The #1 Aquarium Mistake I See: Overfeeding
- Heather
- 7 days ago
- 2 min read
If you’ve ever dealt with cloudy water, biofilm, algae, or sudden ammonia, the first question I always ask is simple:
How much are you feeding?
In this short video, I walk through a real 20-gallon long aquarium that developed an ammonia spike due to overfeeding. Nothing dramatic happened overnight, this was a slow buildup that happens in many home aquariums without people realizing it.
What happened in this tank?
Fish were being fed every day
Uneaten food was reaching the bottom
Waste and excess food overwhelmed the biological filter
Ammonia rose, and biofilm appeared on plants and surfaces
The important clarification
Sinking food is not the problem. Sinking food is designed to sink.
The issue is when food hits the substrate and just sits there untouched.
Bottom feeders should find food quickly. If they don’t, there’s simply too much food going into the tank.
What I changed (and what I didn’t)
Feeding was reduced to small amounts every other day
A gentle water change was done
Only light, targeted substrate vacuuming where fish rest
Plants and most of the tank were left undisturbed
No deep cleaning.No ripping up substrate.No panic moves.
The result
Within a short time:
Ammonia returned to zero
Biofilm decreased
Water clarity improved
The tank stabilized again
This is one of the most common aquarium issues I see and one of the easiest to fix.
Key takeaway
If you’re seeing water quality problems, feeding is the first thing to evaluate, not the last.
Less food almost always means:
healthier bacteria
more stable water
less maintenance
happier fish
Watch the full video above to see the test results and the process step by step.
If you’re local and struggling with water quality or feeding issues, feel free to reach out, this is exactly the kind of thing I help with every day.
— Fish Momma 🐟💙