Feeding Fish
by Adrian Lawler, Ph.D.
(retired) Aquarium Supervisor (l984-l998) J. L. Scott Aquarium Biloxi, Ms 39530
Extracted from the staff Operational Handbook which Dr. Lawler wrote as
Aquarium Supervisor for the J.L. Scott Aquarium, of Biloxi, MS
Original to Aquarticles
Food
Natural foods:
Fish, squid, shrimp, crabs, oysters, crayfish, live guppies, misc. live FW fish, misc.
live SW fish, brine shrimp, mealworms, earthworms, misc. FW plants, and other natural food
items. - Artificial foods: Purina trout chow #4 pellets, floating/sinking catfish pellets,
flake food, turtle pellets, invertebrate food.
Natural foods should be frozen for several days prior to use to kill parasites that
could potentially harm our display fishes; exceptions can be FW organisms fed to SW
organisms, and SW organisms fed to FW organisms.
Feeding Notes
All foods should be presented in sizes that can be easily ingested by the animals fed:
---Flake food should be ground up for small fishes.
---Cut up food must not be too large (or uneaten food can foul out a tank).
---Artificial foods should not be so small that larger animals won't eat it (feed large
pellets to large
fish/small pellets to small fish).
Food should not be introduced so that it sinks into rock piles or other aquascaping and
thus becomes unavailable to fish (can lead to the fouling of a tank).
Never over-feed a tank - it can foul a tank out by causing:
---excess (not eaten) food in a tank,
---fish to ingest too much and then to throw up food (which can then foul out a tank).
Do not feed a tank with an ammonia problem and thus make the problem worse.
Check tanks fed cut food (or gel food) to make sure all is eaten (if not, remove).
Fake rocks need to be turned over if you get an ammonia reading because fish/crabs drag
food items under them. Uneaten food must be removed.
Do not feed cut food to any tank just prior to leaving for the day (leaves no time to
check for uneaten food).
It is always better to under-feed a tank than to over-feed; observe feeding of all fish
to ascertain approximate amount to feed.
Thoroughly wash cut food so that dissolved and particulate organics are not added to
tanks.
Carry cut food with a leak-proof tray underneath so juices do not soil floors, grating,
tank rims, and other parts of the building or tanks.
Fill up dry food cans as they become low.
Do not feed items that animals will not eat.
Avoid accidental introduction of food to water reservoirs -- resulting fungal growth on
food can lead to introduction of fungal spores to tanks during water changes.
Major feeding should be done in the afternoon so person feeding is available for
tank/filter/repair in the morning.
Make sure air is back on after feeding a tank.
Copyright 2007 by Dr. Adrian Lawler, Author Copyright 2007 by
Aquarticles, Internet Sponsor
Author Information must remain with article.
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