How much is enough food?

[proxy001]

Fish always seem to eat like they are starving.
They act the same if you feed them once a day or every 10 minutes...
How do you guys know you fed them enough? Just look at them and make sure they aren't skinny?

Thanks !

 

[Billldg]

You have to remember that they will always eat when food is present. In the wild the don't have that opportunity to eat when they want. They have to eat when food is present as they may not eat again for a while. How much you feed depends on several things. It depends on the type of fish you are feeding and your nutrient levels in the tank.

Seeing where you are at, I graduated from North Miami Sr High.

 

[fcmatt]

I generally can tell I should slow down the feeding when their belly looks like it will burst. You can visually see when your little piggies are stuffed in most cases.

 

[proxy001]

You have to remember that they will always eat when food is present. In the wild the don't have that opportunity to eat when they want. They have to eat when food is present as they may not eat again for a while. How much you feed depends on several things. It depends on the type of fish you are feeding and your nutrient levels in the tank.

Seeing where you are at, I graduated from North Miami Sr High.

Hey! Hello from hot North Miami.
I've had most of my fish for years. I find there is a lot of different opinions. Some reefers feed a couple times a week, others a couple times a day.
Let's say nutrients were not an issue... If I threw 20 cubes in there. would they eat it all???

 

[proxy001]

I generally can tell I should slow down the feeding when their belly looks like it will burst. You can visually see when your little piggies are stuffed in most cases.

OMG, so true. My puffer looked like it was pregnant.

 

[Billldg]

They would, but nutrients would be all kinds of jacked up. I have a 120 gal tank with 3 tangs, and several smaller fish. I feed 2 1/4 sheets of nori in the morning for the tangs, and until recently I feed 2 cubes of frozen daily. Now I feed 3, but may go back to 2 as my N03 is higher than I like.

 

[Reef.]

Fish always seem to eat like they are starving.
They act the same if you feed them once a day or every 10 minutes...
How do you guys know you fed them enough? Just look at them and make sure they aren't skinny?

Thanks !

I disagree, if you are new to this, then in time you will be able to tell when they are hungry, if you only feed once a day then yes they will act hungry because they probably are.

Feed them as much as they will eat, they only have small stomachs, keep an eye on your nitrates and phosphates, if they are good then no issue feeding lots, little and often.

Frozen food has far less phosphate etc so can be fed more, it also doesn’t tend to settle on the sand bed, mainly goes down the overflow.

 

[proxy001]

They would, but nutrients would be all kinds of jacked up. I have a 120 gal tank with 3 tangs, and several smaller fish. I feed 2 1/4 sheets of nori in the morning for the tangs, and until recently I feed 2 cubes of frozen daily. Now I feed 3.

Sounds about right. I have a 180 and do 3-4 cubes a day.

 

[proxy001]

I disagree, if you are new to this, then in time you will be able to tell when they are hungry, if you only feed once a day then yes they will act hungry because they probably are.

Feed them as much as they will eat, they only have small stomachs, keep an eye on your nitrates and phosphates, if they are good then no issue feeding lots, little and often.

Frozen food has far less phosphate etc so can be fed more, it also doesn’t tend to settle on the sand bed, mainly goes down the overflow.

Im with you. My experience is that well fed, fat fish are healthy fish.
So here is how the question popped up... I recently introduced a copperband. After the usual hiding/agression it wiped out every single aiptasia in the reef. Then it started eating frozen. Now he waits at the surface for the food. I just watched him gobble 20 brine in less than 20 seconds. I have no idea if he gets enough food or just eating food because it's there as another poster said.

 

[Zeal]

You have to remember that they will always eat when food is present. In the wild the don't have that opportunity to eat when they want. They have to eat when food is present as they may not eat again for a while. How much you feed depends on several things. It depends on the type of fish you are feeding and your nutrient levels in the tank.

Seeing where you are at, I graduated from North Miami Sr High.

Hey! Hello from hot North Miami.
I've had most of my fish for years. I find there is a lot of different opinions. Some reefers feed a couple times a week, others a couple times a day.
Let's say nutrients were not an issue... If I threw 20 cubes in there. would they eat it all???

Yoo I lived in Sunny Isles now in Davie

 

[Billldg]

Yoo I lived in Sunny Isles now in Davie

I am originally from Miami. I would visit Davie often.

 

[proxy001]

Yoo I lived in Sunny Isles now in Davie

You have some pretty good stores in the Davie area !

 

[Zeal]

I am originally from Miami. I would visit Davie often.

You have some pretty good stores in the Davie area !

siiiike..... Nothing good around me

 

[proxy001]

siiiike..... Nothing good around me

How about Blue Seas Aquariums? Expensive but interesting stuff I thought.

 

[Reef.]

Im with you. My experience is that well fed, fat fish are healthy fish.
So here is how the question popped up... I recently introduced a copperband. After the usual hiding/agression it wiped out every single aiptasia in the reef. Then it started eating frozen. Now he waits at the surface for the food. I just watched him gobble 20 brine in less than 20 seconds. I have no idea if he gets enough food or just eating food because it's there as another poster said.

20 brine sounds a lot but brine is known to be low nutritionally and copper bands are not small fish.

what other frozen do you feed? I grate raw prawns, squid and scallops etc as mine don’t like mysis, the other frozen options tend to be on the small size.

 

[Zeal]

How about Blue Seas Aquariums? Expensive but interesting stuff I thought.

Well.. I dont buy coral for stores. Extremely overpriced. The 2 near me are good for dry goods if anything

 

[proxy001]

20 brine sounds a lot but brine is known to be low nutritionally and copper bands are not small fish.

what other frozen do you feed? I grate raw prawns, squid and scallops etc as mine don’t like mysis, they other frozen options tend to be on the small size.

I usually do brine and mysis 99% , once in a while " angel preparation " cubes. I got a few blood worms for it to start eating. I tried clam too but it is a mess logistically, they all fight for it.

 

[Reef.]

I usually do brine and mysis 99% , once in a while " angel preparation " cubes. I got a few blood worms for it to start eating. I tried clam too but it is a mess logistically, they all fight for it.

what you mean by a mess? Grate when frozen solves that, if you mean a mess as they go mad for it then that’s a good thing, clam is a great food, I have yet to find a shop with it in stock!!! Can’t wait to get some.

 

[proxy001]

what you mean by a mess? Grate when frozen solves that, if you mean a mess as they go mad for it then that’s a good thing, clam is a great food, I have yet to find a shop with it in stock!!! Can’t wait to get some.

I have a clownfish who has a passion for bringing anything to the anemones... clam on a shell, I had to attach to a rock with a rubber band. I didn’t think about grating it though

 

[lefkonj]

I cut way back on my frozen food feeding over the last two years. They get pellets twice a day and nori almost every day. The pellets are all gone before they can hit the bottom of the tank. Nori disappears in minutes.

When I feed frozen of course small pieces float away but they eat 90% of it. I also spread the frozen out over an hour on the days they get it.

The more food the more poop the more nitrates