Late night feeding for fish

[andy hughes]

I have two goldfish, and I've got into the routine of feeding them justbefore i go to bed. I then find myself waiting around for a few minutes while they feed because I'm not sure if they need the light on to see their food or not. Does anyone know if fish need to see to feed, or can I nip off to bed and leave them noshing away in the dark?

[wildwood]

They should be able to feed in the dark. They are, after all, members of the carp family who mainly feed by gulping a mouthful of bottom sediment and/or gravel and sift that for anything edible. The reason that they eat flakes floating down is that they think it is livefood, which they take when possible.
If you still have concerns about your finned friends missing out on their tucker, why not get into the habit of feed them when you get up in the morning.

[Moonhead]

I've always fed all the fish in my aquarium before bed, and they've never minded :o)

[MrPooHead]

If you don't have a filter, don't feed yer fish every day, cos bacteria forms and nasty goings on like that, and de fish dey no like. Besides, they that stupid, they don't know when they're full, so they can get constipated. Also, more food equals more poo, refer to first point. Happy cleaning!

[Dr. Bigalow]

Hey Andy,
It is not a good idea to feed your fish while the lights are off because the fish will be lethargic and also unaware that they are being fed. However feeding them late at night is not a problem, just make sure you have the light on for at least an hour before you feed them and they will greedily gobble up every bit you put in.
A lot of my clients of my Aquarium Effects, aquarium maintenance and installation company actually ask the same questions re: feeding amounts and what time of the day is best.
If you have any other questions let me know, I'm happy to help!