Fish Feeding Mode

Scubajoe1 · 09/14/2015, 08:26 PM

For those that have Apex controllers and use the fish feeding mode do you ever have any issues with any fish deciding to hang out in the MP40 or similar when you are in feed mode? I fed today and it cuts the MP40s and main return off for five minutes. 90 second before it is ready to go back on my bicolor blenny decides to go hang out in there. I was like....get out get out get out!!!! Finally it got out and I cancelled the feed mode before it went back in.

Bent · 09/14/2015, 08:35 PM

I don't use feed mode. (No apex, but the function exists)

Should I? I usually just let it get blown around so it gets to the nems and lps.

Scubajoe1 · 09/14/2015, 08:45 PM

I use it sometimes and sometimes not....personal preference really. If I leave the pumps running I usually feed smaller portions so it's not getting lost in the sand etc but my cleanup crew does a good job. My only reason I would use it more than not is to prevent the food from going down the overflow and getting trapped in the filter sock where no one can eat it. Even with this I change out once a week so it's not breaking down a lot into nitrates and phosphates here.

Reef Frog · 09/15/2015, 12:23 AM

So the feed mode turns the pump off? Wow that is a disaster waiting to happen. Glad there was no slicing & dicing.

In the pump's native feed mode, the propeller is still moving which discourages any of my fish getting near it.

Scubajoe1 · 09/15/2015, 05:00 AM

I can probably program the apex to drop the power of the to the MP40s to maybe 5%. I will try and set that up and see how that works.

oseymour · 09/15/2015, 05:26 AM

I turn off my return pump but keep the powerheads running. The fish like to chase the food around.

For one of my feed modes where I feed corals, I turn the pumps down to 5%.

skimjim · 09/15/2015, 06:27 AM

I use to have this problem all the time. I now run my mp40s all the time, never shutting them off. during feeding the mp40s help circulate the food anyway. even pellets that lay on the bottom get moved around with mp40s pushing water. i dont ever see a reason to power off mp40s anyway.

Scubajoe1 · 09/15/2015, 01:11 PM

Yes I can see when spot feeding things like sun polyps you may want to crank them down low.

hkgar · 09/15/2015, 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scubajoe1

I can probably program the apex to drop the power of the to the MP40s to maybe 5%. I will try and set that up and see how that works.

That is what I have done, but only down to 30%

Scubajoe1 · 09/15/2015, 04:23 PM

Do you do it to Apex? What is the command line for that?

Buzz1329 · 09/15/2015, 07:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oseymour

I turn off my return pump but keep the powerheads running. The fish like to chase the food around.

For one of my feed modes where I feed corals, I turn the pumps down to 5%.

Me too.

ratienza80 · 09/15/2015, 08:04 PM

I usually just put my MP40s to feed mode and the pumps run at 10% for 10 min. I don't use an apex but I'm assuming you can program that into it to just run super low. You don't want to give your fish an extra feeding of fresh sushi! ��

09/14/2015, 08:26 PM	#1
Scubajoe1 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Raleigh, NC Posts: 409	Fish Feeding Mode For those that have Apex controllers and use the fish feeding mode do you ever have any issues with any fish deciding to hang out in the MP40 or similar when you are in feed mode? I fed today and it cuts the MP40s and main return off for five minutes. 90 second before it is ready to go back on my bicolor blenny decides to go hang out in there. I was like....get out get out get out!!!! Finally it got out and I cancelled the feed mode before it went back in. __________________ Scubajoe 180 Gallon reef tank with coast to coast Herbie overflow. 60 Gallon sump with 9" filter sock. 36" lifereef skimmer, activated carbon filter. Emperor Aquatics 40W UV Sterilizer Current Tank Info: 180 gallon reed tank, coast to coast overflow, herbie overflow. Life reef sump and 36" life reef skimmer, GHL Doser 2, Neptune Apex reef controller, Auto topoff, Spectrapure RO system with a Tunze RO controller. activated carbon and no more GFO.

09/14/2015, 08:35 PM	#2
Bent I got nothin' Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: The anals Posts: 6,420	I don't use feed mode. (No apex, but the function exists) Should I? I usually just let it get blown around so it gets to the nems and lps. __________________ Quitters never lose. [QUOTE=CStrickland]Who gets mad at a starfish?[/QUOTE] Current Tank Info: 75g DT, 30G refugium, 10g chaeto tank, 50g stock tank basement sump

09/14/2015, 08:45 PM	#3
Scubajoe1 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Raleigh, NC Posts: 409	I use it sometimes and sometimes not....personal preference really. If I leave the pumps running I usually feed smaller portions so it's not getting lost in the sand etc but my cleanup crew does a good job. My only reason I would use it more than not is to prevent the food from going down the overflow and getting trapped in the filter sock where no one can eat it. Even with this I change out once a week so it's not breaking down a lot into nitrates and phosphates here. __________________ Scubajoe 180 Gallon reef tank with coast to coast Herbie overflow. 60 Gallon sump with 9" filter sock. 36" lifereef skimmer, activated carbon filter. Emperor Aquatics 40W UV Sterilizer Current Tank Info: 180 gallon reed tank, coast to coast overflow, herbie overflow. Life reef sump and 36" life reef skimmer, GHL Doser 2, Neptune Apex reef controller, Auto topoff, Spectrapure RO system with a Tunze RO controller. activated carbon and no more GFO.

09/15/2015, 05:00 AM	#5
Scubajoe1 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Raleigh, NC Posts: 409	I can probably program the apex to drop the power of the to the MP40s to maybe 5%. I will try and set that up and see how that works. __________________ Scubajoe 180 Gallon reef tank with coast to coast Herbie overflow. 60 Gallon sump with 9" filter sock. 36" lifereef skimmer, activated carbon filter. Emperor Aquatics 40W UV Sterilizer Current Tank Info: 180 gallon reed tank, coast to coast overflow, herbie overflow. Life reef sump and 36" life reef skimmer, GHL Doser 2, Neptune Apex reef controller, Auto topoff, Spectrapure RO system with a Tunze RO controller. activated carbon and no more GFO.

09/15/2015, 05:26 AM	#6
oseymour Euphyllia Addict Join Date: May 2012 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 1,424	I turn off my return pump but keep the powerheads running. The fish like to chase the food around. For one of my feed modes where I feed corals, I turn the pumps down to 5%. __________________ Just started Red Sea Reefer 350 (75 Gallon) Build Thread - http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2555495 Current Tank Info: Red Sea Reefer 350

09/15/2015, 12:23 AM	#4
Reef Frog Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Maryland Posts: 3,121	So the feed mode turns the pump off? Wow that is a disaster waiting to happen. Glad there was no slicing & dicing. In the pump's native feed mode, the propeller is still moving which discourages any of my fish getting near it.

09/15/2015, 06:27 AM	#7
skimjim Registered Member. Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 513	I use to have this problem all the time. I now run my mp40s all the time, never shutting them off. during feeding the mp40s help circulate the food anyway. even pellets that lay on the bottom get moved around with mp40s pushing water. i dont ever see a reason to power off mp40s anyway.

09/15/2015, 01:11 PM	#8
Scubajoe1 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Raleigh, NC Posts: 409	Yes I can see when spot feeding things like sun polyps you may want to crank them down low. __________________ Scubajoe 180 Gallon reef tank with coast to coast Herbie overflow. 60 Gallon sump with 9" filter sock. 36" lifereef skimmer, activated carbon filter. Emperor Aquatics 40W UV Sterilizer Current Tank Info: 180 gallon reed tank, coast to coast overflow, herbie overflow. Life reef sump and 36" life reef skimmer, GHL Doser 2, Neptune Apex reef controller, Auto topoff, Spectrapure RO system with a Tunze RO controller. activated carbon and no more GFO.

09/15/2015, 04:23 PM	#10
Scubajoe1 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Raleigh, NC Posts: 409	Do you do it to Apex? What is the command line for that? __________________ Scubajoe 180 Gallon reef tank with coast to coast Herbie overflow. 60 Gallon sump with 9" filter sock. 36" lifereef skimmer, activated carbon filter. Emperor Aquatics 40W UV Sterilizer Current Tank Info: 180 gallon reed tank, coast to coast overflow, herbie overflow. Life reef sump and 36" life reef skimmer, GHL Doser 2, Neptune Apex reef controller, Auto topoff, Spectrapure RO system with a Tunze RO controller. activated carbon and no more GFO.

09/15/2015, 08:04 PM	#12
ratienza80 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: So Cal Posts: 185	I usually just put my MP40s to feed mode and the pumps run at 10% for 10 min. I don't use an apex but I'm assuming you can program that into it to just run super low. You don't want to give your fish an extra feeding of fresh sushi! ��