Did you accidentally pour too much food into the fish tank? Or did your kid dump fish food in the tank? It’s part of our everyday routine to put fish food in the tank. I usually weigh the food and then put it into the water. This helps in maintaining a regular diet for the fish. There will be no ups and downs in the feeding resulting in a healthy fish.
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But again, there are situations when too much fish food is mistakenly dumped. Your fish may be dying as a result of too much fish food in the tank, and it may seem as scary as it may sound.
If your kid has dumped fish food in the tank, I would suggest removing it immediately. Else, the fish will consume more and can be overfed. If this food is not removed, it can degrade the quality of the water over time as it contains many chemicals. This will make the water more cloudy and suffocating for your fish.
I’ve outlined a few tips when fish food is poured into the tank in this article. Along with instructions on how to remove the excess food, there is also advice on what not to do.
What Do You Do if Fish Food Is Dumped in the Tank?
Mistakes happen and this mistake is sure to happen at least once in a lifetime of having pet fishes. When fish food is dumped in the tank, your stimulus should activate to get rid of the fish food as quickly as possible from the tank.
If not done, the excess food can release high levels of ammonia and nitrite, which are dangerous and can quickly kill your fish.
These can be done by the use of the following measures.
1. Take Out the Fish to Safety
I feel the first thing to do would be to remove the fish from the tank safely. It’s advisable to separate the fish from the food if you mistakenly poured too much fish food.
When I remove the fish from the tank, the entire tank is sure to be clean. In most cases, this is the best option.
2. Use a Fish Net
I’m sure most of us have a fishing net or a scoop on hand. It’s advisable to buy one with a thin net so that the food may settle inside instead of slipping through the openings.
I suggest that you do this task as lightly as possible, so as to not disturb the fish swimming around. You’ll need to have something soft enough to pick up the extra fish food without disturbing the fish if you use a fish net.
3. Replace the Water
When you dump more fish food into the aquarium, you have to replace the water.
The water should be cleared, but if you have recently changed the water I suggest that you change not more than 50% of the water. The fish should not feel out of place again.
If the water is not changed, the food in the tank will pollute the water, making it an unsafe environment for your fish to stay. This occurs as a result of fish food by-products, usually containing ammonia.
You must remove the fish food before the water becomes polluted.
Even when cleaned, performing a complete water change, after a few cycles less than the usual time is a good move. It will ensure that the water is not clouded.
4. Check the Water’s Purity
Although the water looks clean after changing, it may not be completely pure. The purity of water depends on its pH level. Therefore checking this is a must!
Don’t think that the excess fish food in the tank won’t cause problems. If you’re not careful, it can cause a lot of damage.
Does Fish Food Dissolve in Water?
Fish food usually consists of insoluble ingredients such as dried seaweed, spirulina, shrimp meal, and fresh grasses. Hence fish food rarely dissolves in water.
Fish flakes, as opposed to fish pellets, dissolve quickly in water, according to my observations with fish food. Uneaten flakes crumble to pulp and eventually dissolve in water, contaminating the water.
Pellets degrade a lot more slowly in water than flakes. This offers the fish more time to consume them, and they don’t pollute the water as much. Because they sink, I assume they are better for fish.
How to Get Fish Food Out of the Tank?
Clean any food that fish has eaten within no time! You can remove the uneaten fish food from the tank using an aquarium vacuum cleaner and also a fish net.
The food on the water’s surface can be easily removed using any utensil or a fish net. But that which has sunken to the depth will need a vacuum cleaner. Ensure you do this with utmost care not to spoil or break the interiors.
Besides them, you can use the steps I suggested earlier in this post to get rid of excess food.
What Does an Overfed Fish Look Like?
Overfeeding fish is a big mistake that a lot of people make, and it’s a major issue!
You’ve fed too much when you observe flake food laying on the bottom of the tank with no fish eating it.
If any pellets are floating in the tank, it indicates that the fish have finished feeding and are no longer interested in food, or that they have over-eaten and are unable to force food into their mouth.
The signs of an overfed fish are as below.
- Fish that are fat and overweight.
- Swimming is difficult.
- Lethargy and inability to respond.
How Do You Treat Overfed Fish?
Overeating can be reversed in fish, but it’s not as simple as telling them to “take a chill pill.”
Overeating can cause bloating in your fish, which can lead to bacterial diseases. Like we take antibiotics for any bacterial infection, antibiotics are good for fish as well. Apart from antibiotics, natural remedies like peas can be used for the time being. They are also a proven cure for bloating
For a day or two, don’t feed your fish. They can easily survive. Fish don’t mind because it won’t injure them.
Conclusion
We all enjoy feeding our fish. I feel it’s satisfying to see my fish respond to my presence and consume the food I offer.
But if you have accidentally spilled too much fish food into your aquarium, this article is a must-read.
The bottom line is to remove excess food, well before any complications. Any of the above mentioned ways can be used to accomplish it, but proceed with caution.
Helpful Resources
Accidentally Poured Too Much Fish Food: What Should You Do?