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
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