Bowl feeding also allows the aquarist to monitor which fish are eating, and how much they are eating. This can have huge advantages in making sure all fish are eating, and spotting any problems with dominate or subordinate individuals. Aggressive behavior is usually amplified at feeding time, even though in general it seems they all get along. Having all the food in one spot will allow you to see if any of the fish are causing problems for other fish, or are being harassed too much. With food all over the tank it is hard to catch problem fish in action. I find that many of the fish feed in shifts. Certain species or individuals will be the first to feed. As they fill up and go about their business others will move in for their turn. Because of this, feeding guides like ‘no more than two minutes’, ‘3-5 minutes of feeding’, and others are not always the best to go by. By allowing more time for feeding you can ensure that all the fish get a full meal.
