Feeding with flakes

[Kial]

im using ocean nutrition prime reef flakes at the moment, have two clowns and some snails in my aquareef 400. I am finding it hard to get the clowns to eat the flakes due to the fact they don't seem to go after them. If a flake happens to float past them close enough they eat it fine but they do not swim to service to feed. Are flakes a bad choice for clowns?

 

[Oldsalt01]

Sounds like u may have picky clowns. Mine would eat coffee grounds if I threw them into the tank. O.R. flakes are fine. How long have u been using them and how long have u had the clowns? I ask as it may just take some time for them to adjust to a different food from what they're used to eating.

 

[Kial]

They have been in 3 days now so yeah that could be the reason. Seem healthy enough, swimming around the bottom of the tank but rarely see the go to surface. Should I just see how it goes over the next week or buy some food that sinks to the bottom?

 

[mcarroll]

Patience.

Hopefully you'll be feeding them some whole foods (e.g. ROE, mysis, etc) as well.

Maybe even some live food!

 

[Kial]

I'm so inpatient haha but I know I need to be in this hobby. I will be feeding those sort of foods at some point as well. I don't know if its suitable for saltwater fish but I have blood worms that I used to feed my freshwater fish with. Could I use these for the clowns or no?

 

[Pntbll687]

Bloodworms are fine. I got some freeze dried blood worms, and my fangs and clowns love them.

As far as the flakes go... try mixing a little bit of flakes with some mysis or brine shrimp. Do this for a couple of days, then make the shrimp portion less and less until your feeding all flakes.

Fish, just like other pets don’t like sudden changes in food. Ever try to get a dog or cat to eat different food? It’s a pain!

 

[Kial]

Bloodworms are fine. I got some freeze dried blood worms, and my fangs and clowns love them.

As far as the flakes go... try mixing a little bit of flakes with some mysis or brine shrimp. Do this for a couple of days, then make the shrimp portion less and less until your feeding all flakes.

Fish, just like other pets don’t like sudden changes in food. Ever try to get a dog or cat to eat different food? It’s a pain!

OK cool I'll give that a go!

Thanks for the advice

 

[Kial]

Well the clowns went mad for some bloodworm!

 

[Pntbll687]

Nice!

Elive makes some blood worm flakes if you can find them. They’re thick flakes so you don’t need to feed a ton.

One thing I found with flakes is make sure you have a good skimmer. You will tend to overfeed, just because that’s what happens.

 

[Kial]

As long as the food gets blown near the fish they eat it so have to keep my pumps on to keep the food moving around. I definitely put to much flakes in but try and catch the excess which are floating around after 5 mins or so.
My skimmer isnt great to be honest, got the standard aquaone skimmer that came with the tank.
During the start of Cycle it was pulling out brown gunk but now all I really get is the white foam in the neck of skimmer