Flakes are better than pellets change my mind

[99problemsandatankisone]

I have no desire to convince you to change your mind. If it works for you and your fish stick with it. Will point out a couple things. Flakes can cause fish to gulp air and depending on the fish this can be an issue. Flakes degrade and dissolve into the water column much more quickly where pellets usually keep their form longer (giving additional time to be eaten). Flakes are also a tough feeding choice for larger fish. Takes a ton of feeding and time for a fish to get what he needs from hundreds of flakes floating around... pellets are larger and more nutritionally dense and much more effective at feeding large fish without excessively feeding. Flakes have a very short shelf life once opened compared to pellets.

As you mentioned pellets are also generally speaking more nutritious than flakes. For me that is a big one... that is the whole point of feeding afterall.

As for the issues you have with pellets sinking to the bottom and degrading it is not really an issue I have. If you have diverse fish that includes bottom feeders and an appropriate CUC it should not be an issue. I would much rather my excess food be eaten by my goby, nassarius snails, etc than to get caught in my filter sock. Unless you are changing your sock soon after feeding that flake food is going to break down very quickly and negating your "pro" of them going into the filter.

Thanks for the opposing view point!

when feeding mainly pellets how do you ensure more timid eaters/those with smaller mouths get there share?

 

[Zionas]

How necessary is it to feed frozen when it comes to the long term health of fish? Or would good flake and pellet foods be enough in most cases? I heard frozen is less dense in nutrition than flakes and pellets.

And how necessary are nutritional supplements such as Selcon?

 

[Greybeard]

Live foods are best, but living in SW Missouri, about as far from an ocean as it's possible to get on this planet... impractical for me.

Frozen foods... My fish, anemones, and LPS corals LOVE Rod's Original. That's my primary. Happily, BRS is now selling it, since it can be hard to find locally. OK, so the $30 S&H is a bit extreme... but it's coming in still frozen, so as long as you're ordering enough of it at a time, well... I'll pay it.

Aside from Rod's, as far as frozen goes, I feed PE Mysis. That's about it. Used to feed some LRS, but the 'chunks' are too big for me, thanks.

Pellet: I feed PE Mysis Pellets, Hikari Seaweed Extreme (you should see my tangs and foxface jumping out of the tank after this one!), and Hikari Marine A. Generally hand feeding just a few pellets throughout the day, since I work from home, but I'm looking into an auto feeder. Waste? Not with my fish. Clean up crew never gets the opportunity, though my cleaner shrimps might get a pellet once in a while.

Flake: Seems to me, it mostly ends up in my filter sox. I feed a pinch every now and then, I keep several varieties from Ocean Nutrition on the shelf. Eh.

Oh, I also feed a quarter sheet of sushi grade Nori in a lettuce clip every day. Cheap, from the local asian market... and my tangs and foxface love the stuff. Even my Spotbreast and Lamark's Angels pick at it some.

 

[99problemsandatankisone]

How necessary is it to feed frozen when it comes to the long term health of fish? Or would good flake and pellet foods be enough in most cases? I heard frozen is less dense in nutrition than flakes and pellets.

And how necessary are nutritional supplements such as Selcon?

Oh asking the real hard hitting questions now! I am also interested in an answer here!

 

[HuduVudu]

I agree but some cant get it regularly or keep it alive.

I have an endless supply of these. In fact I have too many. If anyone in the Houston area wants a starter culture let me know in DM.




EDIT: These are easier than a salt water aquarium to keep, and they are nutritious. Plus @Paul B. uses and recommends them highly.

 

[Zionas]

In my place (China) it’s not easy even to get quality frozen foods. Brands like Hikari have to be ordered through importers. I think a selection of Hikari frozen foods is about the best I can offer my fish once my system’s set up.

I also plan to feed fresh / frozen seafood from time to time. Squid, clam on a half shell, cuttlefish, oysters, fish meat etc.

 

[HuduVudu]

In my place (China) it’s not easy even to get quality frozen foods. Brands like Hikari have to be ordered through importers. I think a selection of Hikari frozen foods is about the best I can offer my fish once my system’s set up.

I ordered white worms on Amazon got them from Ireland.

When there is a will there is a way.

 

[Zionas]

If they’ll ship, that would be great.

 

[HuduVudu]

If they’ll ship, that would be great.

They shipped to me. They do ship a pretty small amount so it takes a while to get the culture off of the ground, but they are prolific little buggers.

Perhaps if there is a hole in your market you can make some side money.

 

[Born2beblack]

Pretty sweet to play hoops with the gilled pets!
Do you ever put in extra pellets for bottom dwellers/cuc?

Luckily my shrimp are hand fed while the fish eat. Everything else can fend for its self. But im very firm on feeding. So i know there akways food for everyone. My urchin is also hand feed nori.. but its take for ever. Coral fed every week sometimes 2x.

They clowns literally chase it before it hits the water down the tank
I try and trick them but they fast
Wrasse is iffy but he plays
Im afraid of jumping but ill be there to save them.

 

[Zionas]

I’ll have to see if I have the space for it as I’m currently in an apartment and 2nd floor as well, tank itself will take up a section of the wall xD.

The only thing that stands between me and my setup is politics xD can’t currently go back because they’re not allowing most foreign citizens even those with valid visas to enter.

 

[ReefBeta]

In my place (China) it’s not easy even to get quality frozen foods. Brands like Hikari have to be ordered through importers. I think a selection of Hikari frozen foods is about the best I can offer my fish once my system’s set up.

I also plan to feed fresh / frozen seafood from time to time. Squid, clam on a half shell, cuttlefish, oysters, fish meat etc.

Probably easiest to DIY your own frozen food using all kinds of fresh sea food, fish, shrimp, scallop, squid, etc. . Just grate them into tiny pieces, then ziplock them into freezer. It's cheaper and probably better than most frozen fish food.

Check out BRS's guide https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/content/post/frozen-reef-chili-recipes

 

[99problemsandatankisone]

I have an endless supply of these. In fact I have too many. If anyone in the Houston area wants a starter culture let me know in DM.




EDIT: These are easier than a salt water aquarium to keep, and they are nutritious. Plus @Paul B. uses and recommends them highly.

hmm, after watching the video I’m starting to wonder if I could culture them in containers in my crawl space, it stays about 50 degrees all year. Anybody tried culturing them not in a wine cooler?

 

[Zionas]

Thanks a lot!

 

[Born2beblack]

I have an endless supply of these. In fact I have too many. If anyone in the Houston area wants a starter culture let me know in DM.




EDIT: These are easier than a salt water aquarium to keep, and they are nutritious. Plus @Paul B. uses and recommends them highly.

I havent done white worms yet. Sadly im in a Canada so pain for both of us.
Some people just dont have space my gf has a fresh tank and she cant even have frozen food in her freezer with out her mom losing it.
Cant imagine a pal of worms hahahah

 

[Zionas]

Yeah it really sucks it’s been this way since March 28th of last year and currently they’re not approving foreign vaccines for use due to nationalistic stupidity.

 

[Born2beblack]

hmm, after watching the video I’m starting to wonder if I could culture them in containers in my crawl space, it stays about 50 degrees all year. Anybody tried culturing them not in a wine cooler?

I find most cirtter are easy to culture
I do super worms and meal worms
And in canada it gets cold every noe and then randomly so i think they could tank it as i did blackworms easily.
Im lucky i have a animal room so my lizard and snake tanks usually keep my room warm.

 

[HuduVudu]

hmm, after watching the video I’m starting to wonder if I could culture them in containers in my crawl space, it stays about 50 degrees all year. Anybody tried culturing them not in a wine cooler?

 

[HuduVudu]

These are seriously easy to culture and raise. Ninety percent of what I feed are these.

 

[HuduVudu]

I havent done white worms yet. Sadly im in a Canada so pain for both of us.
Some people just dont have space my gf has a fresh tank and she cant even have frozen food in her freezer with out her mom losing it.
Cant imagine a pal of worms hahahah

Don't put them in the fridge, it is too cold. Paul B. keeps in his workshop but he lives in NY. I live in the South so heat is an issue. I just got a small used wine fridge. I use it for my phyto and my worms. Works like a charm.