Dumb Feeding Questions

eastfernstreet · 11/20/2012, 09:02 AM

New setup. 90 gal. w/LR, 20 gal sump, skimmer, fully cycled, 79 F, etc. First finned livestock yesterday: 2 1-1.5" Black Clowns. Everything healthy, blue-legged hermits, Florida turbo snails, etc.

When I feed (a combination of frozen food and some growth pellets) the current spreads the food out over the entire tank. Despite their healthy, energetic efforts to get all the food, it seems that they are missing a good deal of it. Normal? Solutions?

Also, when I introduce my next residents in a month or two, and start feeding something different, should I feed all food varieties to everybody at once and let them sort it out or try to feed in stages, species-by-species?

Thanks for advice on this basic but seemingly never discussed question.

chrisfont23 · 11/20/2012, 10:45 AM

Feed less then. I have found frozen foods are best served with a turkey baster. Mysis shrimp and Formula One/Two would be fine for clowns.

thegrun · 11/20/2012, 11:06 AM

If you have a controller and programable pumps you can slow them down during feeding. You could also turn off most of the pumps for a few minutes after feeding. It's best to vary what you feed, I alternate between 4 different frozen foods and a few different flakes and pellets.

ReefWhoDat · 11/20/2012, 02:29 PM

All my powerheads are on a separate powerstrip, I just turn them all off when I feed. The return pump isn't enough flow to disturb the center of my tank (125g).

Eman79 · 11/20/2012, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chrisfont23

I have found frozen foods are best served with a turkey baster.

Sounds like I feed the same way with the food dispersing... What's the benefit of the turkey baster? You are still just dumping the food into the tank, right? Just a baster instead of fingers... Or am I missing something?

hollister · 11/20/2012, 08:41 PM

You need to whatch. If they eat the food then stop adding. Some fish need veggie some need meat and most like a blance of both.

I feed flake and or equivalant in the morning and no more then they can eat in 1 min. then meat in the evening no mosre then 1 min. And whene i can 2 or 3 times a week a feed a mid day snack of one or the other.

chrisfont23 · 11/20/2012, 10:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eman79

Sounds like I feed the same way with the food dispersing... What's the benefit of the turkey baster? You are still just dumping the food into the tank, right? Just a baster instead of fingers... Or am I missing something?

Point and shoot versus dump randomly. I can target feed corals easier.

MuffsAbby · 11/21/2012, 07:57 AM

When I first introduced my clowns (my first fish) to the DT, I had the same issue. It took them 3-4 weeks to get used to the flow in my DT. For those initial few weeks, I only fed them pellets and I used a little feeding ring. It took them a day to figure out they had to come up to the ring, but the ring held the pellets in one spot. After that initial period, I could feed frozen, etc., and they were then more adept in dealing with the current, so they had no problem getting to the food.

Eman79 · 11/21/2012, 10:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chrisfont23

Point and shoot versus dump randomly. I can target feed corals easier.

ahh. Got it. I thought we were talking about feeding fish.

11/20/2012, 09:02 AM	#1
eastfernstreet Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Tampa, Florida Posts: 150	Dumb Feeding Questions New setup. 90 gal. w/LR, 20 gal sump, skimmer, fully cycled, 79 F, etc. First finned livestock yesterday: 2 1-1.5" Black Clowns. Everything healthy, blue-legged hermits, Florida turbo snails, etc. When I feed (a combination of frozen food and some growth pellets) the current spreads the food out over the entire tank. Despite their healthy, energetic efforts to get all the food, it seems that they are missing a good deal of it. Normal? Solutions? Also, when I introduce my next residents in a month or two, and start feeding something different, should I feed all food varieties to everybody at once and let them sort it out or try to feed in stages, species-by-species? Thanks for advice on this basic but seemingly never discussed question.

11/21/2012, 07:57 AM	#8
MuffsAbby Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Mississauga, Ontario Posts: 327	When I first introduced my clowns (my first fish) to the DT, I had the same issue. It took them 3-4 weeks to get used to the flow in my DT. For those initial few weeks, I only fed them pellets and I used a little feeding ring. It took them a day to figure out they had to come up to the ring, but the ring held the pellets in one spot. After that initial period, I could feed frozen, etc., and they were then more adept in dealing with the current, so they had no problem getting to the food. __________________ Susan Current Tank Info: 150g fish only DT, with 2 ocellaris clowns, flagfin angel, bangaii cardinal, flame hawk pair and lyretail anthias.

11/20/2012, 10:45 AM	#2
chrisfont23 Reef Monster Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Long Island Posts: 1,343	Feed less then. I have found frozen foods are best served with a turkey baster. Mysis shrimp and Formula One/Two would be fine for clowns.

11/20/2012, 11:06 AM	#3
thegrun Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Garden Grove, Ca Posts: 17,023	If you have a controller and programable pumps you can slow them down during feeding. You could also turn off most of the pumps for a few minutes after feeding. It's best to vary what you feed, I alternate between 4 different frozen foods and a few different flakes and pellets.

11/20/2012, 02:29 PM	#4
ReefWhoDat Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 36	All my powerheads are on a separate powerstrip, I just turn them all off when I feed. The return pump isn't enough flow to disturb the center of my tank (125g).

11/20/2012, 08:41 PM	#6
hollister Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Posts: 2,037	You need to whatch. If they eat the food then stop adding. Some fish need veggie some need meat and most like a blance of both. I feed flake and or equivalant in the morning and no more then they can eat in 1 min. then meat in the evening no mosre then 1 min. And whene i can 2 or 3 times a week a feed a mid day snack of one or the other.