"How often should I feed my fish?" is a question that we hear all the time   
   from tropical fish hobbyists.   
      
   Contrary to what you may have been led to believe, your fish do not need to   
   be fed every single day, and much less several times a day. That is   
   over-feeding, which could lead to serious problems in your aquarium over   
   time, such as poor water quality, high nitrate levels, increased aquarium   
   maintenance, etc.   
      
   The facts are these . . .   
      
   Pet store and local fish store owners, managers and employees would no doubt   
   be very grateful if you were to spend your hard-earned cash buying fish food   
   all the time -- particularly expensive brands such as Hikari pellets --   
   which is what I feed my Malawi cichlids.   
      
   We tropical fish hobbyists are so indoctrinated by long-held traditions   
   which have become anchored in the tropical fish industry. These traditions   
   go something like this: Surely you must feed your fish several times a day.   
   Surely you must change your filter pads and buy new ones every single week.   
   Surely you must do this, and surely you must do that.   
      
   But tell me; who is profiting most from all of spending? Your fish, or   
   business interests?   
      
   Speaking from personal experience, I now feed my fish once every other day,   
   and sometimes even once every four days. Not only does it result in the tank   
   staying cleaner, and the water purer, but it also ensures that my fish have   
   a healthy appetite when I do feed them, and nothing will be left to rot on   
   the bottom of the tank.   
      
   My fish have not suffered in the least as a result of this conservative   
   feeding practice. Consider that I started out with five mbunas -- African   
   cichlids from Lake Malawi -- in April of 2009, and now have dozens in the   
   tank. Furthermore, the females are still breeding all the time; the males   
   are still posturing with each other all the time and digging their mating   
   pits; the fish are still displaying their brilliant blue colors, etc.   
      
   So to answer the question "How often should I feed my fish?", it is really   
   up to you, but I feed my fish once every three or four days using standard   
   Hikari mini pellets, and Hikari Gold pellets -- the red pellets -- when I   
   happen to have them on hand. I stock up on fish food for months at a time.   
      
   Please note that I speak from experience after decades of being a tropical   
   fish hobbyist, as well as being a former manager at a pet store and an   
   aquarium design and maintenance business, and then running my own aquarium   
   design business for a while as well.   
      
   Please consider visiting my tropical fish messageboard at:   
      
   /www.tropicalfishforum.org   
      
   Thanks!   
      
      
      
   Jeff Snyder, SysOp - Armageddon BBS  Visit us at endtimeprophecy.org port 23   
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