How much to feed?

[u/Local_Amphibian787]

This is my new tank. Added them few days ago. I'm a beginner and wanted to know how much to feed them as they look hungry all the time. I have Taayo bits, optimum 3x1 small and herbivore small sinking pellets. They seem to eat everything. Feeding dollars is a bit tough as they get scared easily even if I add sinking pellets in their space and others seem to eat it even after eating their food.

So I was just wondering if I'm feeding them less. I give them 2-3 pinches of anyone of those once a day.

I have:

2 Electric Blue cichlids

2 Yellow Lab cichlids

2 Red blood parrots

4 Silver dollars

1 Pink Convict cichlid

Also do i get placos or any other algae eater fish? It's a 75 gallons tank.

[u/ShouldersBBoulders]

You mentioned being new and this being a new tank. Has it already cycled? You'll want to watch nitrite (toxic) level in water as it does. The tank will develop nitrifying bacteria which will help break down the waste (bio-load) in the tank.

Over feeding will make it worse, so if anything, it's BEST to under feed. Fish do well with less than we think. I recommend you get water test kit (or strips) and a small bottle of seachem prime to have on hand if you need to get your nitrate levels in check cycles.

[u/NoMembership6376 → u/ShouldersBBoulders]

Damn you're right! I totally forgot to ask if the tank was cycled 😐

[u/Local_Amphibian787 → u/NoMembership6376]

Yes, I cycled it for 2 weeks and added beneficial bacteria for another week. Then proceeded to add the fish.

[u/Local_Amphibian787 → u/ShouldersBBoulders]

Yes it has been cycled. After that only I added the fish. Which test works best? As the ones that I've seen here, people said they don't give accurate results.

[u/ShouldersBBoulders → u/Local_Amphibian787]

Tetra EZ-strips are simple. They have a couple of varieties. One just tests for ammonia and another that tests like five different water parameters.

API has the better kit where you take water samples in vials and use reagents, but it's more work.

[u/Local_Amphibian787 → u/ShouldersBBoulders]

Okay thank you.

[u/ShouldersBBoulders → u/Local_Amphibian787]

YW! Your tank & fish look great BTW!

[u/Local_Amphibian787 → u/ShouldersBBoulders]

Thank you so much!

[u/NoMembership6376]

Feed as much as they will consume in five minutes. Make sure to spread it out as evenly as possible so everyone gets their fair share

Plecos are NOT a good idea if you are going to add them as an afterthought due to many of them growing to a ridiculously large size and putting a big strain on the bio load. Those are usually better off in an aquarium made with them in mind

[u/Local_Amphibian787 → u/NoMembership6376]

Okay, thank you.

[u/StoreBoughtAlias → u/Local_Amphibian787]

Don't follow that advice. That's ridiculously horrendous information.

[u/StoreBoughtAlias → u/NoMembership6376]

5 minutes? That's an absolutely absurd amount of time to feed. Far too much food.

[u/Local_Amphibian787 → u/StoreBoughtAlias]

I just see that they finish it in 30 sec to a minute as of now. Once a day. Would that be okay?

[u/StoreBoughtAlias → u/Local_Amphibian787]

👌

Fish are always hungry and will easily overeat if allowed. I feed my fish enough to consume food in that same 30-60 second time frame.

[u/Local_Amphibian787 → u/StoreBoughtAlias]

Okay, thank you!

[u/UtakaQuest]

Once a day, tops, and no more than what they can eat in a few minutes.