How Much do you feed

[giroux68]

I have been useing home made beef heart mixture (mike wells recipe). How much are you all feeding, how small are you chopping up the pieces? How long are you letting it stay in tank before you siphon out leftovers?

[Ryan]

Hi,

It is my opinion that the beefheart itself is not what fouls tank water quickly, it's the stuff we mix in it. Depending on Mike's recipe, I would suggest that you only feed the beefheart before a water change (that's what most people do here). I always feed beefheart a couple hours prior to my nightly siphoning, that gives them time to pick at any leftovers before I suck it all out of the tank. I only feed beefheart once per day, sometimes not at all, but I always make it their last meal, right before siphoning time.

My beefheart is 100% heart, I don't add vitamins or flakes or shrimp, etc. I have left it longer than a couple hours before, and they still pick at it, but if you're using a mix it's probably best not to let it sit too long.

As for the amount to feed, well, that's kind of trial and error. Are your fish young juveniles, sub-adults, adults? For juvies I always used a knife to cut the beefheart chunks into small pieces, no particular size, I just basically minced it to make it bite-size -- only feed as much as they'll eat. If after 10 or so minutes you still have tons of food floating around, you're feeding too much.

For my adults I just toss in whole cubes of the stuff (1"x1"x1/2&quot and let them tear it apart themselves. Less work for me, keeps the fish occupied ;D

Ryan

[Chris-C]

The trick with feeding beefheart is choosing the right amount so that there is not any left to vaccum up. If the fish are hungry they will eat till it is all gone.
Chris

giroux68,
I feed beefheart mixture about an hour or so before tank cleaning time. Depending on which tank it is I usually put in two chunckes 2 x 2 x 3/4. I let it thaw first and then drop it in.
But the best thing to do is get them on California Black Worms. Your fish will love you for it.

HTH
Miles

[Fisheyes]

;D ;D I have recently tried blk worms and I must say they are relished by my disc .Even the one in the corner comes out and competes for his share.
I guess my uestion would be when is enough a enough. I have one panda that gobbles them down so fast he suffers later trying to digest them.
Any recomondation on a balance diet using blk worms .
Right now I feed morning blk worms noon tetra flake and evening blood worms. ;D ;D
Jeeze they like them wormys so much I get to pet them at feeding time, I love it

[giroux68]

Sounds like the black worms have it. I've been thinking about getting them. This discussion has convinced me to.
Thanks for the input. I hope the like them.