Fish diet

Question
I am a beginner.. I have Male Siamese Betta (1), Black Molly (4), Platy (4), Tiger Barb(6), Pink Zebra (4)and 4 orange fish (like goldfish but small.. cant remember the name :) )My Siamese is in 1 gallon tank and rest are in 5 gallon tank.. my questions are..
1) can i give the Betta food to my other fish
2) what is the ideal maximum capacity of 5 gallon tank, all my fish are just small, only black molly and Platy are medium size.
3) what is the frequency of changing the water? every other day?
4) what should i put to clear the cloudy water.. its get cloudy every after feeding.

Your website is very helpful.. Hope to hear from you soon.. thanks

Answer
Hi Aileen,

Remember, they need water changes frequently but only if they have no filter.  

I advise filters on all your tanks, asap.

The water will be much healthier and less cloudy when filtered.

The rule of thumb for fish is 1 inch of fish per gallon.  In a five gallon tank, you can keep five inches worth of fish, only.

Your fish tank is over-crowded, which is why the water is cloudy.

Goldfish differ than other fish and require much higher filtration than regular fishes.  They require 5 to 10 gallons each as babies, and 25 to 50 gallons each as adults.

My suggestion?  Do a lot of water changes til you find appropriate housing for them.

In answer to the other questions:

1.  You can give Betta food to your other fishes, but if it's sinking food, I suggest not.  You do not want any food to ever hit the bottom of the tank for any fish.

2.  Answered this up there - just five one inch fish per 5 gallon tank.

3.  Every other day change water until you find a better accommodation for your fish.  Add filters asap.

4.  Don't add anything to clear cloudy water.  It ruins water quality to add those types of chemicals.  Instead, just rinse it clean.

I hope this is helpful. Sounds like you have some adorable breeds of fishes.

Happy fish-keeping,
Renee