Afraid of Overfeeding???

Adnuces · 02-21-2006, 07:24 AM

Okay I am not sure how much I should be feeding my tank. The clowns won't eat anything except mysis or brine shrimp, formula one frozen food....I have tried flake and pellet but they spit it out. I have been feeding 1/2 cube of frozen in the morning and again at night but I am afraid of overfeeding. The tang eats and so does the cardinal but I haven't seen the gobie eat anything but sand. Should I add coepods for the gobie as my tank hasn't been up that long? and how often should I feed the others? I would like to get them eating some flake food with supplemental mysis every other day???? but I haven't found one they will eat yet. None look like they are starving and the crabs and snails take care of any leftovers..........

amcarrig · 02-21-2006, 07:35 AM

The clown fish will eat flakes if that's all that's offered. Believe me. I've even gotten a pajama cardinal to accept flakes when they supposedly only eat mysis or other frozen shrimp period. If they're hungry enough, they'll eat whatever is offered. I feed a pinch of flakes to my fish once a day. That's it. If they happen to eat up the zooplankton that I feed to the corals, then I consider it a treat for them

As for adding copepods, that would really work best if you had a refugium because if you just dump them into your main tank without them having a safe place to breed, they're just going to become a fast snack for all the fish in the tank.

dancin_trancy · 02-21-2006, 09:37 AM

Wow, you only feed once a day? I have read in multiple books, sites etc. to feed multiple times, all the way up to 3-4 times daily. And alternating the variety of foods is also recommended. So I have been feeding a small pinch of flake in the AM, some frozen/dried or pellet around 5:00pm and some zooplanton around 9:00pm. I usually put in a little at a time, until I see they are not interested anymore, to reduce food waste in the tank. I know there is always going to be debate of feeding quantity and frequency, and my tank has been going great, so I guess if its not broke, don't fix it....but has anyone else heard the suggestion to feed so many times a day? What are your thoughts? I think I remember a poll taken on feeding somewhere on here, gonna go try to locate it.

Adnuces- I think the key would be to closely monitor your tank, and the effects that the current feeding habits are having on your tank. If your not having a problem with your water perimeters, and everyone seems to be healthy and happy, I would say stick with it. If your levels are rising, or fish look like they are going to explode!

then perhaps cutting down might be a consideration, just my thoughts.

Feeding is always going to vary with each tank, because they are all so different...so everyone has their own opinion, but seeing how your tank reacts is the key, obviously.

Adnuces · 02-21-2006, 10:34 AM

will the coepods not shelter in the live rock? I have about 130lbs of it in a 75g. There are so many nooks and crannies. I am just concerned for the gobie as I am sure that is what they eat isn't it?

m_lacom99 · 02-21-2006, 10:41 AM

The gobie can wipe a tank clean of copedpods pretty fast. As for feeding i only feed twice a week, sometimes 3. I do not have allot of fish and its only a 20 gal so it works for me. It always depends on the type of fish and there feeding habit. I have books that say to feed 3 times a day also but IMO thats to much.

Marc.

amcarrig · 02-21-2006, 10:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adnuces

will the coepods not shelter in the live rock? I have about 130lbs of it in a 75g. There are so many nooks and crannies. I am just concerned for the gobie as I am sure that is what they eat isn't it?

They can but many fish pick at live rock day in and day out so unless you set aside a space in the tank that the fish can't get to, you won't have as many as you'd like. That being said, unless you have fish that only eat copepods, you should never have to worry about them being completely wiped out. Is your goby accepting any other kind of food or does it just sift the sandbed looking for goodies?

amcarrig · 02-21-2006, 10:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dancin_trancy

Wow, you only feed once a day? I have read in multiple books, sites etc. to feed multiple times, all the way up to 3-4 times daily. And alternating the variety of foods is also recommended. So I have been feeding a small pinch of flake in the AM, some frozen/dried or pellet around 5:00pm and some zooplanton around 9:00pm. I usually put in a little at a time, until I see they are not interested anymore,

Wow...you feed alot.

As for the fish not seeming "interested" in food, that has never happened to me and I've been keeping fish for nearly 20 years now. I could feed the tank and five minutes later, they're looking at me like they've been on a hunger strike for 6 months.

kb.bear · 02-21-2006, 11:04 AM

I feed 1-2 times a week

rickzter · 02-21-2006, 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by amcarrig

The clown fish will eat flakes if that's all that's offered. Believe me. I've even gotten a pajama cardinal to accept flakes when they supposedly only eat mysis or other frozen shrimp period. If they're hungry enough, they'll eat whatever is offered. I feed a pinch of flakes to my fish once a day. That's it. If they happen to eat up the zooplankton that I feed to the corals, then I consider it a treat for them

Haha! Isn't that the truth! I have gotten my flame hawkfish to take in some F2 marine algae pellets! He is deemed a carnivore!

amcarrig · 02-21-2006, 12:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rickzter

Haha! Isn't that the truth! I have gotten my flame hawkfish to take in some F2 marine algae pellets! He is deemed a carnivore!

Maybe our fish didn't read the books or other information that mention what they will and will not eat?

I have a girlfriend whose lionfish refused to eat anything but sinking algae pellets. Go figure.