Feeding and Powerheads

gcgrad · 07/23/2011, 12:32 PM

Just a few quick questions for the experienced hobbyists. How often do you feed? Do you run your powerheads all the time? Also, do you run your powerheads while you feed? Just curious! Thanks

papagimp · 07/23/2011, 12:54 PM

for me, it depended on what i was feeding at the time as to how I handled the powerhead situation. my return pump from the sump always got shut off to keep food from going down their during feeding but usually kept the powerheads on. Should have enough flow going to keep it in circulation until it's eaten anyways. Sometimes though when target feeding certain livestock I may turn them off temporarily. Such as 1 fish always getting left out of the loop and scared to join the frenzy, I'd stop the powerheads and make sure he got his share too. How often kinda depended on the species we're talking bout. I always tended to overfeed and knew I did, not a good practice to get into. Some species I'd feed every day, others ever other day, some once a week, ect. ect. I know that's not a very definetive answer.

b0bab0ey · 07/23/2011, 01:26 PM

I feed once a day and sadly, mostly flake. I alternate between Formula 1 & 2 flake. When I'm not so busy, I feed mysis, brine, raw shrimp and reef crack (a homemade blend of everything). This is when I shutdown all the pumps and target feed my lps. I also like to let the seafood settle to the bottom so all my inverts have a shot at it. Well fed hermits are well behaved hermits.

EllieSuz · 07/23/2011, 01:51 PM

When you have a controller, it's so easy to shut down the powerheads for a pre-determined time while you feed. I feed up to three times daily; pellets in the morning, nori in the afternoon and frozen at night. I only shut down the pumps at night so I can target feed corals, such as Duncan, Frogspawn, Hammer, Candy Cane, etc.

gcgrad · 07/23/2011, 06:05 PM

Thanks for the info everyone! I'm just starting so I don't have any corals that I have to target feed. I take it y'all leave your powerheads runnning overnight then.

briankmarsh1980 · 07/23/2011, 07:09 PM

My powerheads run all the time. Feeding depends on the fish you have I feed twice a day but only what they will eat. I feed pacific plankton (Rods Food) I melt it in RO water rinse it in a net and put it in a cup of tank water and feed with a medicine dropper.

papagimp · 07/23/2011, 07:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gcgrad

I take it y'all leave your powerheads runnning overnight then.

24/7, need to have flow in the tank for the live rock and/or other filters to actually work. Stagnant water = dead tank

07/23/2011, 12:32 PM	#1
gcgrad Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Middle Georgia Posts: 192	Feeding and Powerheads Just a few quick questions for the experienced hobbyists. How often do you feed? Do you run your powerheads all the time? Also, do you run your powerheads while you feed? Just curious! Thanks

07/23/2011, 12:54 PM	#2
papagimp COMAS Rocks! Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Oklahoma City, OK Posts: 8,185 Blog Entries: 2	for me, it depended on what i was feeding at the time as to how I handled the powerhead situation. my return pump from the sump always got shut off to keep food from going down their during feeding but usually kept the powerheads on. Should have enough flow going to keep it in circulation until it's eaten anyways. Sometimes though when target feeding certain livestock I may turn them off temporarily. Such as 1 fish always getting left out of the loop and scared to join the frenzy, I'd stop the powerheads and make sure he got his share too. How often kinda depended on the species we're talking bout. I always tended to overfeed and knew I did, not a good practice to get into. Some species I'd feed every day, others ever other day, some once a week, ect. ect. I know that's not a very definetive answer. __________________ 58g Softie & 75g Stoney Member, Central Oklahoma Marine Aquarium Society Current Tank Info: 58g Mixed Reef Project - Started June 2011

07/23/2011, 01:51 PM	#4
EllieSuz Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Rochester, NY Posts: 3,858	When you have a controller, it's so easy to shut down the powerheads for a pre-determined time while you feed. I feed up to three times daily; pellets in the morning, nori in the afternoon and frozen at night. I only shut down the pumps at night so I can target feed corals, such as Duncan, Frogspawn, Hammer, Candy Cane, etc. __________________ "You can't learn this hobby one question at a time." (Mr. Tuskfish) Eileen Current Tank Info: I'm out of the hobby, but used to have a60 gal. reef, refugium in sump, Internal Mag 9 return, SC 302 skimmer, two Maxi-Jet 1200's modded, four bulb T5 Lighting, Reefkeeper Lite Controller with three PC4's, Little Fishes GFO reactor.

07/23/2011, 07:09 PM	#6
briankmarsh1980 I'm a member of **!!!!!! Join Date: May 2010 Location: Maricopa, Arizona Posts: 2,127	My powerheads run all the time. Feeding depends on the fish you have I feed twice a day but only what they will eat. I feed pacific plankton (Rods Food) I melt it in RO water rinse it in a net and put it in a cup of tank water and feed with a medicine dropper. __________________ My skim don't stink _______________________________________________________________ 210 gallons with stuff!!!!!!!

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07/23/2011, 01:26 PM	#3
b0bab0ey Moved On Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 2,564	I feed once a day and sadly, mostly flake. I alternate between Formula 1 & 2 flake. When I'm not so busy, I feed mysis, brine, raw shrimp and reef crack (a homemade blend of everything). This is when I shutdown all the pumps and target feed my lps. I also like to let the seafood settle to the bottom so all my inverts have a shot at it. Well fed hermits are well behaved hermits.

07/23/2011, 06:05 PM	#5
gcgrad Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Middle Georgia Posts: 192	Thanks for the info everyone! I'm just starting so I don't have any corals that I have to target feed. I take it y'all leave your powerheads runnning overnight then.