Correctly Feeding

[Travis Stewart]

I wanted to start this thread to hopefully get some better insight to this topic. I think a lot of reefers really don't know how to feed their fish nor the correct amounts.

I have heard from people that it's important to rinse food, some just throw in a cube, etc.

Post your knowledge to help those who really don't feed correctly. This is where most algaes are started.

 

[jsker]

Here you go Link this might help you a bit

 

[Travis Stewart]

Here you go Link this might help you a bit

Thank you. It's just too hard to keep up with everything on here!

 

[Benqb007]

Hitting the nail on the head,

Holmes-Farley, R (2012). Aquarium Chemistry: Phosphate And Math: Yes You Need to Understand Both. Retrieved from http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2012/3/chemistry

 

[Travis Stewart]

Here you go Link this might help you a bit

Ya I'm not sure that thread isn't what I'm after. I feel like most people don't and won't make their own food.

 

[jsker]

Thank you. It's just too hard to keep up with everything on here!

LoL

Ya I'm not sure that thread isn't what I'm after. I feel like most people don't and won't make their own food.

You can follow the basic procedures with store bought frozen. Corals need phosphates of .01 to .03 ppm and nitrates of 3 to 5 and you can be a little higher in the nitrates. Are you battling phosphates?

 

[jsker]

Hitting the nail on the head,

Holmes-Farley, R (2012). Aquarium Chemistry: Phosphate And Math: Yes You Need to Understand Both. Retrieved from http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2012/3/chemistry

Great post!!

 

[Travis Stewart]

LoL

You can follow the basic procedures with store bought frozen. Corals need phosphates of .01 to .03 ppm and nitrates of 3 to 5 and you can be a little higher in the nitrates. Are you battling phosphates?

No but they can change fast I feel like. I also want to feed more than every other day.

 

[jsker]

No but they can change fast I feel like. I also want to feed more than every other day.

I am feed 1 tsp twice a day for 8o gal water volume. I run GFO and filter media

 

[Travis Stewart]

@Randy Holmes-Farley

what an article on Phosphate in foods!
Very well explained! What confuses me about the amount of phosphates is, even when I "reduce feeding" to once every other day, my PO4 doesn't change..

 

[Travis Stewart]

@Randy Holmes-Farley

what an article on Phosphate in foods!
Very well explained! What confuses me about the amount of phosphates is, even when I "reduce feeding" to once every other day, my PO4 doesn't change..

And I understand that the PO4 doesn't go away with it being eaten, but when do you know enough is enough? Is this just something you have to play with in order to see what your tank can handle?

 

[HolisticBear]

One trick I've just started doing is pre-making a bunch of ice-cubes of food. This way each dose is close to equal, with a small mix of different foods in each cube. Then you have a week or two of week all set, just throw a cube in. It's something new I'm trying.

@jsker consistent 1tsp is even better for inhabitants.

 

[jsker]

One trick I've just started doing is pre-making a bunch of ice-cubes of food. This way each dose is close to equal, with a small mix of different foods in each cube. Then you have a week or two of week all set, just throw a cube in. It's something new I'm trying.

@jsker consistent 1tsp is even better for inhabitants.

I already have fat fish, I used to feed more. I cut back to the teaspoon because my nutrient levels were through the roof

 

[Travis Stewart]

I already have fat fish, I used to feed more. I cut back to the teaspoon because my nutrient levels were through the roof

How do you keep nutrients at a minimum when they are through the roof?!

 

[jsker]

How do you keep nutrients at a minimum when they are through the roof?!

After experimenting, I started filter media in January 2017 and went on line with a GFO reactor in May 2017 . The filter media I now use is life bio fil and zeomix. This has really worked well for my system.

 

[Travis Stewart]

After experimenting, I started filter media in January 2017 and went on line with a GFO reactor in May 2017 . The filter media I now use is life bio fil and zeomix. This has really worked well for my system.

I recently added GFO also, but always use a little more then half the reccomended amount per my tank size. It keeps it cleaner, but doesn't strip the PO4 completely.

 

[BigJohnny]

I wanted to start this thread to hopefully get some better insight to this topic. I think a lot of reefers really don't know how to feed their fish nor the correct amounts.

I have heard from people that it's important to rinse food, some just throw in a cube, etc.

Post your knowledge to help those who really don't feed correctly. This is where most algaes are started.

Do research and make sure your fish are getting an appropriate diet and being fed at frequency recommended for their species, so that they are always full and THRIVE, not just survive. (E.g. some fish require several small feedings throughout the day). There is no correct way for every tank, cater to the needs of your species.

Learn how your fish eat in the wild; whether they are benthic (picking off rocks/substrate) or pelagic (out of water column) feeders. This will determine if you can simply dump the food into the flow of your tank or if you need to use other means to present the food to your fish in an appropriate manner. Whether that is by target feeding, shoving food in a rock or device that you pull in and out of the aquarium, lay out a clam, turn off the pumps to let some settle on the sandbed, etc.

My three favorite foods are LRS Fish Frenzy, live blackworms, and Nutramar Ova. Besides herbivores (I like Nori and LRS Herbivore Frenzy) those 3 foods are incredibly nutritious and palatable to every fish I've ever kept. Not only that, but live blackworms and nutramar ova are the best foods to get finicky eaters eating in captivity IMO (I recommend isolating in quarantine to remove feeding competition and get your new fish eating what you feed, in addition to inspecting/treating for parasites/diseases obviously).

I feed 3-4x a day and only as much as my fish will consume in about 2 minutes.

I feed my fish what they need, and don't adjust to control nutrient levels. Adjust your system to handle the bioload, not the other way around.

 

[needbiggertanks]

"Adjust your system to handle the bioload, not the other way around"

Interesting phrase. I like that.