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| ARTICLE INFORMATION: Author: Nathan D'Addio Title: Hand Feeding Your Fish Summary: Nathan explains his rationale for hand feeding fish and offers up some tips. Contact for editing purposes: theo@aquarticles.com email: mailto:nathan.daddio@gmail.com Date first published: July 2007 Publication: Reprinted from Aquarticles: (Please Note: Direct permission MUST be obtained from Nathan D'Addio in
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ARTICLE USE: Internet publication (club or non-profit web site): 1. Credit author, original publication, and Aquarticles. 2. Link to http://www.aquarticles.com and original website if applicable. 3. Advise Aquarticles Printed publication: Mail two printed copies to: I will see to it that Nathan receives a copy Aquarticles.com |
Hand Feeding Your Fish By Nathan D'Addio Original to Aquarticles
Hand feeding fish is something that aquarium books seem to neglect, or at least believe it to be too hard to achieve. I have found otherwise. Hand feeding is relatively simple, and if done properly, can benefit your fish (and you too). Virtually any fish can be hand fed by the novice and advanced aquarist alike. This article will inform you on how to hand feed and some of the various benefits that are involved with it. You should also read the note concerning large fish. The benefits of hand feeding Hand feeding has a number of benefits involved with it. Traditional feeding methods, like simply dropping the food in, do not allow you to see how much food each fish is receiving, and what food they are eating. If you hand feed you avoid these problems. No food is wasted when you hand feed, which means less pollution of the water. If you know how much food each fish should eat, no one is overfed. Hand feeding can also be enjoyable for the aquarist and other people. You can teach the fish extra tricks, like swim through the fingers or follow the food. Fish also get to know you much faster and will know when you are hand feeding them. If you haven't attempted to hand feed before, you can see what you are missing out on! How to hand feed Once your fish are used to hand feeding, it is relatively easy, but there are a few steps before that that need to be followed before you can begin to enjoy some of the benefits. Food selection When choosing the food to use, ease of handling must be considered. Flake food is probably the best option, as it is easy to pinch and hold a large amount because of its large surface area. Large tablets or granules can also be put to good use, but only if you are brave enough to feed them to big fish (see note). Another option is hand feeding live, fresh or frozen foods, like bloodworms, worms, beef heart, vegetables and frozen fish or invertebrates. You will need to hand feed when you normally feed. Try to use a suitable food that the fish already eat.
Feeding methods There are two methods that I know of that should be used when hand feeding (see picture). One is pinching the food, which works particularly well with flakes. This way is handy when you need to get your hand to middle and bottom feeders. You should use this method when teaching fish to hand feed. The other way is to place the food in your open hand. You need to wet the food before you can get it into the tank, so put the food in your palm, clench your fist and wet the food in the tank water for 10 - 20 seconds. You can then open up your hand and let the fish in. It is too messy to feed groups smaller than 20 fish, and should only be used close to the surface.
Once you have got your food and method sorted out, you can begin to hand feed. Before placing your hands in the tank, you must thoroughly wash them under water without soap. You must take extreme care not to hit the fish, as you are feeding around the region of the eyes. When food is placed near their face, most fish that are new to hand feeding will usually pause before your fingers, as if working out what you are trying to do. In an ideal situation, your fish will give your fingers and the food a look of understanding (you'll know what I mean if it happens to you) and then take the food.
Hints and tips The best time to start this method of feeding is when the fish are young (i.e. when you purchase them). If your fish refuse to hand feed, keep persisting. It can take many goes to wean a fish onto hand feeding. Remember to normally feed fish that won't hand feed, and make sure your hands are dry when taking more food out of the container, otherwise the contents can rot. As you have read, hand feeding is quite simple and has advantages that are hard to match with traditional feeding methods. If you can't get it to work, keep trying. The benefits are worth it! NOTE: Do not try to hand feed any fish that has a mouth bigger than your fingernail, unless you are extremely brave, want to get stitches, or think that you won't feel any pain. One good test: if the fish eats feeder fish, it'll bite your finger. Don't blame me for any injury - I have warned you!
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