How to feed pellets?

[Red2143]

What's the best way to feed pellets? If I turn off the pump and let float the clown eats all the pellets and the more timid fish won't swim up.

If I drop the pellets under water they sink to the bottom and nobody eats it.

 

[Fish Think Pink]

What's the best way to feed pellets? If I turn off the pump and let float the clown eats all the pellets and the more timid fish won't swim up.

If I drop the pellets under water they sink to the bottom and nobody eats it.

Have you considered thawed frozen foods?

When I use pellets, I like TDO Chromaboost which float with pumps off, but when pumps turn on they act neutrally buoyant and float through out. However, there is a variety of foods I cut up to feed.

so I take the above and get it into prepackaged meals because I'm busy - sometimes I keep it frozen like this (just reuse one of the empty ones):

I also use Chinese takeout contains to hold Red Sea cups where I thaw foods in fridge, maybe about 4 days work of foods for the various tanks.

You will find what works for you and your fish.

EDIT: I only turn off return pumps when feeding - there are still pumps IN my tanks that remain on at all times (except cleaning/water changes) which are still moving food around.

 

[sde1500]

I never turn the pumps off no matter what food I use, frozen or pellets. Just scatter it all around, some should float, some should sink. If enough scatters around the tank, everyone should get some.

 

[dwest]

My pellets are fed from an eheim auto feeder. I have the feeder mounted about 6” above the water. So quite a bit of the food will sink when it hits the water and then scattered with my pumps. Some food still floats and my wrasses and hippo take care of floaters. I feed mostly NLS sinking pellets. I don’t shut off any pumps when I feed. I also feed frozen, flake, and nori by hand.

 

[Waters]

I actually have 4 pumps.....two sit on the bare bottom and two up higher. I shut the higher ones off when feeding with the lower two continiously moving anything from the bottom back up so pellets are always suspended.