Idea to prevent Overfeeding

[Omega3]

Since it seems most people here agree that overfeeding is one of the most common mistakes made by well-meaning owners, I thought it might be a good idea for some of the experienced members to post photos of feed time to show those of us who are newer how much to feed our little pigs. I mean fish!

Flakes can't be counted like pellets can and I don't know about brine shimp. I just bought a pepper shaker for my flakes to prevent dumping (happened the other day, wasted so much food!).

Thanks!

[chargers505]

For pellets, 2 in the morning and 2 at night. For flakes, a tiny pinch and the same at night.

[Omega3]

This is why I posted this thread! Quasimodo eats whatever flakes are floating (simply twisting the bottle cap means waste or overfeeding depending on whether or not I hold the bottle over the tank; it just falls out because the bottle is over stuffed). It may take him a while, but he's determined to clean his plate, as it were. I can't wait to implement my new flake shaker.

[Biomess]

I just realized that I am overfeeding my fish, they will eat up to 7 pellets twice a day! I read somewhere to only feed them once a day, so, my littles guys might be getting more aggressive now that they are not getting to eat as much as they want.
I did learn though to only put in one pellet at a time, when I dropped in 3-4 pellets to my little female, she gobbled them all up at once and ended up having to spit them out.

[LittleBettaFish]

With foods like brine shrimp and bloodworms, I feed them until my fish have a slightly rounded stomach, but not so much food that they look bloated. This usually accounts to about 4-5 bloodworms and 6 or so larger brine shrimp once a day.

I have never had a case of constipation I can think of, and although I feed daphnia on occasion, I never take a day off feeding to fast them.

Most bettas would eat until bursting, and I think new owners find it hard to resist giving them just one more pellet. I know if I followed the usual rule of how much the fish can eat in five minutes, I would have some very uncomfortable looking bettas.

[dragonfair]

Sorry I don't have photos, but I can tell you my easiest way to keep from overfeeding is to use pellets (cuz I'm not good with flakes). I drop them in one at a time, making sure they eat it before dropping the next one in. I feed them fewer pellets twice a day rather than all at once. It's a good way to interact with them. They know what time it's coming and it's a game to them to go the right spot before I get my hand near it. It's so cute to hear them chomping!

[zoragen]

I feed pellets also - it's so much easier to control how much I feed.

Not that I haven't gotten a few stuck to my finger so there have been a few feasts

I feed twice a day.

I bought some Omega One pellets - label said they were small - not so much!!

When I feed them I crush them up & when I want to give Zed a light meal he gets half a pellet.

After I crush it (or cut it up w/ a razerblade) I get a tiny bit on my finger and then put that in the tank. I'm able to control how much he gets that way.

[vaygirl]

My regular bettas get 5 or 6 Atisons pellets a day. Kilo gets 8 -ish a day. That's usually at one time. I know by some standards that's too much but I've never had a bloat issue with anyone and Atisons are pretty small.

They also get bloodworms. 4 for my regulars and 6 or so for my King. I try and alternate but sometimes they get Atisons for two days and then bloodworms for two days. Sometimes it's every other day. I fast everyone once a week, except Tango, who is still painfully skinny due to a past illness. He sometimes gets extra pellets at night too.

[fishman12]

I feed 3 pellets once a day.

[bettafish15]

I feed about 4-5 pellets throughout the day, 6 at the most. The next pellet isnt dropped in until hes finished chewing the one before. He gets a couple freeze dried bloodworms a day too. :)