New Episode of Reef Therapy - Frozen food? Flakes? Pellets?

[Brit’s Fish]

Listening to the most recent episode of Reef Therapy & now I have some questions on food. I have read extensively that it’s better for your parameters if you feed frozen food instead of flakes or pellets. Flakes and pellets will make your nitrates and phosphates spike.
However, listening to this episode, Jake Adams is saying the exact opposite. Prepared foods are better for your fish in terms of longevity and health. Obviously, some pellets & flakes are better than others.
I have to say that I’m a big Jake Adams fan & tend to follow a lot of what he says, with success so far.
I want to hear the thoughts of others though! Let’s talk!

 

[KingTideCorals]

Listening to the most recent episode of Reef Therapy & now I have some questions on food. I have read extensively that it’s better for your parameters if you feed frozen food instead of flakes or pellets. Flakes and pellets will make your nitrates and phosphates spike.
However, listening to this episode, Jake Adams is saying the exact opposite. Prepared foods are better for your fish in terms of longevity and health. Obviously, some pellets & flakes are better than others.
I have to say that I’m a big Jake Adams fan & tend to follow a lot of what he says, with success so far.
I want to hear the thoughts of others though! Let’s talk!

Feeding is a topic that will have people pulling different ways. I saw this episode as well, and I think the point that was trying to get across is the following...

Prepared foods: Better for overall health and longevity of your livestock, but has the potential to bring in more nutrients and waste into a system if not all eaten.

Frozen: Lose of nutrition overall still good for the health of your fish though, less polluting to your water parameters if all food is not completely eaten.

 

[Brit’s Fish]

Feeding is a topic that will have people pulling different ways. I saw this episode as well, and I think the point that was trying to get across is the following...

Prepared foods: Better for overall health and longevity of your livestock, but has the potential to bring in more nutrients and waste into a system if not all eaten.

Frozen: Lose of nutrition overall still good for the health of your fish though, less polluting to your water parameters if all food is not completely eaten.

Agreed! I do find it confusing but I think nutrition is always a sticky topic no matter what kind of animal your talking about. I have a very healthy ChowChow mix dog who eats very high protein foods. I am never surprised by all the people who have opinions on dog food either. “I won’t buy expensive dog food.” “I only feed my dogs raw food.” Etc.
So you make a great point!
I thought the most interesting part was where they said that if you feed exclusively frozen, you’ll have a fat fish that will only live 5 years and high nutrients. If you feed pellets, you’ll have lower nutrients and a fish that lives 20 years.
All in all, I just want to be a good fish mom! I feed what seems healthy based on the research I can do - mixture of LRS Reef Frenzy, Rod’s food, Spirulina Brine Shrimp, New Life Spectrum pellets, Coral Frenzy pellets. Switch it up at random & everyone seems very happy & healthy.
I have a Pixy Hawk who loves to hunt so he gets live glass shrimp sometimes too.

 

[trmiv]

Watched this episode today.

personally I just feed frozen because everything likes and eats it. A lot of my fish flat don’t like pellets. Also pellets sink like a rock and don’t blow around the tank for the less boisterous fish. I guess I could feed flake, but I don’t get how that’s better than frozen food?

 

[Rjmul]

Bump. This really threw a wrench in my brain as well

 

[Ricksreeefs]

What do you guys think about the dried mysis for Omga one?

 

[Brit’s Fish]

What do you guys think about the dried mysis for Omga one?

I have not tried it yet, but I was thinking of ordering some as well. I have a very picky Banggai Cardinal who will only eat frozen (I know this is fairly normal though) who is in a tank with a Tailspot Blenny, Purple Firefish and a Yellow Coris Wrasse. All 3 of the others will happily eat New Life Spectrum and Coral Frenzy pellets. I would love to get this guy off of frozen and I’m wondering if he’d like that. I’ll update when I try it and please do the same if you do!

 

[Ricksreeefs]

I have not tried it yet, but I was thinking of ordering some as well. I have a very picky Banggai Cardinal who will only eat frozen (I know this is fairly normal though) who is in a tank with a Tailspot Blenny, Purple Firefish and a Yellow Coris Wrasse. All 3 of the others will happily eat New Life Spectrum and Coral Frenzy pellets. I would love to get this guy off of frozen and I’m wondering if he’d like that. I’ll update when I try it and please do the same if you do!

When I got some Banggai and purple fish fish they would not eat anything but frozen but then I realized I had some of it sitting around so I tried it and they all ate it up happily.

 

[reefinatl]

Why not both? I have an autofeeder for TDO pellets. Afterwork I feed either frozen gutloaded brine, pe mysis, spirulina, or oyster eggs. Sometime a whole cube of one, others a half of two. Weekends they sometimes get frozen in the morning and evening with the pellets midday as usual.