What is my Anthias eating?

[JHSteepat]

I have a very active lyretail anthias. Its been in my tank for a number of months and is active and looks great.

It totally ignores (snubs) any frozen food as far as I can tell (maybe calanus but I can't see it and its really too small for the other fish, but LOVES something in Avast Reef Jerky I feed multiple (5) times a day using a Plank feeder controlled by a Hydros X8. The Anthias is an aggressive feeder and goes in at the bottom of the Plank feeder before all others.

(FYI) Reef Jerky ingredients: Whole freeze-dried plankton blend and macroalgae. Including: Calanus, Mysis, Euphausia, Artemia, Rotifers, Brachionus, Chironomus. Marine macroalgae: Palmaria palmata, Porphyra umbilicalis, Ulva lactuca. 125 micron-3mm

I have a number of other fish and mixed LPS/SPS corals in the ~120g display (a little over a year old), such as a Tomini tang, Midas blenny, McCosker's wrasse, chalk bass, ocellaris pair, and a springerii damsel. Except for the Anthias, they love the frozen food but I feel they are not getting enough from the Reef Jerky, so I supplement with frozen (remind me why I can't get rid of hair algae...).

In sum, I am feeding a ton of Reef Jerky 5X per day (Plank on 1.5 minutes), and a cube of something (different most days. I try not to add pellets or flakes to the feeder because I get much more GHA when I do that.

Can anyone recommend a better way as my tank is way overfed and I am trying to deal with nutrient export issues (GHA/some cyano) while keeping the anthias, wrasse, and blenny topped off with food 4-5X per day.

Should I try adding freeze dried calanus (source please) to the feeder as I already add FD Mysis for the Tang and basslets?

 

[Snowxcross]

I have a very active lyretail anthias. Its been in my tank for a number of months and is active and looks great.

It totally ignores (snubs) any frozen food as far as I can tell (maybe calanus but I can't see it and its really too small for the other fish, but LOVES something in Avast Reef Jerky I feed multiple (5) times a day using a Plank feeder controlled by a Hydros X8. The Anthias is an aggressive feeder and goes in at the bottom of the Plank feeder before all others.

(FYI) Reef Jerky ingredients: Whole freeze-dried plankton blend and macroalgae. Including: Calanus, Mysis, Euphausia, Artemia, Rotifers, Brachionus, Chironomus. Marine macroalgae: Palmaria palmata, Porphyra umbilicalis, Ulva lactuca. 125 micron-3mm

I have a number of other fish and mixed LPS/SPS corals in the ~120g display (a little over a year old), such as a Tomini tang, Midas blenny, McCosker's wrasse, chalk bass, ocellaris pair, and a springerii damsel. Except for the Anthias, they love the frozen food but I feel they are not getting enough from the Reef Jerky, so I supplement with frozen (remind me why I can't get rid of hair algae...).

In sum, I am feeding a ton of Reef Jerky 5X per day (Plank on 1.5 minutes), and a cube of something (different most days. I try not to add pellets or flakes to the feeder because I get much more GHA when I do that.

Can anyone recommend a better way as my tank is way overfed and I am trying to deal with nutrient export issues (GHA/some cyano) while keeping the anthias, wrasse, and blenny topped off with food 4-5X per day.

Should I try adding freeze dried calanus (source please) to the feeder as I already add FD Mysis for the Tang and basslets?

Hey JH -

I have a dozen or so Anthias and feed only once a day in the evening, every other day i feed a second time in the afternoon (when home). They are healthy as anything, i dont believe you need to feed 5x a day. That's one main contributor to your NO3/PO4 issues. Here's what i would do:

Limit your feeding to twice, see how that goes (re; algae) again, anthias will be fine.
I've never used Reef Jerky, but it's a powder base - i have always used LRS frozen like Reef Frenzy, swap to that.
I also vary from Reef Frenzy to PS Mysis, Brine, Krill - but all frozen.

You can go as far as rinsing the frozen to help with PO4, but i dont, i also have good export.

See how that goes.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

i feed my lyretail 3 times a day, sometimes 4 on the weekends. But if I feed 4 times a day too often I get more algae growth, so I usually keep it at 3 feedings, both lyrtail and dispar have been with me for 2 years. I would suggest to reduce the feedings to 4 times a day, then eventually try to get to 3 feedings. I feed mainly reef frenzy, sometimes frozen mysis and sometimes pellets, but mostly reef frenzy.

 

[Snowxcross]

i feed my lyretail 3 times a day, sometimes 4 on the weekends. But if I feed 4 times a day too often I get more algae growth, so I usually keep it at 3 feedings, both lyrtail and dispar have been with me for 2 years. I would suggest to reduce the feedings to 4 times a day, then eventually try to get to 3 feedings. I feed mainly reef frenzy, sometimes frozen mysis and sometimes pellets, but mostly reef frenzy.

+1 Reef Frenzy

 

[JHSteepat]

I have reef frenzy but not sure if the anthias is eating it. i am also a bit concerned with traveling so want them to look to the feeder to a point..

I can try cutting back on the dry and feed RF in am and pm.

Lrs nano ( what I have) seems to have some large chunks that I am not sure get eaten (the biggest mouths seem to belong to the chalk basslets).

Do people mince LRF nano further or should I not worry so mich about some going to the crabs and snails?

 

[JHSteepat]

And honestly, the fish are worse beggers than the dog, so I tend to overfeed!

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Yes, I just 'shave' it while its frozen, then add the shavings to a glass of water, the pieces should be small.

And yes, lyrtails are the biggest beggars I've ever met. Don't give in to them, they are not starving

 

[JHSteepat]

Yes, I just 'shave' it while its frozen

On it!! Probably will purchase a new grater/shaver as my wife will be disgusted if I use the same ine for human food…….