Feed Anthias every other day?

tinyfish · 09/11/2012, 05:54 PM

According to Live Aquaria the Anthias should be fed multiple small feedings each day.

I have other fish in with my Anthias and I also am experiencing red and green slime.

So I am wondering if I can go to every other day feeding and the Anthias will be OK?

The setup is over a year old. I noticed that the chromis picks something out of the water column most of the day.

bnumair · 09/11/2012, 06:54 PM

i have a school of ignitus anthias (14) in my 300 gal along with other fish. i used to feed 4 times i day then 3 now twice a day is all i feed and i havent noticed any difference in them. they still swim and dominate the swimming space and look healthy as they were before.
cuts down on phos introduction via food too.

Nanook · 09/11/2012, 10:13 PM

What are you doing to export nitrate and phosphate? These levels, if high, will lead to algae issues like you are currently experiencing. Not providing adequate nutrition to the fish you chose to purchase is less than ideal. Ideally, you would create the proper environment and feed them accordingly. I have a couple schools of anthias and I feed them 1-2 times daily. I do control phosphate with GFO $$ and I struggle with nitrate, but am working at that with the sulphur denitrator.

Nanook · 09/11/2012, 10:13 PM

Let's not forget about good old-fashioned water changes either.

bnumair · 09/12/2012, 06:32 AM

well i use sulfur denitrator keeps nitrates at 0 and i use 3x BRS gfo reactors keeps phos 0 and i go 1% water change daily through genesis renew system.
Nanook has a good point though, as i have ll this equipment and automation facility thats the only reason i got away with heavy 4-5 times feeding otherwise my tank will become algae factory. so to OP i suggest if u have all remedies like me then u can feed heavy if not then i would stick to regular 1-2 times a day.
Note: i am feeding my anthias only twice a day now and have not noticed any change from 4 times to 2.

Raibaru · 09/12/2012, 09:42 AM

Anthias need to be fed fairly often. Just feed multiple times a day, but feed much less food than you're currently feeding. If you drop small amounts of food on one side of the tank and drop small amounts on the other, the anthias will be able to get their fill because many other fish are slower.

Multiple, but smaller feedings also cause less problems with water quality because there is less food being wasted. Every scrap of food will be consumed because all the fish are fighting over smaller amounts as opposed to larger feedings where a lot of food is being waster because the currents pull it behind or under rocks where the fish will ignore it over food that's in the water column.

tinyfish · 09/12/2012, 01:33 PM

I think my chromis is faster than my anthias. I currently feed part of a pinch of food at a time.

As far as other means in my system I have both a phos reactor and a refugium.

If cutting feeding further is not an option perhaps I can increase my clean up crew.

09/11/2012, 05:54 PM	#1
tinyfish Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Richardson, TX Posts: 457	Feed Anthias every other day? According to Live Aquaria the Anthias should be fed multiple small feedings each day. I have other fish in with my Anthias and I also am experiencing red and green slime. So I am wondering if I can go to every other day feeding and the Anthias will be OK? The setup is over a year old. I noticed that the chromis picks something out of the water column most of the day. __________________ 20g Radion XR30w LED, CPR skimmer 29g Chinese LED, CPR skimmer 58g Tank 1, Zoanthids, 6xT5HO 58g Tank 2, China LED, ReefOcotpus

09/11/2012, 06:54 PM	#2
bnumair Dr. Reef at ur service Join Date: May 2009 Location: Tulsa, Ok, USA Posts: 7,751 Blog Entries: 15	i have a school of ignitus anthias (14) in my 300 gal along with other fish. i used to feed 4 times i day then 3 now twice a day is all i feed and i havent noticed any difference in them. they still swim and dominate the swimming space and look healthy as they were before. cuts down on phos introduction via food too. __________________ Water Quality: NO3 0,Phos 0,Cal 440,Alk 7.5,Mag 1300 "Reef Fast, You Crash, Reef Slow, You Pass" Mike's Reef 3:16 Current Tank Info: 350g DT,95g sump, 50g Frag tank, 4800gph return 4x Sea swirls. 6x AI Vega Color. 200# Pukani rock, dual recirculating skimmer, Biopellet, GFO Carbon rx's, Cal rx. Closed loop. 1.5hp chiller, genesis renew. Apex & RKE

09/11/2012, 10:13 PM	#3
Nanook Ancient Eskimo Legend Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Saint Louis, MO Posts: 41,852 Blog Entries: 11	What are you doing to export nitrate and phosphate? These levels, if high, will lead to algae issues like you are currently experiencing. Not providing adequate nutrition to the fish you chose to purchase is less than ideal. Ideally, you would create the proper environment and feed them accordingly. I have a couple schools of anthias and I feed them 1-2 times daily. I do control phosphate with GFO $$ and I struggle with nitrate, but am working at that with the sulphur denitrator. __________________ The wind blew, the chit flew, and then they came two by two. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Current Tank Info: 375g Tanganyikan Tank & 470g mixed reef

09/11/2012, 10:13 PM	#4
Nanook Ancient Eskimo Legend Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Saint Louis, MO Posts: 41,852 Blog Entries: 11	Let's not forget about good old-fashioned water changes either. __________________ The wind blew, the chit flew, and then they came two by two. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Current Tank Info: 375g Tanganyikan Tank & 470g mixed reef

09/12/2012, 06:32 AM	#5
bnumair Dr. Reef at ur service Join Date: May 2009 Location: Tulsa, Ok, USA Posts: 7,751 Blog Entries: 15	well i use sulfur denitrator keeps nitrates at 0 and i use 3x BRS gfo reactors keeps phos 0 and i go 1% water change daily through genesis renew system. Nanook has a good point though, as i have ll this equipment and automation facility thats the only reason i got away with heavy 4-5 times feeding otherwise my tank will become algae factory. so to OP i suggest if u have all remedies like me then u can feed heavy if not then i would stick to regular 1-2 times a day. Note: i am feeding my anthias only twice a day now and have not noticed any change from 4 times to 2. __________________ Water Quality: NO3 0,Phos 0,Cal 440,Alk 7.5,Mag 1300 "Reef Fast, You Crash, Reef Slow, You Pass" Mike's Reef 3:16 Current Tank Info: 350g DT,95g sump, 50g Frag tank, 4800gph return 4x Sea swirls. 6x AI Vega Color. 200# Pukani rock, dual recirculating skimmer, Biopellet, GFO Carbon rx's, Cal rx. Closed loop. 1.5hp chiller, genesis renew. Apex & RKE

09/12/2012, 09:42 AM	#6
Raibaru Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Maryland Posts: 979	Anthias need to be fed fairly often. Just feed multiple times a day, but feed much less food than you're currently feeding. If you drop small amounts of food on one side of the tank and drop small amounts on the other, the anthias will be able to get their fill because many other fish are slower. Multiple, but smaller feedings also cause less problems with water quality because there is less food being wasted. Every scrap of food will be consumed because all the fish are fighting over smaller amounts as opposed to larger feedings where a lot of food is being waster because the currents pull it behind or under rocks where the fish will ignore it over food that's in the water column.

09/12/2012, 01:33 PM	#7
tinyfish Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Richardson, TX Posts: 457	I think my chromis is faster than my anthias. I currently feed part of a pinch of food at a time. As far as other means in my system I have both a phos reactor and a refugium. If cutting feeding further is not an option perhaps I can increase my clean up crew. __________________ 20g Radion XR30w LED, CPR skimmer 29g Chinese LED, CPR skimmer 58g Tank 1, Zoanthids, 6xT5HO 58g Tank 2, China LED, ReefOcotpus