HOW OFTEN DO YOU FEED YOUR FISH?

Tautog · Apr 23, 2018

Less more often is the best rule. Once your tank matures, it can handle more food per day. Many reefers run low nutrient systems, but too low is NO good. It’s a balancing act that everyone goes through. It’s all about stability, and the food is part of it. I feed 3X/ day pellets, every other day frozen shrimp, nori when I can, I have 6 Tangs, and once a week for corals, a combination of Reef Roids and Coral Frenzy.

Mtnfish · Apr 24, 2018

I feed at least 5 or 6 times a day. I'm here all day and fiddling with my tank is my passion. I keep a piece of romaine lettuce clipped in the tank and feed various kinds of frozen; brine shrimp, coral gumbo, mysis, Mega Marine Algae, and krill. I spot feed my corals, usually every other day unless in my imagination one looks hungry. I do the spot feeding just before turning out the lights and continue after the lights are off and the lobo's and others open. I use Reef Roids and pellets to feed the corals. My nitrates and phosphates are zero. pH is 8.2, temp 78, calcium 410, mag 1220. I didn't think I'd ever get my alkalinity above 7.9 but I bought a Jebao dosing machine and dosing kalkwasser from one reservoir and sodium bicarb from another I've got it up to 9.3. I hope to stabilize right there.

Maddlesrain · Apr 24, 2018

When I’m not home during the week the family feeds the tank 3x a day. When I come home for the weekends I tend to throw food in every time I walk past the tank... so all day. Haha

I mostly feed a mix of frozen foods (I tend to have a little bit of everything). Pellets are given at random - maybe 2-3 times a week. I just tried blackworms this weekend and decided I might start a culture for added variety.

Z3speed4me · Apr 24, 2018

Fish are fed typically twice, 3 times on weekends since I am normally home to do so. Mixed flakes in the AM, mixed frozen in the PM and an algae clip for the tang. Dwarf Morray eats scallops, squid, shrimp, and some other stuff like 3 times a week. Coral I throw in some frenzy or roids once-ish a week probably less.

Everyone feeding multiple times a day... retired or working from home I assume? I wish I could be with my tank all day!

Kmsutows · Apr 24, 2018

Z3speed4me said:
Fish are fed typically twice, 3 times on weekends since I am normally home to do so. Mixed flakes in the AM, mixed frozen in the PM and an algae clip for the tang. Dwarf Morray eats scallops, squid, shrimp, and some other stuff like 3 times a week. Coral I throw in some frenzy or roids once-ish a week probably less.

Everyone feeding multiple times a day... retired or working from home I assume? I wish I could be with my tank all day!

I get home around 5 and feed every 30min to an hour or so before lights off at 9.

BigJohnny · Apr 24, 2018

Bps619 · Apr 24, 2018

50 cube
2" yellow tang
Sapphire damsel
Yellow coris wrasse
6 line wrasse
Royal gramma

I feed 6 times a day with frozen, nori, some pellets

madweazl · Apr 24, 2018

Z3speed4me said:
Fish are fed typically twice, 3 times on weekends since I am normally home to do so. Mixed flakes in the AM, mixed frozen in the PM and an algae clip for the tang. Dwarf Morray eats scallops, squid, shrimp, and some other stuff like 3 times a week. Coral I throw in some frenzy or roids once-ish a week probably less.

Everyone feeding multiple times a day... retired or working from home I assume? I wish I could be with my tank all day!

Wife feeds the fish in the AM and I do the second feeding after work and the last before the lights go out.

Midrats · Apr 24, 2018

Mtnfish said:
I feed at least 5 or 6 times a day. I'm here all day and fiddling with my tank is my passion. I keep a piece of romaine lettuce clipped in the tank and feed various kinds of frozen; brine shrimp, coral gumbo, mysis, Mega Marine Algae, and krill. I spot feed my corals, usually every other day unless in my imagination one looks hungry. I do the spot feeding just before turning out the lights and continue after the lights are off and the lobo's and others open. I use Reef Roids and pellets to feed the corals. My nitrates and phosphates are zero. pH is 8.2, temp 78, calcium 410, mag 1220. I didn't think I'd ever get my alkalinity above 7.9 but I bought a Jebao dosing machine and dosing kalkwasser from one reservoir and sodium bicarb from another I've got it up to 9.3. I hope to stabilize right there.

Get that romaine out of there! E. coli may cause your fish the need be hospitalized. Watch for bloody diarrhea and cramping.

wmwesty · Apr 24, 2018

tommyhere said:
Ever other day

3 to 4 times a day fish, 3 times a week LPS corals

jayala12 · Apr 24, 2018

As soon as I get home at 230pm then again at 7pm so twice a day ... the weekends are pretty much when my reef senses tell me its time

A777flygirl · Apr 24, 2018

I feed 5 times a day.....frozen morning and night, eihem auto feeds pellets 3 times. I add nori on a clip 1 time a day.

Yellow tang, sapphire damsel, 2 clowns, melanarous erase, 4 Bartlett anthias, 1 purple dottyback, 1 coral beauty angel in 90 gal.

I see less aggression and the coral beauty leaves the coral alone with more feedings.

Try to do 10% water change at least once a week.

JMetaxas · Apr 24, 2018

You have to feed the fish? Geez, now I know why they always die.

dbl · Apr 24, 2018

mike werner said:
I WOULD LIKE TO START A POLE ON THIS SUBJECT BUT I DON'T THINK I HAVE THE ATHORITY. i'm glad I don't cause i'd probably abuse the privilege

once a day
2 times a day
3 times a day or more (me)
once a week
never
I have no fish

I hear so many different opinions on this but I would love to see some member stats.

Well there's been a lot of great responses here. If you're looking for more, there was a poll a while ago. You can look through those responses as well if you'd like.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/poll-fish-feeding-frequency.329948/

mike werner · Apr 24, 2018

dbl said:
Well there's been a lot of great responses here. If you're looking for more, there was a poll a while ago. You can look through those responses as well if you'd like.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/poll-fish-feeding-frequency.329948/

I did not know that till I started this thread.i think from the responcses I could do the pole my self.i don't want to insult anyone buuuuuut I think some people feed fish to little.i get it with a new tank but an established tank with low nitrates and phosphates.let dem fish eat man.i like my fish fat!i think this helps in emergency situations such as sickness.a fat healthy fish can last in treatment and not eating a lot longer than an thinner one.JMO

maroun.c · Apr 24, 2018

3-5 times a day and I make sure to soak food in vitamins.

playapixie · Apr 25, 2018

Depends on the fish. A lot of the time I have had fish that are fine on eating 3 or 4 times a week. Right now I have some fish that need several times daily, so I guess that’s the new normal. Small amounts each feeding though. Plus I feed some of the LPS corals once a week or so, too. And does coral nutrition liquids count? Weirdly, my little 34 gallon nano is a denitrifying machine and seems to just handle whatever I throw into it.