How often should I feed my fish?

Apart from large, predatory species, fish are adapted to graze on tiny quantities of food throughout the day. With this fact in mind, most fishes will thrive when fed small portions two to three times a day and will soon learn to come and beg from their owner. Healthy fish should always be hungry and all food should be consumed within a few minutes of being added to the tank. Bear in mind that overfeeding can crash a system with a struggling or immature biological filter- test your water regularly to monitor conditions and if your fish don't seem hungry, check ammonia and nitrite levels.

Remember that even though the filter bacteria will transform harmful pollutants into safer compounds, these less harmful chemicals will accumulate at a rate equal to the amount of food added. Therefore the more you feed, the more water you need to change to keep these by-products under control.