Feeding your Fish
The routine feeding guidelines below are based on an estimate of 125-145 fish per tank and the kind of measuring spoons used in cooking. Measurement is always a level amount, the excess in the spoon removed by running a straight edge across the top of the spoon. Please feed only the amount of food that the trout will consume in five minutes. For the first couple of days, feed once a day. After that, follow the guidelines in B. below. Effective 2015 only size 0 food is provided by the hatchery. This midsize food is appropriate for all size fish until they are released. Store food in a cool, dry location. DO NOT REFRIGERATE
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ROUTINE FEEDING GUIDELINES
(See FIRST FEED Guidance BEFORE feeding fish!)
Begin feeding when eggs sacs are absorbed and the alevin begin to swim to the top of the breeder basket. At this stage, it is best to keep the fish in the breeder basket rather than give them access to the entire tank.
Age/Size of Fish Amount/Size of Food
From week 1 to week 3 pinch of size 0 food
From 3 weeks to 1 inch long ¼ + â…› tsp. size 0 food
From 1 inch to 1.5 inches long ¾ teaspoon of size 0 food
From 1.5 inches to 2 inches long 1½ tsp. of size 0 food
From 2 inches plus long 2¼ tsp. of size 0 food
Feeding Quantities
At each age/size of the trout, the amount of food provided per day should start with the amount shown above and gradually be increased so that the size of the trout and the amount of food called for in the table reach the next stage at about the same time. For example, midway between the 1 inch stage and the 1½ inch stage you can be feeding a total of ½ teaspoon per tank daily, i.e., ¼ tsp. in the morning and ¼ tsp. in the afternoon.
Since these measurements are not the product of hard science, you always need to factor in common sense. Use your best judgment based on the number, age, and size of the fish in your tank and any water quality issues you may be experiencing.
Feeding Frequency
The trout can be fed up to five times a day by dividing the recommended total daily amount by the number of feedings you plan to administer as appropriate. The trout will seem “hungry” all the time. Remember that they are wild animals, and their instinct is to eat any food presented to them, no matter how often. It is important to remove all food that is uneaten after five minutes (scoop out with your net or suck out with the baster). During the first few weeks, be vigilant to the possibility of ammonia spikes from over-feeding. If water tests and fish health indicate excess ammonia, add more Nite-Out II or increase the number of water changes. Reduce the amount of food until tank conditions stabilize.
FEEDING GUIDELINES DURING VACATIONS
Ideally, during vacation periods, someone should check the tank, conduct water changes, and feed the trout on a regular basis. However, this is not always possible. The following guidelines have been designed for those times when daily feeding is not possible. An automatic feeder is not recommended. If enlisting the assistance of security and maintenance staff to feed the fish on weekends and holidays, it is advisable to place a feeding chart near the tank for them to record when and how much the fish have been fed. The importance of not overfeeding the trout should be made clear to everyone feeding the fish during vacation periods. If fish are fed during mid-length or long vacation periods, water changes and gravel cleaning to remove fish waste may also be required. Persons providing assistance should be instructed how to perform these procedures per instructions in Chapter 6.
1. Short Vacations (3- or 4-day weekends)
On the day before a short vacation, feed less; change water as necessary. Three days without additional food is not a threat to fish health.
2. Mid-length Vacations (7 to 10 days)
Trout can survive a 10-day vacation without food or water changes.
a. On the days leading up to the vacation, feed a little less to minimize ammonia buildup during the holiday.
b. If indicated, change as much as ten gallons of water on the day before leaving. For such a large water change, if possible do a 5-gallon change in the morning and another 5-gallon change in the afternoon. Watch the water temperature as you do this. If necessary, use your bottles of frozen de-chlorinated water to keep the tank temperature below 570 F until the chiller cools the tank to its normal 520 F. Also be sure to add Nite-Out II.
3. Long Vacations (11+ days)
a. Same preparation as for a mid-length vacation. Plan to have someone feed the fish halfway through the vacation, if possible, with the same amount of food provided the day just before the vacation.
b. Bear in mind that feeding the fish will result in the need to remove fish waste by siphoning the gravel and replacing de-chlorinated water removed from the tank during that process.
c. Don’t worry if no one can come to feed the fish. Trout can survive lean times. They are more at risk from poor water quality than starvation.