Fish feeding and the nitrogen cycle

Slowmad

Member
Hi all,

this is more a generalist question pertaining to the whole of a planted tank ecosystem than fish individually so I thought it could go here. My question:

What is the golden rule to feeding fish in a planted aquarium when considering bio-load and the nitrogen cycle? I'm curious what you hobbyists suggest for feeding routines.

Context:

I recently fully stocked my aquarium to 100% capacity with a mix of snails and fish that coexist at each level of the water column. I could likely fit one to two more tiny fish. I change the water every week about 30%-50%; fertilize ever 3 days with the all-in-one NilocG Thrive.

Parameters:
15 gallons, low-flow filter
79° F / 26.1° C.
pH: 6.8-7.2
kH: 7°
gH: 8°
[[haven't tested recently for the other 3, will later tonight]]

First, I was not expecting the level of poop these fish provide. Harlequin Rasbora seems to carpet bomb the tank floor every hour!
My algae problem is insignificant, as my Gourami enjoy snacking on white algae, whereas my snails and plecos eat the plant, biofilm and algae on the glass. Bladder, MTS, and Assassin Snails also are part of the ecosystem. I also have Hydra (although I can't find them at the moment, I heard Gourami eat them), copepods, detritus worms, etc.

Right now, I'm feeding them once a day, before I go to work. At night, I drop some algae wafers before I go to bed. They're gone when I wake up.

I have flakes, two forms of pellets, freeze-dried bloodworms and feeze-dried brine shrimp.
I feed the pellets and flakes once a day together, and bloodworms or brine shrimp once a week (alternating between the two). Some food debris gets down into my plants, which is near impossible to clean out, and I don't think I've had "mold" because nothing in my tank fits the description yet, and I have heard that left over food is good for the assassin snails and other omnivore bottom feeders.

any who, I'm curious of what people are doing to feed their fish to both avoid overfeeding/adding to the bio-load, and not starving their ecosystems?

I don't trust the packages saying: "feed 2-3 times a day" and the "feed enough for 2-3 minutes of fish eating" seems like what people on the internet are going by.., My fish always look hungry, which I know is a con for more food...

what do I do? How do I do it? How can I maintain a balanced ecosystem without polluting my cycle and keep the fish enriched?

Thank you
 
I like to use extra filter tubing or airline tubing to create a siphon. I have one end going into a filter sock or pair of stockings (sometimes a fine mesh filter bag if I have one handy) to collect all the crud without removing water from the tank. Usually go through the tank after a feeding session if I know there's waste. Down around plants, hardscape, anything that's likely to collect food particles. Takes about a minute from start to finish. 100% worth it.
 

llugguss

Member
Diverse nutrient cycles are important in an aquarium. Dissolved oxygen penetrates the water-air interface due to waves, which could be carried as waves in the natural environment, and carbon dioxide escapes into the air. The phosphate cycle is an important but often overlooked nutrient cycle. Sulfur, iron, and micronutrients enter the system as food and exit as waste. Proper handling of the nitrogen cycle, along with a balanced diet and biological load, is usually sufficient to keep these nutrient cycles inadequate balance. If you consider the facts above, it is better to use an automatic fish feeder to distribute the feed evenly.
 
fish can survive on much lesser food than we give them. depending on the species they may even eat micro algae that grow in your tank.

I'd suggest under feeding instead of over. observe your fish's stomach, if they looking too skinny, then you can slowly increased the dosagee.
 
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