bythepond

Is it possible for angels to eat too much?

I have five angels in a tall 45 gal tank. The only other two fish are two albino algae eaters that I stupidly bought before doing my research (so far they do not bother the angels, but I keep my eye on them).

My angels are real piggies. Anytime I or my wife walks by, they come storming up to the glass expecting to be fed. I drop in a few flakes each time, which get gobbled up in a minute or two. At night, I give them some frozen brine shrimp.

I have only had them a few months, and they were small when I got them. I do weekly 50% water changes, and the nitrates are under control, (ammonia and nitrite are zero), so I know there isn't much food getting past them, but I keep reading about the dangers of overfeeding.

Most of the warnings seem to be related to too much uneaten food causing the ammonia/nitrite/nitrate levels to go out of control, but I want to make sure I am not hurting my fishies.

capekate

If your fish get fat your over feeding them! Seriously tho... I also have Angelfish and I can say that they are indeed piggies! When they see you anywhere near the glass they come a running as if they havent eaten in days~
If you are really only giving them a few flakes throughout the day that is fine IMO. It keeps them happy! The brine shrimp in the evening is fine too, at least it is with my guys and they have been growing fast and strong for a little over 7 months.
I think you are doing fine and the water change is ideal, again IMO... that is what I do also. I also vacuum the bottom of the tank to pick up any uneaten food before it can change the water readings.

Good luck with your babies.. sounds like they are very happy lil campers!

~ kate

COBettaCouple

LOL.. They do love to be fed. I love to watch how our Angel will watch my movements when I'm near the tank, always ready to spring at the food. I must admit, every now and then I sneak him a krill treat. I think your Angels sound like a happy, healthy bunch.

Sabi

Yeah angels are greedy buggers! Mine eat their food up, then go for the bottom dwellers!

bythepond

Thanks, everybody, for your reassurances. CapeKate - I also vacuum the gravel as part of each water change.

COBettaCouple

Sounds to me like you're taking excellent care of them.

Bonochick

My angels are the same way...and whenever I comment to my boyfriend that I don't know why those angels always think they're gonna get something to eat whenever I'm near the tank, my boyfriend says, "That's because you usually do give them something to eat!" It's true...they're so cute, I usually just cave.

COBettaCouple

LOL.. that's why the container of krill is sitting beside our Angel's tank.

mccreations

So they like krill? I feed mine a varied diet of bloodworms, brine shrimp, and currently crushed up Tropical Crisps (in place of flake food). I do have dried baby shrimp that I sometimes give them...they don't really seem to like those though. Maybe I will replace those with Krill and see how they take to them.
Thanks for the suggestion!
Melissa

COBettaCouple

Fred goes wild for krill! He does love thawed frozen cubes of brine shrimp and thawed frozen cubes of bloodworms. The krill is the only thing that he gets that's freeze-dried, but we'll get frozen krill for him soon. He won't touch the cyclo-peeze flakes that we got the fish though.