Reef Feeding Habits

[Gogol_frag]

Hi y'all,

Hope you are enjoying a happy hump-day. If I could, I would like to run my feeding routine by you, for your review and inputs. An over-arching theme is that I am still keeping the dream alive for an near-automated reef (for stability and consistency). So my feeding routine only consists of auto-dosing and auto-feeding. Target feeding or hand-feeding is likely something that I will fail at and cause The Hunger Games in my tank. So avoidable.

I dose my 170 gallon tank with the following live phytos and zoos (hourly, between 12:00 AM to 3:00 AM).

Full disclosure: I am only getting into the rhythm for the real match ahead. Currently, my tank has only water, sand, rocks, bacteria and some pods. The live planktons are meant to be coral/clam food. My fishes arrive on the 1st week of May, corals on the 2nd week of May. Tank parameters are stable (pre-fish). It will be dosed with Coraline Algae tomorrow/Friday.

With that preamble, following is my thrice-nightly coral/clam food dose.

1. Nanochloropsis - Nannochloropsis Oculata
2. Tetraselmis - Tetraselmis Suecica
3. Isochrysis - Isochrysis Galbana
4. Tisbe Pods - gut-loaded with Nanochloropsis
5. Rotifers - gut loaded with Reef Nutrution's Phyo Feast

Fish-food:
During the day time, I plan on feeding the fishes, twice with Reef Nutrition's TDO Chroma Boost (using Neptune Auto-Feeders).

I am hoping that the above routine will keep my fishes well-fed, so that planktons get to my corals while the fishes sleep at night.

Do you have opinions for or against? Let me have it, guys and gals.

Stocking list (so far):

1. LPS corals (Favia, Blastomussa)
2. SPS corals (Pavona, Pocillopora)
3. 2 wrasses (Melanarus and X Mas)
4. 3 Tangs (White-Tail Bristletooth, Blonde Naso Tang, Yellow Belly Hippo Tang)

Likely additions:

1. 5 Trochus Snails (depending on algae bloom)
2. 10-15 Nassarius Snails (not yet purchased)
3. Gem Tang (not yet purchased, and will likely be my final fish)
4. Ornamental clams (TBD)
5. Plenty more LPS corals
6. Possibly more SPS corals

Let me know. Thanks y'all
-Gogol

 

[Rtaylor]

Your tangs will need sheets of Nori to remain healthy. Personally, I like to provide more variety than a single type of pellets, using a variety of frozen foods and a mix of different pellets. The live food is good for the wrasses in particular.

 

[Gogol_frag]

Thanks Rtaylor, have you tried feeding Nori via auto-feeders? I am hesitant to not auto-feed. I don't want my tank to rely on human presence - I realize that this may not be realistic in all situations. I found some algae pellets and such and was wondering if you had experience for/against.

 

[Rtaylor]

Thanks Rtaylor, have you tried feeding Nori via auto-feeders? I am hesitant to not auto-feed. I don't want my tank to rely on human presence - I realize that this may not be realistic in all situations. I found some algae pellets and such and was wondering if you had experience for/against.

No, I don’t keep tangs, but know they need a lot of algae to remain healthy. You could try growing macro algae in the tank for them to eat, but I suspect they would eat it faster than it grows.

 

[Gogol_frag]

No, I don’t keep tangs, but know they need a lot of algae to remain healthy. You could try growing macro algae in the tank for them to eat, but I suspect they would eat it faster than it grows.

Thanks Rtaylor. I contacted Dr. Reef from whom i am buying the fishes, and Dr. Eric Henry from Reef Nutrition - and will keep you appraised of progress.

As an aside, i have had prior lengthy conversations with both Dr. Reef and Dr. Henry, and they are a delight to do business with.