What I feed My Fish

[Coralsdaily]

What do you feed your fish? Do you feed frozen or dry? Do you make your own food or pre-prepped?

For years I did not pay much attention to marine fish nutrition. I thought- they eat, they look happy, end of story. After reading much research studies as well as experimenting with various food mixes myself. Here is a previous post that I was not feeding a diversed food as I do today.

I’m currently settle with home made frozen food mix consist of chopped prawn, chopped salmon, chopped krill, PE mysis shrimp, crushed nori seaweed, calanus, and depends on store availability, chopped scallops, chopped squid, and crabs. I think the key here is diversity. While it is alright to keep fish “alive” feeding just mysis or even brine shrimp, it will be lacking some nutrition while providing too much of others. It is the equivalent of having mashed potatoes and a piece of stake everyday you won’t die from it, but you also won’t feel very energetic from it either.

Here is a quick video showing my fish devour my food mix, and to show how healthy and happy they look!

 

[jeffchapok]

I feed frozen clams purchased from Whole Foods. I just let them thaw a few minutes then scrape out the desired amount with a butter knife. The fish and corals both gobble them up.

I'll mix things up a couple of times per week by feeding a frozen cube of either butterfly or herbivore mix.

 

[WIReefer]

Very nice! I feed mostly live blackworms on occasion if I run out I feed frozen brine cubes. But doesn’t happen much since lfs is right down the road.

 

[danieyella]

I try to do a variety as well, I've found they seem more excited about food the more I change it up. I keep a mixture of pellet and flake in an auto feeder but do eggs, mysis, brine, oyster feast, clams, lrs reef frenzy, easymasstick, etc throughout the week

 

[whitejawfish]

I wonder the nutritional value of mysis? is there a better substitute?

 

[jeffchapok]

I wonder the nutritional value of mysis? is there a better substitute?

I've read that mysis are pretty nutrient poor. That's why I switched to clams. As filter feeders, they should have much more diverse nutritional content.

 

[Coralsdaily]

I feed frozen clams purchased from Whole Foods. I just let them thaw a few minutes then scrape out the desired amount with a butter knife. The fish and corals both gobble them up.

I'll mix things up a couple of times per week by feeding a frozen cube of either butterfly or herbivore mix.

I like to visit Asian market, they tend to have a wider selection of seafood (fresh and frozen). So I'd get a good mix of clams, oysters, and squid to chop down and feed my fish

 

[Coralsdaily]

I try to do a variety as well, I've found they seem more excited about food the more I change it up. I keep a mixture of pellet and flake in an auto feeder but do eggs, mysis, brine, oyster feast, clams, lrs reef frenzy, easymasstick, etc throughout the week

I really believe in the value of varied diet. Most fish actually have a very wide palette of food source in the wild than what we can provide at home. So I feel the least I can do is to mix what I can find around here to give them that change.

 

[Coralsdaily]

I've read that mysis are pretty nutrient poor. That's why I switched to clams. As filter feeders, they should have much more diverse nutritional content.

I think depends on the type you get. I'd argue that the Pyscene Energy mysis are quite rich- you can actually feel the grease between your fingers when you handle it.
But I agree that no one should only feed their fish one stable and call it a day. a mix of varied food (including mysis) is really important to provide them the different sources of nutrients they need.

 

[Rickybobby]

Pellets in the morning and mysis for dinner

 

[Coralsdaily]

Pellets in the morning and mysis for dinner

I too try to mix in some dry food (pellet & flake) from time to time, simply because I want to get rid of them LOL. I have unintentionally collected a lot of dry food by participating in frag swaps and trade shows that the sample packs actually give me enough to last a long time each time.

 

[Coralsdaily]

Very nice! I feed mostly live blackworms on occasion if I run out I feed frozen brine cubes. But doesn’t happen much since lfs is right down the road.

The only time I fed my saltwater worm was when I tried to acclimate a copperband butterfly, which if anyone wants one I swear by it is the sure way to get them to eat.

 

[WIReefer]

The only time I fed my saltwater worm was when I tried to acclimate a copperband butterfly, which if anyone wants one I swear by it is the sure way to get them to eat.

That’s what got me going with the live foods! He loved them.

 

[Baribaroory]

Has anyone ever tried making gel food? Its basically gelatin mixed with whatever you feed your fish (crabs, oysters, salmon, tuna, algae, seaweed, lettuce, spinach, etc) just for convenience and storage.
I've only ever seen freshwater keepers feed gel food.

 

[Coralsdaily]

Has anyone ever tried making gel food? Its basically gelatin mixed with whatever you feed your fish (crabs, oysters, salmon, tuna, algae, seaweed, lettuce, spinach, etc) just for convenience and storage.
I've only ever seen freshwater keepers feed gel food.

I know some who does that, but I personally am not a big fan of gel- It reminds me of the formula 2 gel forzen foods. What’s bad about it is that it doesnt readily break apart so if there is one doninant fish he just take a big gulp and takes it whole! But if there is a way to make gel “crumbles” I would like to learn the recipe and try