Do you feed FDBW cubes?

[kilnakorr]

Hi

This maybe seem as some wierd questions, but here goes:

First, imagine feeding one adult discus 3 meals a day. How many cubes would you feed per meal?

Can anyone please weigh a cube of FDBW?

I can only buy loose worms here, and need some direction on how much to feed.
Most of them stays in the surface and are eaten just fine, but I'm really not sure if I feed to much or not enough of these.

[danotaylor]

I only just started using FDBW's but my 5 x 6" adults take almost 10 minutes to finish 2 whole cubes. They tear into them at 1st them once their bellies are bulging slow down picking slowly until it's all gone. I would cut 1 cube into 1/3's and feed 1/3 x 3/day for 1 adult, prob equivalent to 1/8-1/4 tsp of lose dried worms.
Second Hand Pat advised me to pre soak lose worms b4 adding them to the tank if using lose.

[14Discus]

Another idea for loose worms are the feeding cones. They greatly reduce the loose stuff from going all over the tank. Fish learn real fast how to get them out. They kinda blow water at it and then suck out the ends of worms sticking through the holes in the cone. To get the worms into the cone, I made a pill bottle with holes in the bottom attached to a bent coathanger. I put desired amount into bottle attached to coat hanger. Them I quickly swoop the attached bottle down through the water until the large opening is right below the inverted cone and let the worms float up into the cone from the bottom. Of course....once in a while....just for fun, I’ll put a pinch between two fingers and feed them by hand.

[LizStreithorst]

That is a great idea that I didn't think of, Bill. I feed a large pair 1/2 cube once a day. I have a gram scale but I'm too lazy to pull it out of the cobwebs. (I haven't used it in a very long time) I feed Captain Bill's hard pellets and Al's soft pellets the other 2 times. Black worms are a great food, but I don't believe that one food and one only provides every thing the fish need to live a long healthy life.

[kilnakorr]

Thanks for all the replies.
Feeding cones work fine, but hate looking at them. Since all my fish take them from the surface I have no problems with how to feed them.
I'm really not into volume measurements like tsp, cups etc. but if noone can weigh a cube I'll guess I'm just gonna feed like a have done so far, but think I'll measure how much just for future reference.
I do feed other foods also 😊

[danotaylor]

I will try weighing a cube on my gram scale but tbh I don't think a single cube will even register. I'll get back with you later...I'm an Australian living in America and I don't really like measuring in gallons or pounds, but it's what they do here so I adapted...for lose BW's an 1/8 or 1/4 tsp should be accurate & consistent enough to feed a single fish....just saying

[fljones3]

Cubes vary but one cube was just under a gram. Scale doesn’t do mg.

[danotaylor]

On my gram scale (minimum measureable weight) 2 large cubes = 1g, 4 cubes = 2g.
If you have scales that weigh points of a gram I would recommend 0.2-0.3g (200-300mg) per feeding for 1 adult discus.

[farebox]

I have 13 discus in a 125G tank, feed two cubes of Al's FDBW's. I press the cubes to the glass side of the tank or squeeze the cubes in the top of water and let the fish pick at it from my hand for few moments and release. My guys will eat from the top of the water. Since there are other fish tankmates (cardinal tetras, clown loaches, sterbai cories, blue rams, bushynose plecos) will add some pre-soaked Capt. Bobs flakes mixed with Tetra color bits ( 1 tbsp ea.). I do this two times daily.

[kilnakorr]

On my gram scale (minimum measureable weight) 2 large cubes = 1g, 4 cubes = 2g.
If you have scales that weigh points of a gram I would recommend 0.2-0.3g (200-300mg) per feeding for 1 adult discus.

Thanks a lot for getting the scale out
I also contacted the dealer who sold the blackworms and seems his reply is very similar.

So roughly 250 mg per feeding for an adult discus.
I wonder if that equals 1/4 tsp

[brady]

It's beyond me why you are obsessed with amt of fdbw by weight you feed your fish. Feed them what they will eat
in a reasonable amt. of time and stick with it. Example: my 5 x 6" fish will eat 2 cubes in the am and 2 in the pm.
If you want too calculate the weight of a cube[ don't know why],but Al sells his cubes in 100 gm bag,ect.
Just count the number of cubes in whatever bag you buy, divide the number of cubes into the weight and
amazingly you will come up with the average weight of a cube.
Jay

[14Discus]

It's beyond me why you are obsessed with amt of fdbw by weight you feed your fish. Feed them what they will eat
in a reasonable amt. of time and stick with it. Example: my 5 x 6" fish will eat 2 cubes in the am and 2 in the pm.
If you want too calculate the weight of a cube[ don't know why],but Al sells his cubes in 100 gm bag,ect.
Just count the number of cubes in whatever bag you buy, divide the number of cubes into the weight and
amazingly you will come up with the average weight of a cube.
Jay

I agree. Btw.....on any given feeding, different fish eat different amounts on a given day. One day both my 6” Red Eagles eat like pigs.....the next day, a tad less. As long as the food is eaten up....that’s the key. The few pieces falling to the bottom get the Cories fed. I respect your seriousness abt amounts and all (I’m a retired biology teacher), but several small feedings where in five/ten minutes, all is consumed is the answer. I do have a scale, but hardly ever use it.

[kilnakorr]

It's not that I'm obsessed with the amount I feed. I just want to make sure the little critters get enough.
The main problem is the general guidelines and what else you read:
'I feed 2 cubes a day', 'I feed what is eaten in 10 minutes' or 'what you can have between two fingers'.
Since my loose fdbw comes in mL bucket, and my discus will feed from the surface for 45 minutes, none of the above gives any useful info.
I can't buy cubes anywhere here. Even the loose fdbw is only sold online in one single store in the country. Cubes would be easier but too expensive with international shipping and taxes.

Since I just started feeding fdbw I looked for some guidelines on the amount to feed and the previously replies to this thread has helped me eyeball the amount.

@brady - remember some people live outside the US and shipping, taxes and customs can't be quite expensive. Buying from Al, is not really an option.