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I have 3 platies, and about 10 frys in my 20g tank. It is almost done with it's 2nd week of cycling. Fish have been in it for about a week now.

I have a question with feeding them. I am trying really hard not to overfed the 3 platies. So I gently turn on the light in the morning, ever so gently get the food out, and even more gently open the cover to put the food in. Just a little pinch.... But they don't seem to come up to the top to eat, and the food sits there, then gets dragged down by the waterfall filter. It seems like as soon as all the food is now floating to the bottom, THEN they decide to come to the surface in search of food. My tendency is to want to give them more, but I don't want even more food on the bottom of the tank. They do seem to eat it off the bottom much later, and I think the frys are eating it, but is this normal for the platies?

Once my tank has cycled and I get more fish in there, I know the food sinking to the bottom will get eaten by the corys I intend to get, but am I overfeeding the platies, or should I feed them more?

(Ammonia levels have been 0.5ppm last 3-4 days, no nitrIte or nitrAte levels yet) Water seems clear.

Thanks in advance.

I believe your Platys are still not yet comfortable with your tank....Still not fully Cycled yet....Did you use 'NIC' cycle to speed your cycle up? Once your Platy's are comfortable they will meet you at the top of the tank when the lights come on.....you can even touch them while they eat.....Can mine.....Dont forget your wafers for your Corys, soon you will be posting that your Platy's are not letting any food hit the ground and your Cory's are not getting enough food....Good Luck !!

Oh! Wait about 30 minutes to an hour after lights on before you feed your fish. It takes them time to wake up like us! I use this routine: Get up, turn the room light on, then the fish lights. Make my pot of coffee, wait, pour a cup, take a sip, feed the fish, then watch them eat as I drink my coffee.
I usually feed like this, give a little pinch, if they eat it all up real quick, another little pinch. Again if they eat it all up, another. When one spits out a piece, thats enough and no more.
Also, I noticed you have fry! Do you notice them having any trouble eating the big flakes? Heres what I do to make my own fry food (saves paying a small fortune for those small bites fry foods in stores).
I take a small plate, dish out a bunch of staple flakes, a bunch of 8 veggie flake, some red grubs, some sinking pellets, some brine shrimp flakes, pretty much all the different foods I have around, and I used a spoon, and grind it all together into a fine dust. I spoon this into a used fish food container, and voila!! fry food!
I fill a Tetra Delica Bloodworms container 3/4 full, i guess its a .05 oz container so pretty small. This lasts my 100+ fry about 6 months of food!
Good luck with your fish!!

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My feeding regimine is very similar to Sneaky Pete's -- Turn the lights on - make a pot of coffee - take a drink or two - then I feed my fish and watch.... Don't have the patience to feed pinch by pinch though... But as I feed my fish three times a day - and by the looks of them (round, fat bellys!), they've learned to jump right on the flakes, brine shrimp, pellets or whatever type of meal I've served... NO ONE is starving to say the least!

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