Cleaning Tank a "Cluster-F***" - Page 2

kimmy · 07-09-2008, 10:28 AM

do you ever feed flake only or always frozen? i used to take a small measuring cup w/ tank water to defrost the food then turkey baste it into the tank.

kimmy · 07-09-2008, 10:30 AM

i used to feed frozen only and found since starting up my 75 and only feeding formula 1 and 2 flakes that my tank stays cleaner and keeps my nitrates really low if any.

ryanwolf · 07-09-2008, 10:30 AM

I have been using the frozen 1/3 cube dropped in about two to three times a week... just to change up the diet... I use flake food in between and seaweed for the grazers.

Jakerupe · 07-09-2008, 10:34 AM

Someone touched upon it earlier, but if you have 4 powerheads in there the concept is to aim those in a way that the "crap" is not settling but being pushed towards your overflow. Skimming is exactly what that is doing. I think if you play with your powerhead placement you can take care of the skimming.

Don't know about the flake foud vs. frozen but just get a plastic cup with a bit of your tanks water and set it on top of the tank for 15 minutes to thaw it out.

ryanwolf · 07-09-2008, 10:36 AM

Great advice...
I will do that for the frozen food from now on...
However, it's an interesting point made earlier about doing away with frozen...
I'd like to hear other people's input on the subject with experience...
Is it necessary to steer away from a diversified flake food product at all?????? It does seem to be the most liked and most eaten food... but is it like fast food and nothing else for them?

Ryan

ryanwolf · 07-09-2008, 10:40 AM

Come to think of it...
If I thaw the frozen and turkey baste it in the tank...
should I shut off my powerheads? The overflow will remain on ... but since it's thawed and squirted into the tank... chances are ... it probably won't collect in the corners or on top... (remember, this is just a 1/3 of a cube)

kimmy · 07-09-2008, 10:42 AM

My experience has been great. My fish won't even touch frozen now. They have had exceptional growth, my yellow tang is bright and so far (knock on wood) no Ick or parasites of any kind.

amcarrig · 07-09-2008, 10:45 AM

Unless you have fish, like certain anthias, that will only eat frozen brine and/or mysis, I see no need to feed it regularly. It's ok to feed it once in a while as a "treat" but flake food is nutrious enough in and of itself to provide the fish that you have with a well balanced diet. I rarely if ever feed frozen food and I've got a 180 gallon full of fish. We do feed frozen cyclopeeze every once in a while but that's more for the corals than for the fish.

Tangster · 07-09-2008, 11:05 AM

I have my sump set up with pump on a timer to stir mine up to feed the waste to the corals if you have any corals then its all food to them. When ever I go to the basement near the sump I will open a by pass and blast it with water to stir it up also. Its not going to hurt anything and provides many benefits in that is will just put missed food back into the system to be eaten and will allow the skimmer to get more skimmed off and it just keeps the sump a little cleaner. If the tank clouds up a bit it will clear in a hr or so.

Also getting you fish on flakes will go along ways for their health as well as the tanks health Even our cleaner and banana wrasse eat flake's , That all they get is 99.99 % flakes fish care not what food taste like or looks like they eat what they are trained to eat. here anyways .

paulg · 07-09-2008, 11:20 AM

I have 2 Clarki`s, 1 Royal Gramma, 6 line and a Pajama Cardinal and all but the Cardinal eat flake. he is being, well trying for flake but I do believe he gets enough pods and other critters at night. I do feed some frozen brine maybe 1 time a month for a treat.

Oh ya, Tangster thx again for another great tip with the sump. I`ll have to get me a small PH in mine to stir it up