What are some good choice of food?

psilentchild · 10/31/2008, 07:31 AM

I was wondering what are some good choices of food.Right now I feed my fish 2 or 3 times a day 1st and 3rd meal flakes that I bought from petco and the 2nd meal is brine shrimp.I have 1 kole tang 2 maroon clown fish 1 midas blenny 1 orange sleeper goby 1 bicolor angel and I'm thinking about getting a scotts fairy wrasse.So what would be a good mixture of food for these fish?

returnofsid · 10/31/2008, 08:14 AM

Dried foods are rarely the best choice. They don't offer as much in nutrients and as soon as the seal is broken, they start loosing nutrients quite quickly. Brine Shrimp, no matter how it's prepared, has very little nutritional value.

Frozen foods usually offer more benefits, but can also contribute to nitrate and phosphate problems. These problems can be easily fixed by rinsing these foods in RO/Di water.

Also, your Kole Tang and Bicolor Angel need lots of vegetable matter. I'd add Nori to your list of foods.

As for the flake food you're currently using, I can't comment because I don't know much about it.

There are lots of great quality dry foods that are good as a staple food. But even they should be supplemented with frozen or fresh foods. A good varied diet is the best choice.

Some of the more beneficial foods are made by ISO, Ocean Nutrition and New Life Spectrum. These companies make great frozen and dried foods. Formula 1 and 2 are great frozen and dried options.

I wouldn't advise feeding frozen for every meal though either.

spw4949 · 10/31/2008, 08:39 AM

A word of advice, watch your feeding, I feed ONCE a day, that really is plenty, twice, okay, three times, I think your asking fro trouble,(that's just my opinion). I alternate between flake and frozen. I'll feed spirulina flake for two days, then frozen mysis for a day, then another flake pellet for a day, then another frozen for a day. (I think you prob get the idea). I think that variety is the key. Frozen foods have the highest nutritional value but I think flake definately has a place, I wouldn't however feed exclusively flake. I would definately go with frozen mysis over frozen brine.

psilentchild · 10/31/2008, 08:55 AM

I have tried Nori they wont eat it the only thing that eats it is my cleaner shrimp.I have place it on a clip and under a piece of LR and nothing.So the formula 1 and 2 are good options?Is it good to switch up food like I'm doing?

psilentchild · 10/31/2008, 09:03 AM

Its not really everyday I work at the fire station I work 24hrs shifts so I cant feed them when I'm at work.Why would I be asking for trouble I have been feeding that way for a year?I havent had any problem yet out of my pram if thats what you are talking about

spw4949 · 10/31/2008, 09:33 AM

All I meant was you jus have to be careful feeding multiple times a day, nitrates,ammonia,etc. Just trying to help that's all.

psilentchild · 10/31/2008, 09:43 AM

I'm not mad or anything.I come on here to get help and get ppl opinions on different thing.I was just asking to see what would I have to worry about thats all.I'm checking everthing some time next week.What sucks is that I'm color blind so I spent money on tests kits and cant read them so I got to pay $5 dollars every 3 months to get my LFS to check them .I was doing it every month but was told to do it every three.I use two prugen pads to help keep ammonia and nitrates and what ever else its suppose to keep down and its been working so far.I change them out every month and flip it over every week

ser_renely · 10/31/2008, 09:47 AM

uggghhh, that sucks.

best of luck

You can enrich food with vitamins with selcon etc... not sure how much it helps, but better then none. I use lots of different foods in the hope they get all they need that way.

psilentchild · 10/31/2008, 09:55 AM

What about the formula 1 and 2 stuff could I just do does two?

cloak · 10/31/2008, 11:41 AM

A varied diet is all they'll need. Not talking about a varied diet being three items either. Flake, frozen, fresh. A combination of the three, but upwards of a dozen different kinds or so. Just rotate between them as the days go on. Herbivores, more so on the greens.

psilentchild · 10/31/2008, 12:12 PM

So I could keep feeding them flakes and frozen brine shrimp.What would be a good fresh food in case no one has mention it on this threads yet?

cloak · 10/31/2008, 02:32 PM

You could mince up some scallops, shrimp, clams etc. Pretty much everything in the seafood section would work. Just be sure to give them a good rinse before you toss them in. You'll have to experiment with the different foods at first. Some fish might accept one thing and not the other. Small portions. Don't want the leftovers rotting in the tank.

mpty · 10/31/2008, 03:09 PM

yeah, i didn't realize i was overfeedin either until someone pointed out that my water sucked cuz i was overfeedin. but if you've been doin that for a year and you don't have cyano and algae blooms then maybe yer doin something different that compensates for something else. who knows? do you got like live rock and sand and a skimmer and all that other crap? maybe its fine if you have a fish only tank... what do you use to filter the water besides those pads?

xoxompty

GrantMeThePower · 10/31/2008, 04:07 PM

i think it depends too on ur livestock. I have seahorses, for instance, and they RECOMMEND three feedings a day for those.

iamwrasseman · 10/31/2008, 05:19 PM

i use PISCINE ENERGENICS PE mysis shrimp its great very very clean just whole shrimp that are 1/4" lons or slightly smaller . all my fish love it wrasses tangs and the rest check it out on www.mysis.com

psilentchild · 10/31/2008, 08:32 PM

I have a protein skimmer,filter sock and I just have a filter in my sump tank and the two pads sit on top of my filter in my sump tank.I also do a 10 gallon water change every 2 weeks.Which I'm going to change to every week once I get my last fish.I dont know if its going to be that fairy wrasse or what.

Mike31154 · 10/31/2008, 09:12 PM

CycloPeeze granules would be another choice for variety. Good for the colour, especially your Maroon clown. I feed 3 times daily as well. Mind you the second feeding around noon is very light and I don't overdo it on the other two feedings either. I've used this regimen for some time now and observe closely how quickly (or not) the food is consumed. The way I look at it, the ocean feeds all day, maybe some times not at all. As mentioned earlier in the thread, it depends a lot on your livestock. My Lawnmower Blenny goes at it all day and so does my Mandarin Dragonet. So far so good.

10/31/2008, 07:31 AM	#1
psilentchild Registered Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Horn Lake Posts: 1,665	What are some good choice of food? I was wondering what are some good choices of food.Right now I feed my fish 2 or 3 times a day 1st and 3rd meal flakes that I bought from petco and the 2nd meal is brine shrimp.I have 1 kole tang 2 maroon clown fish 1 midas blenny 1 orange sleeper goby 1 bicolor angel and I'm thinking about getting a scotts fairy wrasse.So what would be a good mixture of food for these fish?

10/31/2008, 08:39 AM	#3
spw4949 Registered Member. Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Albany, N.Y. Posts: 1,594	A word of advice, watch your feeding, I feed ONCE a day, that really is plenty, twice, okay, three times, I think your asking fro trouble,(that's just my opinion). I alternate between flake and frozen. I'll feed spirulina flake for two days, then frozen mysis for a day, then another flake pellet for a day, then another frozen for a day. (I think you prob get the idea). I think that variety is the key. Frozen foods have the highest nutritional value but I think flake definately has a place, I wouldn't however feed exclusively flake. I would definately go with frozen mysis over frozen brine. __________________ Steve Current Tank Info: 46 gal bowfront, mixed reef, 2x250W current outer orbit w/4x39W T5 ,10 gal fuge....38 gallon aggressive FOWLR, 10 gallon sump.

10/31/2008, 09:03 AM	#5
psilentchild Registered Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Horn Lake Posts: 1,665	Its not really everyday I work at the fire station I work 24hrs shifts so I cant feed them when I'm at work.Why would I be asking for trouble I have been feeding that way for a year?I havent had any problem yet out of my pram if thats what you are talking about Last edited by psilentchild; 10/31/2008 at 09:13 AM.

10/31/2008, 09:33 AM	#6
spw4949 Registered Member. Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Albany, N.Y. Posts: 1,594	All I meant was you jus have to be careful feeding multiple times a day, nitrates,ammonia,etc. Just trying to help that's all. __________________ Steve Current Tank Info: 46 gal bowfront, mixed reef, 2x250W current outer orbit w/4x39W T5 ,10 gal fuge....38 gallon aggressive FOWLR, 10 gallon sump.

10/31/2008, 09:47 AM	#8
ser_renely Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 1,820	uggghhh, that sucks. best of luck You can enrich food with vitamins with selcon etc... not sure how much it helps, but better then none. I use lots of different foods in the hope they get all they need that way. __________________ RIP: Osc. Clown - Ammonia, YW GobY - overflow, YW Goby - Pistol shrimp, Firefish - acclimation. 5 Fire fish - pistol shrimp, Mandarin - Pistol shrimp!!!!! Current Tank Info: 60g Cube, 15g sump/fuge,Tunze 9010 skimmer, Reefbreeders Photon 16" - 2 Osc. Clowns,2 Lyretail Anthias, Blue Chromis, mp20, mp10....another DAMN pistol shrimp!

10/31/2008, 08:14 AM	#2
returnofsid Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Spokane, WA Posts: 3,852	Dried foods are rarely the best choice. They don't offer as much in nutrients and as soon as the seal is broken, they start loosing nutrients quite quickly. Brine Shrimp, no matter how it's prepared, has very little nutritional value. Frozen foods usually offer more benefits, but can also contribute to nitrate and phosphate problems. These problems can be easily fixed by rinsing these foods in RO/Di water. Also, your Kole Tang and Bicolor Angel need lots of vegetable matter. I'd add Nori to your list of foods. As for the flake food you're currently using, I can't comment because I don't know much about it. There are lots of great quality dry foods that are good as a staple food. But even they should be supplemented with frozen or fresh foods. A good varied diet is the best choice. Some of the more beneficial foods are made by ISO, Ocean Nutrition and New Life Spectrum. These companies make great frozen and dried foods. Formula 1 and 2 are great frozen and dried options. I wouldn't advise feeding frozen for every meal though either.

10/31/2008, 08:55 AM	#4
psilentchild Registered Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Horn Lake Posts: 1,665	I have tried Nori they wont eat it the only thing that eats it is my cleaner shrimp.I have place it on a clip and under a piece of LR and nothing.So the formula 1 and 2 are good options?Is it good to switch up food like I'm doing?

10/31/2008, 09:43 AM	#7
psilentchild Registered Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Horn Lake Posts: 1,665	I'm not mad or anything.I come on here to get help and get ppl opinions on different thing.I was just asking to see what would I have to worry about thats all.I'm checking everthing some time next week.What sucks is that I'm color blind so I spent money on tests kits and cant read them so I got to pay $5 dollars every 3 months to get my LFS to check them .I was doing it every month but was told to do it every three.I use two prugen pads to help keep ammonia and nitrates and what ever else its suppose to keep down and its been working so far.I change them out every month and flip it over every week

10/31/2008, 09:55 AM	#9
psilentchild Registered Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Horn Lake Posts: 1,665	What about the formula 1 and 2 stuff could I just do does two?

10/31/2008, 11:41 AM	#10
cloak Moved On Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Stockton, CA Posts: 14,854	A varied diet is all they'll need. Not talking about a varied diet being three items either. Flake, frozen, fresh. A combination of the three, but upwards of a dozen different kinds or so. Just rotate between them as the days go on. Herbivores, more so on the greens.

10/31/2008, 12:12 PM	#11
psilentchild Registered Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Horn Lake Posts: 1,665	So I could keep feeding them flakes and frozen brine shrimp.What would be a good fresh food in case no one has mention it on this threads yet?

10/31/2008, 02:32 PM	#12
cloak Moved On Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Stockton, CA Posts: 14,854	You could mince up some scallops, shrimp, clams etc. Pretty much everything in the seafood section would work. Just be sure to give them a good rinse before you toss them in. You'll have to experiment with the different foods at first. Some fish might accept one thing and not the other. Small portions. Don't want the leftovers rotting in the tank.

10/31/2008, 03:09 PM	#13
mpty Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Canada Posts: 154	yeah, i didn't realize i was overfeedin either until someone pointed out that my water sucked cuz i was overfeedin. but if you've been doin that for a year and you don't have cyano and algae blooms then maybe yer doin something different that compensates for something else. who knows? do you got like live rock and sand and a skimmer and all that other crap? maybe its fine if you have a fish only tank... what do you use to filter the water besides those pads? xoxompty __________________ "Nuthin turns me on like a reefgeek boy rambling coral gear specks under an actinic blue light. Seriously. What else could a gal ask for?" Current Tank Info: Glass 65G, PC Lunar Aqualight, CL SuperSkimmer 65, Eheim Cannister, 80lbs live rock, 2" sand, 10G Fuge - 4" sand/mangrove/cheato, shrooms, duster, buttons, occelaris, japonicus tang, chromis, shrimp, bubble, open brain, leathers, frogspawn.

10/31/2008, 04:07 PM	#14
GrantMeThePower Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Pasadena, CA Posts: 234	i think it depends too on ur livestock. I have seahorses, for instance, and they RECOMMEND three feedings a day for those.

10/31/2008, 05:19 PM	#15
iamwrasseman Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: syracuse Posts: 7,003	i use PISCINE ENERGENICS PE mysis shrimp its great very very clean just whole shrimp that are 1/4" lons or slightly smaller . all my fish love it wrasses tangs and the rest check it out on www.mysis.com __________________ This hobby certainly can put you in some weird positions ! Dave Current Tank Info: 40 freshwater,25saltwater 2000 gallons ,enough tanks for an army ?

10/31/2008, 08:32 PM	#16
psilentchild Registered Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Horn Lake Posts: 1,665	I have a protein skimmer,filter sock and I just have a filter in my sump tank and the two pads sit on top of my filter in my sump tank.I also do a 10 gallon water change every 2 weeks.Which I'm going to change to every week once I get my last fish.I dont know if its going to be that fairy wrasse or what.

10/31/2008, 09:12 PM	#17
Mike31154 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: B.C. Canada Posts: 1,555	CycloPeeze granules would be another choice for variety. Good for the colour, especially your Maroon clown. I feed 3 times daily as well. Mind you the second feeding around noon is very light and I don't overdo it on the other two feedings either. I've used this regimen for some time now and observe closely how quickly (or not) the food is consumed. The way I look at it, the ocean feeds all day, maybe some times not at all. As mentioned earlier in the thread, it depends a lot on your livestock. My Lawnmower Blenny goes at it all day and so does my Mandarin Dragonet. So far so good. __________________ Mike Current Tank Info: 77g sumpless sw with rock, sand, a few critters, fishes & polyps. Lights, pumps.....