How many use feed cycles?

[BestMomEver]

Ive never used any kind of feed cycle... I don’t turn stuff off when I feed. Not only is it a pain, but I think the fish like chasing stuff and what they don’t catch feeds the CUC and corals. But I’m curious about how many of you use it and why.

 

[Geebs19]

The only time I use them is when I feed reef roids, other than that for fish I just dump the food in for the chase.

 

[Westside Guy]

There is a reason why the feed mode option exists on the pumps.

 

[Crabs McJones]

I use it because too much food gets sucked into the overflow.

Same. My apex has a feed hold that turns everything off for 3 minutes. after that everything kicks on automatically. Otherwise that's alot of food flowing down to the sump

 

[ReefQueen]

I do because my mandarin likes to eat whatever falls to the bottom and, as mentioned, much of it goes into the overflow right down into the filter socks.

 

[Sorcha2]

Most of my equipment doesn't have that as an option but then again I have a pretty minimalistic tank.

 

[HOOPDEEZ]

I use a 20 minute feed cycle, that way everything has a chance to eat and clean up instead of food going down the overflow. My powerheads stay on the whole time.

 

[Instigate]

I turn off the return and wavemakers, feed the tank and wait a bit for the nassarius snails to clean up whatever they will then I turn on just the powerheads to give the fish another shot. Then once they've gotten whatever they're going to get I turn the return back on. I do this to try an get the majority of food into hungry mouths rather than into my filter floss.

 

[lolgranny]

There is a reason why the feed mode option exists on the pumps.

Is there a reason disco mode exists on the radions?[emoji848]

 

[lapin]

I do not use it. I do however unplug my sea swirls when feeding my NPS, so they dont have the food ripped out of their mouths. I also dont feed when my skimmer is on. It comes on 3 times in a 24hr period for 2 hours each time.

 

[Scurvy]

I just kill power heads for 5/10 minutes but leave the return going. I do lose food down the overflow but that feeds the scavengers in the fuge which is just fine by me. I want food to sink for my mandarin as well. He digs LRS.

 

[JP Reef]

I turn off my return pump and skimmer. My return pump has a pause button for 15 min. This way I don't get a ton of food down the overflow. After it restarts I just go start the skimmer again once the sump is back to normal level.

 

[Butuz]

I have synchronized the time on my Eheim auto feeder and my 2 MP40s. Mp40s switch to feed mode when Eheim engages and they stay off for 4 min. When manually feeding frozen every evening, I switch to feed mode through the app. What I really like about feed mode, is that it kicks into high gear tidal swell or smth like that for 10 secs and really lifts stuff off the bottom, helps keep the tank clean while feeding corals.

 

[BestMomEver]

I have synchronized the time on my Eheim auto feeder and my 2 MP40s. Mp40s switch to feed mode when Eheim engages and they stay off for 4 min. When manually feeding frozen every evening, I switch to feed mode through the app. What I really like about feed mode, is that it kicks into high gear tidal swell or smth like that for 10 secs and really lifts stuff off the bottom, helps keep the tank clean while feeding corals.

Your Eheim auto feeder takes frozen food? How did I miss that? I could set the feeding mode on the Apex then ask the mp60 to clean up. I like that idea. Thanks!

 

[HOOPDEEZ]

Don’t put frozen food in your auto feeder! Unless you like that fish market smell. He meant feeding frozen manually after the auto feeder.

 

[Butuz]

Your Eheim auto feeder takes frozen food? How did I miss that? I could set the feeding mode on the Apex then ask the mp60 to clean up. I like that idea. Thanks!

I wish there was an auto feeder to take frozen food. What I meant is Eheim runs a few times a day with dry food. Then, I manually feed frozen every evening.

 

[MrObscura]

I turn off the return, otherwise it just all gets sucked up, but leave on my powerhead.

 

[Tastee]

When I hand feed pellets I don’t bother with the feed cycle. When I use my AFS to feed pellets I shut down the return and skimmer (as the sump level rises without the return) but not the wavemaker.

When I hand feed frozen food I use a 10 min cycle, shutting down the Wavemaker, Return and Skimmer. Not only does this stop the frozen food going down the return it also gives the corals a good shot at grabbing something that floats past. I often see my torch with it’s ‘fists’ tightly clenched with it’s prizes. The other LPS extend their polyps to filter-feed what they can when the pumps are off and for a while after until everything clear.

 

[BestMomEver]

I wish there was an auto feeder to take frozen food. What I meant is Eheim runs a few times a day with dry food. Then, I manually feed frozen every evening.

Gotcha. I was gonna say....