Feeding Time

[JK901]

Is it normal to have to turn off your PF so your fish can eat? My clown eats best if I turn the PF off and then back on after he is done. Is there any harm in doing that?

[Dyngoe]

The only problem with turning your pump on and off is the wear on the pump. My theory is, if the fish is hungry it will find the food. Clowns like current, so it should be able to eat in almost any current.

[coral reefer]

You could always feed it in a part of your tank that doesn't receive as much water flow. As Dyngoe has stated out which I am in full agreement with, is that your Clown will eat whether there is a strong current or none at all.
The topic of water movement will become more pertinent if you have corals as they require different speeds of current to keep them fed, and remove detritus and offer a means of gas transfer/from the zooxanthellae respiration!

[JK901]

It's clear to me I still have lots to learn. Thanks for the tips. I won't worry so much about him feeding then.

Now I need to find a good diatom eater to keep the bloom down. I didn't see this forum and the RODI suggestion until I had started my tank with tap water. Now I am paying the price.

[dark126]

no harm at all . feed your fish 2 time per day maximum full feed if you are not free ones enough . try to mix vitamen liuid with the food spichal if you have young or small fish.

[djnzlab1]

Hi,
I ve kept very large african cichlids for years, and its much easier to keep alot of fish in a tank if you don't fill up the filters with food. I use a single power strip to power down the main filter and the sump returns and both skimmers..
If when you feed the pump manages to suck up half the food the bacteria in the filter is going to change that food to organic waste and the fish didn't even get to eat it. So your increasing your bio-load without any feeding occuring.
SO I turn off my two large Marine filters and the sump return this also powers down my skimmer cause they will overflow if the water level changes in the reforguim very touchy. to allow that food and the phytoplankton to cycle thru the dual penguins that are piggy back they have huge filter pads that don't stop the phyto plankton but does keep the water stiring a bit. and my fish don't eat well off the tank floor but if its blowing about they seem to jump on it. And the soft corals are trying to catch that stuff in the water. I set a timmer for about 60 mins to alarm me to restart the pumps I plan to buy a electric timer that will restart the pumps after a breif time out for feeding, My photo-plankton reccomends shutting down the main filter too allow feeding cause must good filters will remove 100 % of the phyto before the coral can feed.
Doug
After the time out I re-start and my shrimp all line up in the sump to fight over the left overs that hit the cheto in the sump, and all my snails are circling the return its a regular feeding frenzy... Its a hoot to watch.