Feeding Too Much or Just Right?

[FirstContact]

Okay, I have a Koran Angel, Blue Hippo Tang, Purple Tang, Jansen's Wrasse, Black Cap Basslet, and an Ocelaris Clown fish.

I moved away from frozen foods for about 1-2 years, and I feed only dry food every other day:

1/2 sheet Purple Seaweed Julian Sprung (mostly Koran & Purple but Blue gets some)
1 algae marine grazer wheel Vitalis formerly New Era (mostly Blue & Jansen's but Koran and sometimes Black Cap and Purple get some)
moderate sprinkling of pellets mostly for the wrasse, clown, and basslet but Blue and sometimes Purple join in

Just wondering how the quantity of food input to the tank compares to others with similar bioload?

 

[eatbreakfast]

I would say that is underfeeding. Except for more predatory fishes reef dwelling fish are more suited to small frequent feedings. In the wild they eat almost constantly. Replicating their wild eating habits and nutritional needs decreases stress and increases overall immunity and vitality.

Because of the value of nutrition and feeding for fish health increasing the frequency and adding higher quality foods, such as fresh or freshly frozen seafood, as well as probiotics and making sure that the food has adequate values of fatty content.

 

[laga77]

Frankly, your fish are underfed and malnourished. Dry foods have very little nutritional value to reef fish. For them to maintain a healthy immune system they need a balanced diet with foods they evolved to eat. As eatereakfast stated, reef fish need the right kind of fatty foods to survive, along with nori and other algae. Most reef fish eat all day long, so feeding every other day is totally inadequate. Chop up some shrimp, clams, and salmon and feed 2-3 times a day along with the seaweed.

 

[brandon429]

clearly the export scheme for the tank w be changing soon as well. My friend John Cole here on r2r dumps so much hq frozen food in his tank 75 gallons when I saw it I thought it might be six times too much



but his skimmer is overrated hundreds of gallons and marinepure blocks simply ask for more feed. You cannot over feed a reef or fish or over provide them with undegraded suspended whole proteins/fresh, but we sure can underexport. Most are withholding feed as the balance the tank allows for algae display with a given export setup...double skimming might be a cool approach Id consider one day when I get a large tank and want good fish. the marine pure blocks sure are helping, plus he's not storing waste in a deep sandbed bed, his DT is easily exported and all detritus collects in a sump wall for access, to comp for all that.

 

[FirstContact]

Okay, I didn't want this to devolve into a fresh/frozen versus dry food debate. And like most I work so feeding multiple times a day isn't realistic unless it's dry food on a timer. Plus the algae wheel itself and the seaweed by nature give the fish opportunity to eat a little over a longer period of time.

Anyone feeding dry food only and would like to compare?

 

[eatbreakfast]

Okay, I didn't want this to devolve into a fresh/frozen versus dry food debate. And like most I work so feeding multiple times a day isn't realistic unless it's dry food on a timer. Plus the algae wheel itself and the seaweed by nature give the fish opportunity to eat a little over a longer period of time.

Anyone feeding dry food only and would like to compare?

But it's not a debate on dry vs frozen. Every other day is not enough, regardless of what your feeding.

Most reefkeepers work and still manage to feed their fish everyday, even a few times.

Why not have your light schedule better match the time that you are home? This way you will actually get to see your tank more and more adequately provide for the needs of the living creatures in your care.

In the wild, if there is inadequate food the fish can move to a more suitable location. In captivity however, they aren't able to do that, so are reliant on you to provide for them.

 

[FirstContact]

IMHO I'm good with every other day until or if I get an automatic feeder ever. My fish are fat and happy just like they were when I included frozen additions. And you are ignoring the very specific fact that I stated the algae wheel and seaweed let's them eat small amounts over a large extended period of time aka small and frequent feedings.

 

[eatbreakfast]

The algae wheel and nori aren't utilized by all the fish.

Why would you ask about the quantity you are feeding, and when not told the answer you want argue it?

You were told reef fish feed frequently everyday. You were told that dry doesn't cover their nutritional needs. And that you can't overfeed, only under export nutrients. To which you respond that every other day is fine, your fish are fat and happy and that nori and algae wheel count as frequent small meals.

The facts haven't changed that you are underfeeding and undernourishing your fish, but that is not what you want to hear.

 

[FirstContact]

I thought this was a friendly forum. Again with the dry food not being enough nutritionally when in the previous post you said it's not about dry versus frozen. Plenty of people feed dry only. Plenty of people do not feed multiple times per day.

Why can't you accept the fact that an algae wheel and nori being picked at for hours constitutes multiple feedings in small amounts? I've never read anything but that with regards to algae sheets and wheels. You just put it in the tank and they pick at it all day long.

I think you are just trying to be too smart and controversial.

What I asked for was people with comparative bioloads what do they feed? Not a rant on dry food not being adequate enough or frequency of feedings. And yes, you CAN totally overfeed a tank.

 

[eatbreakfast]

I thought this was a friendly forum. Again with the dry food not being enough nutritionally when in the previous post you said it's not about dry versus frozen. Plenty of people feed dry only. Plenty of people do not feed multiple times per day.

Why can't you accept the fact that an algae wheel and nori being picked at for hours constitutes multiple feedings in small amounts? I've never read anything but that with regards to algae sheets and wheels. You just put it in the tank and they pick at it all day long.

I think you are just trying to be too smart and controversial.

What I asked for was people with comparative bioloads what do they feed? Not a rant on dry food not being adequate enough or frequency of feedings.

The basslet and the clown don't eat from those.

Are you adding those everyday?

I'm not trying to be controversial. These are living animals. They eat more frequently than you do. You can live a long time only eating every other day, but it's not what is best?

Again, why ask questions if you're going to argue with the answers you get but don't like? It's just wasting everybody's time.

 

[FirstContact]

The basslet actually does eat off the algae wheel. See original post. And yes instead of outright criticizing everything as wrong. I expected someone to share "This is how I feed with a similar bioload"

I don't have to agree with you. I can still be looking for more information other than your personal point of view. Again I reiterate, there are many people in this hobby who do not a) feed frozen and b) feed multiple times a day.

 

[ahiggins]

Ok.....lets take a step back.
Firstcontact-I agree that some people do feed only dry/pellets BUT IMO their fish are not thriving granted that just my opinion. That being said...I dont believe your feeding enough. the algae wafers.....not a good idea IMO. Most fish can acclimate to eat pellets but its not whole nutrition, whatever the box says. if you could feed every day and still export the nutrients (ie nitrates) you could totally do that.
Eatbreakfast-you know how I feel about your advice, agree 150%, on everything BUT what youre giving out is "perfect case scenario". Which is what we all strive to get to. At the end of the day...its his tank and hes going to do what he wants.

Before I realized what this was heating up to be my 2 cents was going to be:
We are very helpful here, this is the most information Ive been able to get in one place is on R2R. They have an amazing set of resources.

if you nitrates are at bay and your fish are fat/happy (truely fat and happy lol)-obviously youre doing just fine. I feed half a mysis cube (or the equivilent when I feed roe or reef frenzy) to my acan frags and small occ clown/dottyback/6 line every single day at 6pm when I get home from work. The other half goes to the anthias/midas. Ive never fed dry and never will, just a personal choice I guess lol Even feeding as much as I do...I still feel like they dont get enough throughout the day. That being said-I have starved fish only feeding 1x per day before.

 

[eatbreakfast]

So you were looking for a proverbial pat on the head and to be told you're doing a good job on nutrition? It's not just my opinion. Others commented and told you the same thing.

 

[ahiggins]

not needed. We are here to help you take care of your tank and any questions you have.
Youre just being rude...

 

[eatbreakfast]

You would rather do what you want rather than what's best for your fish.

 

[Reefltx]

Okay, I have a Koran Angel, Blue Hippo Tang, Purple Tang, Jansen's Wrasse, Black Cap Basslet, and an Ocelaris Clown fish.

I moved away from frozen foods for about 1-2 years, and I feed only dry food every other day:

1/2 sheet Purple Seaweed Julian Sprung (mostly Koran & Purple but Blue gets some)
1 algae marine grazer wheel Vitalis formerly New Era (mostly Blue & Jansen's but Koran and sometimes Black Cap and Purple get some)
moderate sprinkling of pellets mostly for the wrasse, clown, and basslet but Blue and sometimes Purple join in

Just wondering how the quantity of food input to the tank compares to others with similar bioload?

I'm over stocked in a 40g currently with 9 fishes 2 being tangs. I feed twice a day frozen and every other day I'll throw in dry or seaweed with that.

 

[FirstContact]

I'm over stocked in a 40g currently with 9 fishes 2 being tangs. I feed twice a day frozen and every other day I'll throw in dry or seaweed with that.

Thank you!

 

[FirstContact]

So you were looking for a proverbial pat on the head and to be told you're doing a good job on nutrition? It's not just my opinion. Others commented and told you the same thing.

Now who's not moderating and being sarcastic in this friendly forum?

 

[d2mini]

FWIW, the fish in my office nano get fed strictly dry food (flake or pellet) once a day. Not at all sat-sun.
They appear no different than the fish in my large home tank that get fed strictly Larry's Reef Frenzy 2-3x per day.
And this is not a knock on LRS, i love their food. Also not a knock on feeding a variety of fresh foods.
Just saying that there is no need to jump on the OP for feeding dry. Nor every other day depending on the fish he keeps.
Now lets please keep things civil.

 

[BrettMallette]

FWIW my Powder Brown eats more Nori than ur whole tank does in a day on top of pellets frozen and w.e coral food it decides suits its needs. So as stated i would say you are underfeeding. Also beneficial if only feeding dry to provide a broad spectrum of dry foods to try and cover as much nutritional need. Dont rly know why you would want to go pellets and nori only if your not autofeeding but thats just me...