Keeping Cardinal tetras is more convenient and easier for those who do not have a lot of time. But it has its own drawbacks. In most cases, it is easier for owners to make mistakes while feeding their Cardinal tetras. For example, it’s a common mistake where many owners forget to count the number of fish they own and start overfeeding their Cardinal tetras. But what happens when you overfeed your Cardinal tetras?
Overfeeding them is one of the common mistakes that people make while keeping cardinal tetras at home. When you feed your cardinals more than what they actually require to survive in water, it will make their immune system weaker, which can also cause them to have a bloated stomach. In some cases, the fish might also suffer from constipation, making it harder for them to digest their food.
This article will discuss what happens when you overfeed your cardinal tetras with some ways to prevent the same.
Are Cardinal Tetras Likely To Eat More?
Cardinal tetras are omnivorous fish, which means that they eat mostly plant matter in the wild. However, it is not uncommon for them to consume meaty foods like brine shrimp or blood worms. As a result of this more flexible diet and their ability to fit into smaller spaces under low light conditions often found at night.
Cardinal Tetras will sometimes supplement their diets with food from their environment. However, it is important to avoid overfeeding them as this can lead to dangerous and deadly symptoms for your fish.
Is It Ok Overfeed Your Cardinal Tetras?
Some people believe that it is ok to overfeed cardinal tetras. It may be okay for some fish but can have deadly consequences if you are not careful. It would be best never to feed your fish more than they eat in 20 minutes because this could cause dangerous and possibly fatal symptoms.
Symptoms such as cloudy eyes or a bloated stomach indicate that your fish is not getting enough oxygen. In addition, if your aquarium’s water quality and conditions are poor, you will notice fins rotting or fraying at the ends, which can cause secondary infections and diseases if it goes untreated.
It’s best to make sure your fish are eating what they need and getting enough oxygen to stay healthy. For example, it would help clean the tank after feeding your cardinal tetras, so they don’t get too full before digesting the food.
What Happens If You Overfeed Your Cardinal Tetras?
When your fish gets too many nutrients more than its needs, the cardinal tetra might suffer from some dangerous and deadly symptoms. Some of the most common problems related to overfeeding are:
Bloating:
Bloating is the most common problem in Cardinal tetras that occurs due to overfeeding. When you feed overfeed your fish, it might bloat or become bloated, and then this will lead to other problems like constipation which can be fatal for your cardinal tetras. Some of the signs of bloating are:
- Gasping at the surface
- Flashing
- Swimming close to the water’s surface
Constipation:
When you overfeed your fish, it is unable to digest all of its food. This can lead to constipation which is not only extremely uncomfortable but also life-threatening for your cardinal tetras. Some of the signs that show that your fish might be suffering from constipation are:
- Feces is visible in the vent
- The anus might have a white color
Gill Damage Due To Overfeeding:
A large amount of undigested food can cause problems with gills, leading to breathing difficulties and ultimately death. Some of the common signs that indicate overfeeding-related gill damage are:
- Irritated and red gills
- Breathing difficulties due to lack of oxygen supply
Lethargy Or Lethargic Behavior:
Lethargy is another widespread problem that occurs in cardinal tetras if they suffer from overfeeding. When your fish gets too many nutrients than its needs, it will feel lethargic and will try to reduce its activity levels. Some of the signs that show your fish is feeling fatigued are:
- Lying on the bottom
- Less active than usual
Sunken Belly:
If you notice a sunken abdomen in your cardinal tetras, it means they have been overfed, which has led to malnutrition and, ultimately, starvation. Some of the common signs that show your fish is starving are:
- Their scales stick out
- A sunken appearance in their abdomen
Loss Of Coloration:
The cardinal tetras might lose their color if it has been overfed, leading to a significant loss of appetite and energy levels. Some of the common signs that show your fish has lost its color are:
- Lackluster appearance
- Pale in appearance
Smelly And Dirty Tank:
If your tank is dirty and smelly, it means that you probably haven’t been cleaning the tank properly, which can be a sign of overfeeding. When you feed your Cardinal tetras too much, they produce a lot of waste, and this will make your aquarium water polluted and dirty. Some of the common signs that show your fish tank is smelly are:
- A cloudy appearance to the water
- Scum on the walls
- Unpleasant smell in the water
How To Know You Are Overfeeding Your Cardinal Tetras?
If you see these symptoms, your fish are likely overfed:
- A cardinal tetra’s belly will become swollen, and it may look like the fish has a big stomach.
- You can notice that their abdomen is bigger than usual and looks bloated because of overfeeding.
- Another sign to watch out for is the cardinal tetra fish breathing quickly.
- You will notice that your cardinal tetras are lying on their sides or upside down if they are overfed with food.
- The cardinal tetra will have an extended belly, and the scales on their body may look sharp.
- A cardinal tetra’s stomach is relatively smaller than its body size. Sometimes, when you give them more food than what their stomach can hold, the excess expells from the fish’s mouth or gills in a thin white stringy liquid that looks like saliva.
If you notice any of these symptoms, immediately stop feeding them until they are not visible anymore.
What To Do When Overfeeding Has Occurred?
If you have discovered that your cardinal tetras are indeed overfed, you should take immediate action to correct this problem. Some of the things you can do are:
Make A Feeding Schedule:
Making a schedule for feeding your cardinal tetras at certain times of the day can help ensure that you are not overfeeding them. For example, it would be best to feed your cardinal tetras once or twice a day. If you are not, put yourself on a schedule and stick to it every single time.
Discard Unused Food:
You will want to make sure that there is no leftover food disposition after each meal. This will help prevent overfeeding the next time around and keep your tank clean and the water healthy.
Never Feed Your Fish Before You Go To Bed:
We all love to come home from a long day of work or school, sit on the sofa for an hour or so, then feed our fish at night before we head off to bed. But, unfortunately, this is not how you should be feeding them!
Stop Feeding Your Fish For A Couple Of Days:
If you have been feeding your fish twice a day, try going to once a day for the next couple of days. This will help reduce the amount of available food and can end up reducing how much they eat as well.
Alternative Food Items:
There are many different kinds of foods that you can use for your cardinal tetras. You need to make sure they are high in protein and easy to digest not to upset the balance of their stomachs.
Avoid Stress In Your Tank:
You will want to make sure that your fish is as stress-free as possible at all times. Of course, it is easy when you have the proper tank. But you can also avoid stress by simply keeping them in a more tranquil atmosphere. Mostly, a stressful environment may also lead to overfeeding.
Replace The Water:
Finally, you want to replace some or all of the water in your tank with fresh, clean tap water every day until you have a clean tank with no leftover food or debris from the previous day’s dinner.
Conclusion
In conclusion, despite the ease to keep, Cardinal tetras should know how to manage their food. If the aquarium contains too many fishes, take time to clean it regularly or change some water once in a while.
For your fish cardinals to stay healthy and safe from dangerous diseases such as Tetra Disease, try not to overfeed them because this action will bring potential problems with eating too much. In addition, make sure to maintain a proper tank size and the right water conditions.
If you follow these steps carefully, your Cardinal tetras will definitely live for many years. Hopefully, this post helped you to know and deal with overfeeding your Cardinal tetras. To know more, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.