides the M-W-F stick feedings, they get a daily "dollop" of the same fare as the "daily feeders"

orange-spotted filefish:

twice daily feedings of BS+, mysis, or roe, or grated fish flesh.

also, we still have three preds that haven't been weaned yet, and they get M-W-F feedings of gutloaded ghosties.

all frozen "cubes" are thawed and rinsed prior to feeding them out.

[cruzincaril]

wow..ok well im worried about the nitrates..u remem what bill says about feeding..in and out...well say frozen shrimp cubes..when u thro in the cube frozen and it melts in there theres lots of shrimp released..

[Bergy]

if the fish are healthy and you are feeding only twice a weekm then  you are good to go...

some fish need to eat more often to keep thier immune system healthy to fight off issues like ich and other parasites/diseases...

But, if your fish are healthy, then all is good

[Hajra]

now i feel like i over feed. lol

[Bergy]

everyone should feel like they over feed...

if they have that mentality and are cognizant of that issue, then it will be fine