Feeding Aggressive Fish

[Mad Scientist]

I was wondering what the general view was in terms of feeding large aggressive fish such as lions, triggers, groupers, etc.

Is it better for the fish to feed them a large ammount untill they become full, or to feed them smaller ammounts muliple times.

For example (numbers are estimated):

If I feed my lion 10g of shrimp a week, is it better to feed him 3 times (approx 3gs per feeding) or feed him 10 times (1g per feeding)?

Untill recentlty I have been trying to feed lots of small meals and snacks. But, as I think about it more, this seems unnatural.

Also, I saw a program on the Discovery Channel last night about the feeding of so called "jumping" Great Whites. It's on all the time and I recommend it. But, relevant to this thread, the researchers said that when the Great Whites' were able to eat untill totally full (in this case it was a whale carcass providing the feast) their behavior changed and their full bellies altered hormone production and the sharks displayed mating behavior.

I know a trigger isn't a shark, but, do you guys think giving very large feedings is benfical (assuming you have a filtration that can handle it)?

[JDM130]

Hey MS, IMO its better to feed small amounts 2-3 times a day. But more importantly then the amounts is a varied diet. I always feed my fish stuff from the grocery store. I feed fresh shrimp, clams. mussles, crab meat, squid, and whatever fish is onsale. IMO, its cheaper then any prepaired foods you can buy at your LFS and its better for them and it's natural. This is JMO on what works for me, YMMV...................Jeff

[Mad Scientist]

Jeff, I could not agree more with you on varied diets, it's hard to beat fresh seafood, and when you have expensive fish,the price of quality food is worth it.

[EdKruzel]

Mad Scientist,

In nature fish actually eat small amounts compared to aquarium fish.
Free for all's like the Great Whites & the whale carcass are not frequent. (Great program).

Remember in nature fish fight for dominancy, run from predators, and hunt for food. With all this exercise the amount of intake is small compared to our house guest.

As an example; I feed my lion & grouper a varied fresh selection from the seafood counter on Mon, Wed, & Fri. I feed just enough to get a protrusion from their stomachs. Full but not stuffed.

Friday I feed a bit heavier since they won't eat until Monday.
My fish are thick, healthy, and active.

Good Luck,
Ed

[Fishotch]

i've read that with large fish eaters its better to feed in one large meal every few days to simulate the capture of a prey animal. while i'm sure if it can a fish will grab up a small fish, but since theyre able to eat larger animals, i assume sometiems they would.

[Mad Scientist]

Two different points of view, I'm not sure which one is best. I guess the bottom line is whether the fish are healthy, growing and fertile.

I agree that most fish in the wild don't eat as much as we feed our aquariums, but, often the dominant fish in nature (the ones that are most likely to pass on their genes) are very fat. For example, I often see huge schools of cod (when diving), some are thin, most average, but, a few are big, fat, and dominant. I think for a long time, with both fish and corals, hobbyists were underfeeding their creatures out of fear of polluting their water, now we that we have LR and a better understanding of filtration, I think many people are more comforatable feeding more than people 10 or 15 years ago. Just my thoughts, good discussion.