Feeding procedure

skywurz · Feb 27, 2020

Hi all i have read a few threads on this but it seems like a brand of oil discussion. I just finally moved some fish into my DT last night and when I tried to feed them, the flakes just went right into the overflow and on to the prefilters before the fish saw the food. When i was feeding my coral i would just shut down the power heads and it was fine. so this is what i did but the current up top was too strong.

Should i turn off the return when feeding?
I read turning on and off the mag pump was hard on it is this true? if so why is it not hard on the same kind of pump in the skimmers that people turn off for feeding?

Thanks

lpsouth1978 · Feb 27, 2020

I just turn off my return but leave all wave makers on when I feed. I do use a DC return pump though. I also don't use flakes, EVER. I feed a wide variety of frozen foods, enriched with vitamins, and sometimes throw in some NLS pellets.

Fishy212 · Feb 27, 2020

I usually turn off the power heads and return pump so my fish and shimp can get the food easily. Sometimes I leave them on so they have to swim around to get them. I have a feeding mode on my return pump so after 15 minutes it kicks back on.

skywurz · Feb 27, 2020

Yeah im thinking im going to have to expand my reef-pi so i can put my pumps on it with a feeding mode

Uncle99 · Feb 27, 2020

Use a feeding ring.
Feeding flake is fine.
Frozen is great and I use as well, but is mostly water.

skywurz · Feb 27, 2020

/me googles feeding ring

Yeah right now i have some Molly and they dont need anything more than flakes i plan on doing frozen eventually when i get my next shipment of livestock

Blitheran · Feb 27, 2020

I solved this by putting my auto fish feeder in the sump so that the food gets forced into the return section and shot into the display. I have it just before the last baffle so the food gets caught and sinks into the return section.

ReefHog · Feb 27, 2020

Just get a feeding ring. It keeps the flake or floating pellets from floating into the overflow until they get water logged and sink into the water column. Your larger fish will learn to just eat right from the ring which disturbs the food which causes it to spread throughout the tank for the other fish. I like this one.

I don't think there's anything wrong with flake food. It just shouldn't be your main source of food. I like to feed LRS frozen as my main food source. Then flake and pellets for a few supplemental feedings per day.

PatW · Feb 27, 2020

I use pellets. I soak them briefly in salt water just to soften them up. The fish don’t like hard pellets. And they sink fast, but the fish gobble them up pretty fast.

skywurz · Feb 27, 2020

ReefHog said:
Just get a feeding ring. It keeps the flake or floating pellets from floating into the overflow until they get water logged and sink into the water column. Your larger fish will learn to just eat right from the ring which disturbs the food which causes it to spread throughout the tank for the other fish. I like this one.

I don't think there's anything wrong with flake food. It just shouldn't be your main source of food. I like to feed LRS frozen as my main food source. Then flake and pellets for a few supplemental feedings per day.

Yeah i looked at that one but grabbed a cheaper one that can show up tomorrow. If i hate it then i will grab that one.

skywurz · Feb 27, 2020

Blitheran said:
I solved this by putting my auto fish feeder in the sump so that the food gets forced into the return section and shot into the display. I have it just before the last baffle so the food gets caught and sinks into the return section.

Yeah im running a sponge on my return pump so that would not work for me too well.