How do you guys feed so much without nutrient spikes?

Travis Stewart · Jan 14, 2017

How do you guys get away with feeding so much on a daily basis and not getting spikes on your NO3 and PO4. I have a great skimmer but am scared to feed daily.

Mike_J · Jan 14, 2017

Feed smaller amounts, just enough for each fish to get a several pieces of food several times a day. This is best for the fish and will not cause spikes or even effect your levels. Plus, your coral need fish poo to be happy!

Travis Stewart · Jan 14, 2017

I feel like the more dominant fish eat that little bit and the others won't get much...

EW_Fish · Jan 15, 2017

Travis Stewart said:
I feel like the more dominant fish eat that little bit and the others won't get much...

Turn your pumps off. All your fish get food.

Daniel@R2R · Jan 16, 2017

Fish don't need a lot of food. I agree with @Mike_J and @EW_Fish. Feed several times a day in smallish (adequate...not stingy) doses. If you're worried about your smaller/less aggressive fish not getting food, turn off your pumps when feeding.

Also, work to find the import/export balance. If you think you aren't feeding enough, increase it a bit and then monitor your nutrients to be sure they aren't climbing. You can continue to increase/decrease based on monitoring until you find your "sweetspot."

saltyfilmfolks · Jan 16, 2017

mdbannister said:
Also, work to find the import/export balance. If you think you aren't feeding enough, increase it a bit and then monitor your nutrients to be sure they aren't climbing. You can continue to increase/decrease based on monitoring until you find your "sweetspot."

This..
I honestly dont get "spikes" that Ive eber been aware of. I do get slow increases and decreases, depending on how much Im feeding. I have played with this quite a bit this year in particular, and If found that if I feed only to the fishes needs, my nutrients drop pretty dramatically of the course of a few weeks. Im honestly surprised at how much my "tank" eats.

brandon429 · Jan 16, 2017

one can also change how they distribute a given feed loading not just increase it, spot concentration works

instead of injecting X amnt of frozen feed mix into the water, start using any device to inject it into a plastic cup inverted over a given coral or any other type of capture device one can muster up. after injecting the normal amnt of feed right over the coral early in the am for a few mins, release to the rest of the tank. make the way around corals over the week.

EW_Fish · Jan 16, 2017

saltyfilmfolks said:
This..
I honestly dont get "spikes" that Ive eber been aware of. I do get slow increases and decreases, depending on how much Im feeding. I have played with this quite a bit this year in particular, and If found that if I feed only to the fishes needs, my nutrients drop pretty dramatically of the course of a few weeks. Im honestly surprised at how much my "tank" eats.

I agree with this a lot. I feed heavy in every tank ive had but i also had a balance import and export. If you skim heavy you can feed heavy. Filter socks work great also feed heavy wait an hour clean your socks and go.

Vaughn17 · Jan 16, 2017

Corals, especially colonies of fast growing sps need lots of nutrients and/or actual food and keep nutrients in check (at least in my system).

Opps, supposed to be working.

Waterjockey · Jan 16, 2017

feed hard, skim harder and a touch of carbon dosing is the recipe that works for me. Your mileage may vary

Travis Stewart · Jan 16, 2017

Waterjockey said:
feed hard, skim harder and a touch of carbon dosing is the recipe that works for me. Your mileage may vary

Thanks everyone

Salty1962 · Jan 16, 2017

Heavy skimming, BP reactor and Vibrant. N03 is @4 and Po4 @.02. I actually have to add PNo3 to my tank.

RamsReef · Jan 17, 2017

Salty1962 said:
Heavy skimming, BP reactor and Vibrant. N03 is @4 and Po4 @.02. I actually have to add PNo3 to my tank.

Phosphorous Nitrate?

MCooper · Jan 17, 2017

I feed a large amount since have many fish, but now i have tons of hair algae! Fish eat up all the food so unsure the source. Water parameters are all good and my skimmer is a beast. Any thoughts?

RamsReef · Jan 17, 2017

Fish still poop and pee. Whatever you put in the tank (food) stays in the tank until you remove it (Dead fish, Skimmer, Manual Algae removal, etc)

revhtree · Jan 17, 2017

I'm terrible because I always feel like my fish don't get enough but I put way to much in the tank!

DBR_Reef · Jan 17, 2017

Mechanical filtration and plenty of flow in the tank has worked well for me- I can feed as much as I want.

Frop · Jan 17, 2017

There is only a spike if you measure it. If not then it could be either right? So I just don't check and feed a lot.

JP79 · Jan 18, 2017

Sometimes it's also what you feed and not how much. Also one of if not the most important part of having a reef is good water. How do you get good water? Good flow, good skimming, water changes and husbandry. So if you have all that and not feeding junk to the tank your spikes won't be crazy or at all.