Pumps while feeding?

[droog]

Hi,

Is there a "best practice" regarding the use of powerheads while feeding the tank?

At the moment I turn the circulation off, but leave the main return on. The fish get very excited and come to meet me which is nice :-)

However, I have noticed that any food that does not sink quickly enough gets sucked into the overflow which seems like an waste of money and a problem waiting to happen. My 130g tank has a coast-to-coast overflow - with the main return on and circulation pumps off i have a small current at the surface pulling stuff into the overflow.

Feeding pellets is no problem, frozen misys shrimp is OK, maybe 5% end up in the overflow. Flake food I think would end up mostly in the filter sock. What the best way to feed flake food? Put it inside a floaty ring thing or turn off the return?

Seems to me that turning the main return off/on every day might reduce the life of the pump? Also, when I tried this last night my baby cowfish got sucked into the main return outlet as the syphon started :-(

Poor little guy looked really confused. I turned the pump back on for a second and he came shooting out in a burst of bubbles looking sheepish. He seemed OK afterwards and ate the frozen misys that came in a a little later. I have some smaller fish in my tank that would probably have been sucked down the down the drainpipe though. Maybe they will learn. Curious what other folks here do!

-droog

[Pife]

I'd be careful with the cow fish. It could nuke your tank.

[Waters40]

I also just turn off the powerheads (they are all plugged into a surge protector) and let the sump continue to run. With flake food, I submerge it in front of the sump return, and it shoots down. As long as it isn't floating, most of it doesn't get sucked into my overflow. Turning off the powerheads also makes it easier to target feed the coral.

[thegrun]

I do the opposite, I turn off the return pump to prevent food from being sucked down into the sump and have the in-tank powerheads cut back to 40% (all with one button via my Neptune controller).

[ca1ore]

Next time I shut down any of my pumps for feeding will be the first time I do it. Never really understood the logic behind it frankly. If you are getting significant food going down your overflow then you are either feeding too much or letting it float on the surface for too long. I noted this elsewhere, but I usually pour thawed frozen right into the top of my Vortech pump - the fish get much more excited by the food if they think its moving on its own.

[Nina51]

Originally Posted by ca1ore

the fish get much more excited by the food if they think its moving on its own.

this ^

i turn off power heads when i target feed corals. the fish pretty much ignore the occasional pieces of food that drift away from the corals until i turn the power heads back on. that's when they go after what i assume they think is "live".

[ca1ore]

Originally Posted by Nina51

target feed corals.

This is a good point. I don't target feed corals, never have, but if I did I think turning off the power heads would probably be warranted.

[HumbleFish]

Originally Posted by ca1ore

This is a good point. I don't target feed corals, never have, but if I did I think turning off the power heads would probably be warranted.

I do it once or twice a week, about 30 mins after the lights go out and my LPS start extending their sweepers. I thaw mysis, cyclops, cyclopeeze, etc. and shoot it right at them using a turkey baster.

I leave the pumps off for at least an hour. My nassarius snails get whatever falls out of the corals. Probably not completely necessary, but I've noticed incredible coral growth & propagation from doing this.

[Fish Biscuit]

I don't turn off any pumps & just put the MP40 on feeding mode. I soak flakes & pellets in selcon so they don't float at the top & dump it in right in front of the MP40 too. When I feed frozen I feed at the opposite side of the tank so the firefish gets it's fill & then the return will move the food around the tank for everyone else.

[kurt_n]

I think like most things in this hobby, there's no real "correct" answer. Your fish will deal with whatever you choose.

I've always cut all my powerheads (no sump) when I feed. It's just the way I started and it makes it easier to spot feed corals if/when I choose to do it. Fish have no issues - they know it's dinner time when the tank current goes quiet and congregate in one area. Oldest fish is 7+ years old, and not definitely starving!

I recently "tank watched" for my neighbor. He doesn't cut his pumps at all during feeding, and that's how I fed them. I have to say... I had no idea Chromis and Clowns could move sooooo fast! It was really fun watching those little guys (very young fish compared to mine) chase the food. And I can't say they're starving either!

Whatever method you go with, the fish will figure it out!

[gpdno]

I turn off the main return pump and wait 4 minutes for all the water to drain out. The Vortex pumps go into a feed mode which is a low speed circulation mode. After feeding, the pumps wait and additional 10 minutes before returning back to normal.

[jam583]

Originally Posted by thegrun

I do the opposite, I turn off the return pump to prevent food from being sucked down into the sump and have the in-tank powerheads cut back to 40% (all with one button via my Neptune controller).

Ditto .. setup a feed mode here in Apex. Return off, Vortech down to like 20%, and turn skimmer off. After 5 mins, pump and vortech go back to normal. 5 mins later, Skimmer turns on.