Is flake food worthy??

[Auqaman]

Hi everyone,
I’m trying to raise the phosphates in my tank to combats a Dino issue. I read flake food is best for doing this. I don’t really know a lot about flake food as I’m only feeding pellets and mysis. Is anybody using this brand? Or is it an inferior flake?
thanks for the help.

 

[ScottR]

Have you considered dosing phosphates?

 

[Auqaman]

That's plan B. I'm hoping the flakes will work though. Not super comfortable with dosing...... probably because I've never done it

 

[dreamcatcherr9]

I read a lot of negative comments to flake foods. But I have always used them. I mix flakes with frozen foods (I actually never used pellets).

IMO no negative Issues using flakes. But I don’t know how it will affect your Phos issue.

 

[Auqaman]

I'm 4 days into a 5 day hydrogen peroxide dose to kill the dinos (95% gone yay). Just wanna get a handle on the phosphates so they don't come back

 

[Potatohead]

I feed flakes all the time, I prefer them to pellets for my reef tank, you just have to put them in a shot glass and pre-soak them for a couple seconds and dump them in to break the surface tension so they go into the water column. If you just put them in an auto feeder they will just float and go down the overflow.

 

[Auqaman]

I feed flakes all the time, I prefer them to pellets for my reef tank, you just have to put them in a shot glass and pre-soak them a bit and dump them in to break the surface tension so they go into the water column. If you just put them in an auto feeder they will just float and go down the overflow.

Thanks that's great advice. I was wondering how to get them down

 

[Potatohead]

Thanks that's great advice. I was wondering how to get them down

Put a few flakes into a small container first, then use a baster and put a bit of tank water on top, swish and dump

 

[smacbride]

I feed with flakes, even in an auto feeder. I have a pump return aimed at the surface near the feeder and they mix into the water pretty good. My fish usually eat it all in a matter of seconds, so not much waste. They get frozen food most of the time when I'm home. I've just started watching my PO4, never had before I found this web site, it's been around 1 so I'm trying Phosguard at the moment.

 

[01xp]

Personally I think the sinking pellets are best. They're very dense just feed heavy so the fish don't get them all. Every time I've over feed pellets my nutrients go crazy and water change is needed

 

[Auqaman]

I feed with flakes, even in an auto feeder. I have a pump return aimed at the surface near the feeder and they mix into the water pretty good. My fish usually eat it all in a matter of seconds, so not much waste. They get frozen food most of the time when I'm home. I've just started watching my PO4, never had before I found this web site, it's been around 1 so I'm trying Phosguard at the moment.

How long have you been using Phosguard? Do you have a mature tank? I think one of the reasons my phosphate is so low is because my tank is still a baby (about 4-5 months)

 

[smacbride]

How long have you been using Phosguard? Do you have a mature tank? I think one of the reasons my phosphate is so low is because my tank is still a baby (about 4-5 months)

I just started the Phosguard last week. My tank is about 12 years old, some of the live rock came from an older tank I had so some of that might be older than 20 years! So I probably have a lot of phosphate bound into the rock and substrate...

 

[Auqaman]

Wow 20 year old live rock. Probably find some fossils in there

 

[Ike]

I used to be a huge proponent of frozen foods, studied fish nutrition, started a successful frozen fish food company when I was 16, and have been in the hobby since the age of 10. However, in my studies and after I left the business behind for studies and became a hobbyist again I gravitated towards a staple of mixed flake and occasional frozen. I have fed almost exclusively flake for the last 15 years and have grown several fish beautifully from juvenile.

In short, high protein and good quality flake food can be a complete diet for most marine fish. I also like flakes grind into smaller bits with my fingers to feed corals.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I feed flakes regularly and they rarely raise my phosphates. After two battles with Dino, and recommending a program to dozens of reefers, Phos never played a role in treatment and in fact has led to Dino.

 

[Coralsdaily]

As long as you stop the return pumps to ensure as little wasted food goes into your sump as possible shouldn't be much issue.

 

[Auqaman]

I realized that after the first feeding. Comment above mentioned soaking them in a shot glass then dunking them in, to break the surface tension. Great trick and worked great

 

[SmugglersReef]

I’m trying a new flake because the Omega Two is nothing but little crumbs for the lower third of the container. I am using Chlorella Probiotics for Seachem. Pricey stuff but they chow down on it, even the anemone and I know it fills them up. Big soft flakes. Maybe you need more bioload in your tank or your exporting too much.