How much food?

[edunn]

Hi people who know more than me,
My LFS suggested that I feed my fish 1 cube of mysis every other day and 1 sheet of nori (or no nori). I have a 4-5 inch copper band, 5 inch blonde naso tang, 3 inch scopas tang, and 3-4 inch powder blue tang. I'm in the thick of the ugly phase. Nutrients are finally coming down with the addition of a media reactor running GFO, increasing powerhead flow, and upping my return pump flow. Nitrate was 12 and is now 3. Phosphate was 0.14 and is now 0.03. I was feeding 1 cube of mysis twice daily and 1 sheet of nori. The rationale behind less Nori was it would force my tangs to eat the green slime algae, hair algae, and any other algae in the tank. Pic from today included.

 

[Tahoe61]

I would feed more actually and export nutrients via water changes and algae turf scrubber.
From the images I suggest adding more rock work. Ideally LR, but try to increase surface areas for nitrifying bacteria.


Welcome to R2R.

 

[Euphyllia97]

With your livestock, I would feed at least 1 cube of mysis a day divided in 2/3 smaller feedings. Keep a very close eye on the copperband. Mix some other meaty foods like krill, artemia,….

With 3 tangs, daily nori sheets are a MUST. Even if they will pick and eat nuisance algae. There is not enough nutritional value in it. Nori is not an option but a necessity with tangs.

I would also add more rocks to your tank :)

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

I feel that is bad advice, I feed my fish 2-3-4 times per day. They like eating, its really the only thing they have to look forward to, and I enjoy feeding them.

Needs more rock, I feel like even that fish is asking for more, I can see it in his eye, he's like "where's the rest of the rock"

 

[edunn]

I feel that is bad advice, I feed my fish 2-3-4 times per day. They like eating, its really the only thing they have to look forward to, and I enjoy feeding them.

Needs more rock, I feel like even that fish is asking for more, I can see it in his eye, he's like "where's the rest of the rock"

Haha. I appreciate everyone's input. This is exactly what I was hoping to hear. I love feeding my fish (and I'm sure they love being fed). I am thinking about adding in a refugium to better deal with elevated nutrients in the context of heavy feeding? Do you think that is a reasonable way to go about it? I am going to replace my dry rock with more live rock in the coming weeks. I agree with you!