Guide
How much to feed fish (and how to avoid overfeeding)
Overfeeding causes ammonia, nitrate, and cloudy water. Simple rules for how much and how often.
Why overfeeding is a problem
Uneaten food and extra waste push up ammonia and nitrite (in an uncycled or stressed tank) and nitrate. That means cloudy water, algae, and stressed fish. See ammonia spike and water parameters.
How much to feed
Most fish do well with what they can eat in one to two minutes, once or twice a day. For pellets or flake, a small pinch is often enough. If food is still on the bottom after a few minutes, you fed too much. Skip a day if you're unsure or if the tank is new; fish can handle a short fast.
Quick takeaways
- Feed only what fish eat in 1–2 minutes; once or twice daily.
- No leftover food on the bottom; reduce or skip a day if needed.
- Track your tank with App-aquatic so parameters stay stable.
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