How much food is just the right amount?

[badflash]

I don't advise the use of a tank under 10 gallons. Water parameters are just too hard to control and the water fouls too quickly.

Here is what I do. Take it for what it is worth. I use a dead oak leaf or two in the tank. As it rots it provides lots of microfood. I also use a tiny pinch of finely ground flake food such as Nutrafin Spirulina Algae flake food. This is not pure algae and uses other animal protiens as well. A couple of times a week I'll put a quarter sized piece of a collard green leaf in the tank. I never feed until all the food is gone. I also have several varieties of snails to help clean up, mostly pond snails and MTS.

As I said before, these are tiny animals and they don't eat that much. They won't starve on a tiny pinch of food every other day unless you get populations in the hundreds. A dozen can pretty much live on what grows on the java moss.

[kenneth_kpe]

Hmm after reading all the posts im worried now.. i feed my shrimps always because in my 13 gal planted im assuming their numbers are over 50 now.. i feed em algae wafers.. But after reading mustafas post im now worried.. anyway will supplementing with off the counter table top vegetables suffice ? by throwing in lets say a small piece of cucumber and letting it decay inside the aquarium... something like that...

[badflash]

No, that isn't right. Rotting veggies is not what they need. Do NOT use large amounts of veggies, algea wafers, etc. A small leaf of spinich or a part of a collard green is OK. If this isn;t clear there is little I can do to help you.

[Shrimpmania]

PRUSS SATU

[YuccaPatrol]

Although I am going to follow the advice here and feed very sparingly from now on, I did want to ask about a food I found that looks to be very good with kelp and spirulina as the main ingredients.

I bought a small can of Omega One Veggie Rounds before reading this thread.

Ingredients: Whole Kelp, Spirulina, Whole Salmon, Cod, Whole Herring, Seafood Mix (including krill, rocksfish, squid, clams, salmon eggs, and octopus) , wheat flour, lecithin, astaxanthin, L-Ascorbyl-2-Phosphate (vitamin C source), natural and Artificial Colors, Vitamin A Acetate, vitamin D3 supplement, Vitamin E supplement, Vitamin B12 supplement, Riboflavin, Niacin, Pantothenic Acid, folic Acid, biotin, Inositol, Tocopherol (Preservative), Ethoxyquin (preservative).

Protein 34%
Fat 8%
Fiber 6%
Moisture 8.5%
Ash 15%
Phosphorus (0.5%)
Omega 3 2%
Omega 6 1%

[badflash]

Should be fine. I get a big can of similar flakes and put them in a small food grinder to power it. I find the shrimp deal with power better as it catches in the javamoss and they can clean it. This assures everyone gets some, not just the strongest.