Mohammad

Dear anybody reading this message. I know this is random since everybody talking about Pins and all, but I have a mind burning question. If you have multilple fish, how would you feed them? 'Cause I heard fish don't know when to stop eating, they just eat anything they want to. What if one fish just hogged all the food? Thank you for your answer.

Chief_waterchanger

Usually the fish may appear to hog it all, but leave shreds here and there. Also most fish commonly kept in the fishkeeping hobby eat algae and microfauna that you probably won't see them eatting.

How many and what kind of fish do you have and in what size tank do they reside? Also, may I ask what your feeding schedule is and what you are feeding them? All of those answers will help us to better answer the question you posed in a way that best fits your situation.

And WELCOME TO FISHLORE!

Mohammad

Dear chief_waterchanger: Thanks for the reply. I don't have any fish yet, but I'm planning on getting 6 cherry barbs. I have a ten gallon tank and I plan to feed them twice a day: once in the morning and once in the evening. However, I may decide in investing in an automatic fish feeder. Furthermore, I have one more question: I want 6 cherry barbs but my sister wants 6 white cloud mountain minnows and says we should get three of each. Is this a good plan? Thank you for your replies.

Chief_waterchanger

Actually they would do better with 6 of one or the other, rather than 3 of both. (The schooling behavior as well as comfort in numbers is expressed with higher numbers of the same species of schooling fish.) I would find some way to make a decision or of course, get a second tank when you can. (Multiple Tank Syndrome is what we call that urge for more and more tanks. )

The problem with automatic feeders is that if they break they can dump large amounts of food into the tank, from what I've heard, but I suppose you can try whatever method works best for you and your situation. Make sure to not overfeed, because most fish have a stomach about the size of ONE of their eyeballs. With either of those fish choices the tank would be pretty well stocked. No worries about either of those types of fish not getting enough food due to hogging by another, they are all active enough to push their way to the food.

Do you know about the nitrogen cycle?

http://www.fishlore.com/WaterChemistry.htm
http://www.fishlore.com/NitrogenCycle.htm

Make sure to cycle the tank BEFORE you put fish into it, please.

It is very good of you to be asking these questions before you get the fish, so I applaud you for a job well done.

Mohammad

Dear chief_waterchanger: Thank you ever so much for the replies. You've been a great help. I have chosen not to get an automatic fish feeder and to only get one type of fish. I have heard about the nitrogen cycle and want to take your advice and start it before adding my fish. Last question (please): How much food would I give to each type of fish? Thank you for your response. I am thinking about using Tetra by Marineland to start the cycle, fishless, of course.

Chief_waterchanger

For 6 of either, the cherry barbs or the minnows you would give them just what they can eat completely in about 2-5 minutes. Start small, because it is REALLY hard to UNDER-feed those fish, especially if you are feeding twice a day.

A VERY small pinch of flake food would be more than enough for all 6 at one feeding.

Just remember, the eyeball is the size of their stomach, so their stomachs are VERY tiny.

You sound like you are doing your homework before committing to a responsibility of keeping a living animal. For that you are admired.

Mohammad

Dear chief waterchanger, thank you for so many replies! You have been such a great help to me in answering my stuck in the back of my head questions. After I posted the last one another question and then another came into my head.

1.) A ten gallon tank can only fit six cherry barbs and I am thinking about getting four females and two males because my dad wants them to breed. But I am thinking: How many eggs will they lay? Will the tank be OK untill I find them another home. What if I let the fish eat the eggs. How many fry would make it through?

2.) I heard that small fish can get stuck in the water filter and I don't want this to happen to any of my cherry barbs. What would be suitable filters that would fix this problem?

Like I said before, you have been a great help to me and so has this site. I promise to read the conversation we've had before we get the fish to help me remember. Thank you for your answers.
Mohammad Khadra