3 replies to this topic

[Stew]

I see many posts about getting fish to grow quickly and understand the desire to have big 'uns but can't find any guidance on how little I can feed so they grow more slowly.  I understand that the less you feed, the slower they will grow, but How do you figure out a minimum so that it doesn't become an issue of their health. Any guidance out there? 

[Michael Wolfe]

I have no science behind my answer, so consider this is free advice and you get what you pay for.  And most of my experience is in dirt bottom, live planted, stocked with snails, not frequently cleaned tanks).  But in my experience it varies a lot with different genus.

 

Most darters need to be fed often (I dont do a good job of this and have a hard time keeping them alive for anything but a few years best case (feeding them less means they just waste away even earlier than that).

 

A lot of shiners and chubs (my favorites), do very well on feeding like once a week.

 

Sunfish similarly once they are about 3 or 4 inches do well with such minimal feeding,  I have had difficulties keeping smaller sunfish alive on this regimen and I assume it is because they have a higher intake need for proper growth. 

 

Suckers seem to be able to need to graze more often, but I have had some good luck keeping jumprocks for years on a sand substrate where they can sift and get food particles that have fallen to the sand (no other bottom feeders in that tank).

[Stew]

Thanks for the reply. I have a couple Rock bass so they'd follow your sunfish pattern I'd think .  I have been giving them a minnow about once a week. 

I have no science behind my answer, so consider this is free advice and you get what you pay for.  And most of my experience is in dirt bottom, live planted, stocked with snails, not frequently cleaned tanks).  But in my experience it varies a lot with different genus.

 

Most darters need to be fed often (I dont do a good job of this and have a hard time keeping them alive for anything but a few years best case (feeding them less means they just waste away even earlier than that).

 

A lot of shiners and chubs (my favorites), do very well on feeding like once a week.

 

Sunfish similarly once they are about 3 or 4 inches do well with such minimal feeding,  I have had difficulties keeping smaller sunfish alive on this regimen and I assume it is because they have a higher intake need for proper growth. 

 

Suckers seem to be able to need to graze more often, but I have had some good luck keeping jumprocks for years on a sand substrate where they can sift and get food particles that have fallen to the sand (no other bottom feeders in that tank).

[Michael Wolfe]

Sandwich was a fairly famous warmouth that I had for years and he was not that hard to switch to Hikari Massivore Pellets.  He actually continued to grow on those...

 

Hangin' with Sandwich 

 

vimeo.com/manage/videos/127223506

 

I hadnt watched that in a long while... funnny to actually miss a fish.