One of the best ways to keep your fish healthy is to make sure that they eat regularly and well. But feeding them badly can make them very ill. In fact your fish is more likely to die from bad feeding than any other cause. It is really a question of balance; if you feed the fish too little then they will not grow properly and will be underweight, but if you feed them too much then they will be overweight. Very similar to people really, you just need to make sure that you feed them well and that you give them the right amount. Although it is a balancing act, it is really not that hard and if you are sensible then it should be fine.



It is much better to feed your fish a bit less and a bit more often. If you feed them too much then it is quite likely that the extra food will not be eaten. But this is not necessarily a good thing, as the extra food will usually end up on the floor of the tank. Then it will start to rot and so will have a detrimental effect on the quality of the water. Even worse, the food, as it rots, can create ammonia. This can be very bad for the fish, as they do not only live in the water, they also have to breathe it as well.

If you feed your fish a little less but feed them more often then it means that they can eat the food and not leave any that could be wasted and sink to the floor of the tank. It is also a much better way for your fish to eat. Try not too feed your fish food that is likely to rot down so often such as meat or other fish.

Another way to reduce the amount of waste that is in the tank is to buy a good quality filter. Then even if there is waste on the base of the tank, it is more likely that the filter will clean it up. It is worth buying one that is of a good quality rather than just a cheap one that will not clean so well.

Finding the right balance for feeding your fish is not hard, it just takes a little time to see how much they eat and how much is wasted so that you will be able to give them the right amount.