How often do you feed flakes?

[ToadallyNC]

I feed flake several times a week. Mostly it’s pellets on the menu! Occasionally, it’s brine shrimp as a treat!

 

[DucatiGtr]

I feed my own mix made w fresh seafood then freeze, sushi grade nori daily, mysis, blood worms and pellets. Nothing wrong w any of it.
And some people claim their fish are so strong Because they don’t feed flake, yet don’t even have “fragile” fish.

 

[Fishinabarrel]

I have done Oceans Nutrition Formula 1 and 2 over a decade ago. And I still do it now. Works great in auto-feeder for days when I am not at the tank.

 

[sarcophytonIndy]

Frozen once per day. Flakes once a day. Pellets multiple times per day. Also, nori sheets

 

[Squidward]

I feed 7 times / day, 4 of which are flakes. The other 3 are frozen and nori.

7??!! That's the most I've ever heard of lol ... how big is the tank and what are the inhabitants??

 

[Laith]

I never feed flake food

 

[Dunc]

I typically feed my fish twice a day, and have been trying a variety of frozen foods (including "home blends") on them. Live foods are harder to get, but I do feed them roe a few times a week. Nothing I've, tried, however, gets a better feeding response than flakes. I'm sure it's the equivalent of junk food, so I try not to feed them it more than three or four times per week. How many of you rely upon flakes extensively?

I feed LRS, reef chili, and BRS pellets. pe flakes very rarely when im being lazy because they are easy. I say stick to the frozen foods you can make and add in reef roids or chili, selcon, and some quality pellets to trick the rest of the fish to eat the pellets.

Honestly, never. Check out Mr. Saltwater Tank.com.

 

[Laith]

I never feed flake food

Thinking over it, my reply was a bit offhand with no explanation as to why. My apologies.

The reason I don't feed flake is basically because:

- I just don't see any additional nutritional benefit of flake over pellet.

- pellets sink and with good flow remain in the water column for the fish to chase and eat (I never use any type of "food pause" setting for either return pumps or circulation pumps). For me flake just floats on the surface and ends up in my rollermat.

- Given the above two points and the fact that autofeeders work much better distributing pellet food over flake, why bother?

And most, if not all, of the marine fish I have owned prefer to eat food in the water column and not at the surface... Fresh water fish are different and many seem to be surface eaters.

 

[Jekyl]

Why feed McDonald's when Mortons is the same price?

 

[davidcalgary29]

Honestly, never. Check out Mr. Saltwater Tank.com.

I fed my pair of skunks flakes today! Honestly, they won't leave their rock (still covered with GHA) to chase after any other type of food, and just let the striped blenny eat the mysis I put in the tank. They also don't respond well to pellets (which I always soak in selcon). They just stare at them like they're coins thrown into a fountain by tourists and let them sink to the bottom.

 

[99problemsandatankisone]

I feed primarily flakes, my sandsifting goby and starfish are the only ones that ever touch the pellets. I do feed frozen a few times a week. Fish act like the flake is crack and get so excited for it, they seem to enjoy it more than anything in the frozen rotation.

 

[Rubberfrog]

Thinking over it, my reply was a bit offhand with no explanation as to why. My apologies.

The reason I don't feed flake is basically because:

- I just don't see any additional nutritional benefit of flake over pellet.

- pellets sink and with good flow remain in the water column for the fish to chase and eat (I never use any type of "food pause" setting for either return pumps or circulation pumps). For me flake just floats on the surface and ends up in my rollermat.

- Given the above two points and the fact that autofeeders work much better distributing pellet food over flake, why bother?

And most, if not all, of the marine fish I have owned prefer to eat food in the water column and not at the surface... Fresh water fish are different and many seem to be surface eaters.

I hold my flake under the water for a second so it won't float.

 

[davidcalgary29]

I hold my flake under the water for a second so it won't float.

Some of the fish really like the fact that it's held by surface tension -- I think it gives them a thrill picking at it from below.

I actually feed my fish according to where they feed in the water column (or if they like it). Gobies get pellets and some frozen; mid-column feeders get frozen, roe and some flake; the surface pickers go for the flakes. Everyone seems to be happy with this arrangement.

 

[Reef.]

My goal has always been to feed a variety. Each meal I try to do something different than the previous (frozen, fresh, freeze dried, pellets, Nori, flakes, etc...) A few times a week I'll soak in Selcon or Garlic. But the question is about flakes. I think flakes get a a bad rep. A new tank can have nutrient problems if you use flakes exclusively. But most of my fish go crazy for flakes and over the years there have been some stretches of time (several weeks or more) where I've relied on flakes for the convenience factor and my fish have seemed just as healthy as usual during those times. Just remember, like the package says, don't feed more than your fish consume in a few minutes!
I mostly use OSI brand.

I agree...really only quoted you to say I love your avatar!

 

[CK Amstutz]

Feed your fish right from the grocery. Clams, shrimp, mussels etc.

How do you do this?

 

[Jekyl]

How do you do this?

Buy some seafood and chop it up or blend it and freeze for later. Nothing pre frozen or processed. You want whole and fresh.

 

[davidcalgary29]

Buy some seafood and chop it up or blend it and freeze for later. Nothing pre frozen or processed. You want whole and fresh.

Add some nori or other vegetables as well, though. I find that my own frozen (blended) mix thaws into smaller and more even bits when I do this. When I didn't do this I ended up with globs which needed to be stirred up in the tank to break up.

 

[Reef.]

Or just chop into small pieces, freeze then grate a piece into some rodi water, then add to tank.

 

[davidcalgary29]

I've been feeding my IM40 with lots of healthy, nutritious frozen mixes and roe. The skunk clowns ignore it all, but nearly leapt out of the water when I sprinkled in flakes tonight. The struggle is real.

 

[Reef.]

I've been feeding my IM40 with lots of healthy, nutritious frozen mixes and roe. The skunk clowns ignore it all, but nearly leapt out of the water when I sprinkled in flakes tonight. The struggle is real.

mix them together, they just don't realise frozen is food yet. Make sure the frozen is very small too, I grate some of bigger types of foods such as octopus and clams.