74 Gallon Build

[palvyre]

I mix different types of frozen together and then keep it in the fridge. I use a syringe to extract just what I want to feed and then it gives me very granular control on how much I put in at a time. I can then watch the fish and ensure it is all eaten before I add more. Previously on this size tank I would likely have thrown in 2 frozen cubes per day + pellets and had a snow globe effect. Now 2 cubes is lasting me a week at a time using this method. No wonder I had such horrible problems with algae and coral growth in general before. I have had the past 18 months to practice this feeding method on my JBJ 30 to good effect.

 

[NeveSSL]

Gotcha. That's an awesome idea. I'm thinking about feeding quality pellets in a Neptune Auto Feeder daily or maybe twice daily (if I get anthias) and doing Reef Frenzy and maybe some others every other day or so. I don't think I'd want to feed every day with a syringe, personally, but maybe every other day or every 3 days would work well.

How many fish did you have in your 180?

Brandon

 

[schooleyosis]

I was doing this one week at a time and the food eventually started to smell like death. I would try and not let the thawed food sit for more than a few days, even if it is in the fridge.

I now mix up one cube of frozen with garlic guard, Selcon, and a little Reef Plus or Reef Snow so that the corals get a little feeding every time as well. 10mL syringe fed each day which usually equals one cube of frozen every two days.

 

[palvyre]

I had 13 fish in the 180 including 6 show size fish. Naso Tang/Blue Tang/Sailfin Tang/Emperor Angel/Yellow Tang/Fox Face. All of them except the yellow tang were 5"+. I was also using Bio-pellets and GFO off and on. Goes to show, no amount of filtration will take care of poor feeding habits.

 

[NeveSSL]

Makes sense and is a great point. I assume you also never rinsed the food? Do you rinse now?

Brandon

 

[palvyre]

I was not then, and I don't now. I put it in a pill bottle with RODI.

 

[NeveSSL]

Gotcha. Thanks!

Brandon

 

[palvyre]

Goby out eating.

 

[Dowtish]

I had 13 fish in the 180 including 6 show size fish. Naso Tang/Blue Tang/Sailfin Tang/Emperor Angel/Yellow Tang/Fox Face. All of them except the yellow tang were 5"+. I was also using Bio-pellets and GFO off and on. Goes to show, no amount of filtration will take care of poor feeding habits.

Your heavy feeding wasnt necessarily the problem. It was what you were having to feed! LOL

I feed heavy. 3-4 times a day to 16 fish in a 120. No algae issues. Its just that 7 of those fish are chromis and my 2 largest fish are 5" max.

 

[palvyre]

True tangs are messy fish . I was feeding a pinch of two different types of flake, a pinch of pellets, two algae strips, and three frozen cubes per day.

 

[palvyre]

The leopard wrasse is staying out longer and longer now. Fed her twice today and both times she actively ate. Very happy about that, was concerned I would have issues getting her to eat.

 

[palvyre]

Duncan looks really happy.

 

[palvyre]

Cleaning out the skimmer cup.

 

[palvyre]

Zoas I just bought from Jay.

 

[bknapp]

Jealous of that wrasse, glad it's doing so well.

 

[palvyre]

Another pic of the wrasse.

 

[palvyre]

Added a Volcano Chalice.

 

[palvyre]

Added a colt coral to the back of the tank. Figure it will grow up and be a nice back drop.

 

[palvyre]

Fts.