Fish food fine-tuning: What are your challenges when feeding your reef?

[Peace River]

Fish food fine-tuning: What are your challenges when feeding your reef?

Feeding time can be a time of tension in your reef tank. Sometimes this tension is seen between the fish competing for food and sometimes the challenges are more subtle in the form of trying to maintain water quality or the selective eating habits of the fish. The challenges in each tank may vary and our experiences at feeding time may differ. Additionally, what we do to fine-tune the mealtime tension may also differ. What are your challenges when feeding your reef?

Pro Tip: Feeding different types of foods and feeding at different places in your tank can limit the tension between fish and understanding the water parameters in your tank can help you optimize your approach to feeding. Watching your fish during feeding can also be informative (sometimes the feeding process is automated so observing may be an extra effort).

Photo by @JCOLE


This QOTD is sponsored by: www.dinkinsaquaticgardens.com

"Our mission is to help save the reefs by providing the highest quality live reef foods for every aquarium - from small biocubes to mid-sized reef aquariums, to giant aquaculture facilities" - Dinkins Aquatics

 

[Treefer32]

I have 16-17 larger fish. By larger my male creole anthia is a beast at 10-12 inches in length and 2-3 inches in height and a just overall large fish. My Caribbean blue tang is similar in size, just circular instead of long. They both are extremely aggressive eaters. I feed a sheet of nori every couple of days. And I feed 12-15 cubes of frozen food per day.

I notice things calm down after I feed the frozen food. The concern I have is A) the frequency, I'd like to feed more often, just don't have time to. B) I need a way to automate feeding frozen food. Especially in the summertime. I've seen a few options, but the technology to do so is limited (Limited by cost primarily).

I would like to automate feedings on weekends so, we can spend more time traveling in our motorhome. My wife and I both work remotely, so we plan to travel and work during the summers from a variety of places. I would like to automate feedings for 3-4 days (at most).

If someone came up with a automated frozen feeding packaged deal ready to go, I'd pay $300-400 for that. Time is limited in being able to build my own and test and tweak it. Especially if something doesn't work right.

 

[EricR]

I was tempted to say "none" but guess I'll go with:
I have just one herbivore (tailspot blenny) that won't touch nori/wafers/flake but loves meaty foods so I worry a bit but assume just picking at rocks/glass and whatever algae happens to be in LRS Reef Frenzy Nano is enough (since he/she seems healthy).

 

[srobertb]

I have 16-17 larger fish. By larger my male creole anthia is a beast at 10-12 inches in length and 2-3 inches in height and a just overall large fish. My Caribbean blue tang is similar in size, just circular instead of long. They both are extremely aggressive eaters. I feed a sheet of nori every couple of days. And I feed 12-15 cubes of frozen food per day.

I notice things calm down after I feed the frozen food. The concern I have is A) the frequency, I'd like to feed more often, just don't have time to. B) I need a way to automate feeding frozen food. Especially in the summertime. I've seen a few options, but the technology to do so is limited (Limited by cost primarily).

I would like to automate feedings on weekends so, we can spend more time traveling in our motorhome. My wife and I both work remotely, so we plan to travel and work during the summers from a variety of places. I would like to automate feedings for 3-4 days (at most).

If someone came up with an automated frozen feeding packaged deal ready to go, I'd pay $300-400 for that. Time is limited in being able to build my own and test and tweak it. Especially if something doesn't work right.

With you. The auto-frozen feeder really is something I’ve wanted for years- both something that can dose refrigerated coral food + a good frozen food mix.

It is surprising that while there are some cool DIY options, there aren’t any out-of-the-box models.

I’ve tried twice and wasn’t happy enough to keep either finished product.

 

[The_Skrimp]

Feeding pests is probably my biggest concern when feeding my tank right now. I like to over feed my tank because I like fat fish and fast growing coral but that also means I have to deal with hydroids and an overabundance of asterina stars along with a few vermetid snails that are thriving with all the extra food.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Dont have a problem with feeding with 42 fish. If there is a problem, they eat it too quickly.

 

[shakacuz]

with me, i find it difficult to keep up with my nutrient export. my two clams do a really good job at keeping my no3/po4 VERY low. even with increased feedings(went from 1x a day, to 2x a day AND dosing no3/po4) and my nutrients are still very close to 0/0. i have 6 fish in a 40B with no skimmer running and i've decreased the hours my fuge light is on for the chaeto as well.

 

[Chris Shelton]

I'm gonna vote both maintaining water quality and feeding the right amount. I decided today I am feeding way too much! We downsized from a 150G DT to an IM Nuvo 40AIO. Sold off some equipment and upgraded some equipment so happy with everything except what's inside the water box! Both tanks I have always struggled with high N03 and P04. Just yesterday I checked and N03 was 15.2 and P04 was .05 (both via Hanna checker). We currently have 1 designer clown, 1 mandarin, 1 harlequin shrimp, 1 peppermint shrimp, 2 emerald crabs and some snails. I feed rods original once daily at 5pm (about the size of a pea) and add Algae Barns mandarin feeder kit once a month (not so much the can o' clops) as I been having issues with cyano for a while now. Have a fuge with chaeto (for pods). I use the BRS 5 stage RODI system with 0 TDS water. Fritz blue box salt. 4.5 G water change weekly. 1.026 78° Alk is 8.4 Ca is 421 Mg 1296 pH stays between 8.1 to 8.5 depending on open windows or AC. (per Trident) yes since I downsized sounds over kill but it's a 40AIO with Apex, Dos, DDR, Trident controlled dosing, 2 MP10'S and 2 Radion XR15 G5 pros set at 50%. Heating and cooling controlled via apex. Battery backup. Tunze 3155 ATO with 10G container. Custom built stand, matching side desk/ato cabinet. Granite tops. I'm happy with everything except what's inside the tank! That's all pretty much crap and I have determined its over feeding so cutting way back starting today. Oh corals are some gsp on the back wall and 2 kinds of zoas ticked off and won't open cause they are covered in cyano. Did a 4 day blackout couple weeks ago and it went away. Now its back same as ever. Just mailed off an ICP mass Spec water sample yesterday. So water quality and how much to feed gets my vote.

 

[MoshJosh]

Feel like I can't win!!! My fish seem pretty picky, even when feeding "high quality" foods. . . even amongst the same species, seems like one like this food but not that and the other likes that food not this. . . If I feed a lot my nutrients are still low but I get "undesirable" filter feeders. . . if I feed a little my corals are starved of nutrients. . . . . . . . . .

I am trying to find a simple routine that works for my mixed reefs, and I'm just not there yet!!!!

Currently daily feeding is Reef Nutrition TDO pellets, PE Mysis, and Rod's original (wanted LRS. . . but not available locally. . . maybe I will switch to that). Plus I "dose" Aquavitro Fuel 1-2 times a day.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Feel like I can't win!!! My fish seem pretty picky, even when feeding "high quality" foods. . . even amongst the same species, seems like one like this food but not that and the other likes that food not this. . . If I feed a lot my nutrients are still low but I get "undesirable" filter feeders. . . if I feed a little my corals are starved of nutrients. . . . . . . . . .

I am trying to find a simple routine that works for my mixed reefs, and I'm just not there yet!!!!

Currently daily feeding is Reef Nutrition TDO pellets, PE Mysis, and Rod's original (wanted LRS. . . but not available locally. . . maybe I will switch to that). Plus I "dose" Aquavitro Fuel 1-2 times a day.

small plankton
spirulina brine shrimp
Prime reef frozen

 

[MoshJosh]

small plankton
spirulina brine shrimp
Prime reef frozen

Small plankton source? Specific brand?
SFB/Emerald Entree?
I will look into prime!!!

 

[Dbichler]

I chose other because I diy seafood and it can be a pain to find a time when the family isn’t round because they can’t stand the smell and unfortunately I’m allergic to touching and or inhaling seafood so yeah it’s fun.

 

[KrisReef]

I like collecting live clams to shuck and freeze for my fishes. The recent tidal heights have precluded collections because the proper low tides have been at night or early morning for a month. Otherwise, trying to get some new anthias healthy requires many feedings per day and I prefer to feed less often but hopefully they will put on some weight soon enough and I can reduce frequencies but still have healthy fishes.

 

[Sleeping Giant]

I'm a sucker for over feeding and messing with my water quality

 

[Timfish]

Getting the right amount of food to ALL the fish can be a real challenge sometimes. Besides using multiple feeders, feeding tubes that drop food into a return pump intake to broadcast food through a system using the right size foods has to be a consideration. I've found when using autofeeders with large fish it may actually be better to feed small pellets. It takes longer for large aggressive fish to eat letting smaller or less aggressive fish find some to eat. It also makes larger aggressive fish work harder so they are less likely to gain weight and get noticably fatter than other fish.

Here's a video of an autofeeder set up with a "feeding tube" attached to a return pump. The advantages is it keeps food from settling in dead spots androtting and pellets are dispersed over a larger area and throughout the water colomn in the display tank and not just localized areas at the surface. It's closed on the bottom and has an elbow pointed down to prevent a venturi from forming and air getting sucked into the pump. There are slits cut on one side to let water in and help form the whirlpool to mix pellets witht he water.

 

[MoshJosh]

Small plankton source? Specific brand?
SFB/Emerald Entree?
I will look into prime!!!

Don't leave me hanging @vetteguy53081 I need your food advice!!!

 

[MickeyCT]

If someone came up with a automated frozen feeding packaged deal ready to go, I'd pay $300-400 for that. Time is limited in being able to build my own and test and tweak it. Especially if something doesn't work right.

@Treefer32 - Check out the aF4 - it's getting close to production.

 

[Tonycass12]

Figured I would share this tip. I just added a copperband to my display over the weekend after a month in quarantine. Hes doing great and picking at aptasia but is very shy during feeding when my tangs start running around the tank. I decided to try something new today and took my magnetic feeder cup, tossed in a frozen cube of bloodworms and placed it in a bottom corner against the glass so the cube stays in. The copperband took to it right away and started picking in the holes and pulling out worms. Sometimes you gotta just be a little inventive to ensure the picky eaters are getting something.

 

[MickeyCT]

@Tonycass12 - what a good idea!

 

[jonnywink]

I had 10 fish, an urchin, fighting conch, and about 20 snail of different types in my 55g tank. I buy frozen marine cuisine, Brine shrimp, and Mysis shrimp packages that are in little cubes. My question is: how many cubes should I use per feeding? I‘be been feeding one cube twice a day, and the fish attack the food with very little left after a few minutes.