Pellet combination for auto feeder

KentuckyKobra · May 17, 2022

What's up reefers!

I'm in need of some opinions on what to put in my auto feeder. A little info; I have 3 tangs, a Rabbitfish, 6 Damsels, 4 Chromis, and a couple of clowns. There's a good variety of fish size within this tank. Lately, I've been feeding the medium sized TDO Chromaboost - which all but the damsels eat - and I'm just about out. I think the pellets are a tad too large for the Damsels, so, I try to feed frozen every chance I can to make up for it. I travel quite a bit, so I need to make sure ALL of the fish are able to eat while I'm gone.

I have one of the Eheim feeders which aren't great for mixing multiple sized foods in my experience. So, I would like to get either one food, or multiple similar sized foods. If I go the TDO route again, will the tangs and rabbit eat the small C2 pellets if that's all I feed?

I've been looking at trying the NYOS True Algae and Goji food as well. Anyone with experience feed either of these to their tank with similar fish and found that everything eats it?

Lastly, fish food is expensive, and I try hard not to be wasteful by buying food that goes uneaten.

Thanks for any help!

blaxsun · May 17, 2022

This is exactly the mix I use for my fish (about equal parts of each):
• New Life Spectrum Marine Fish
• New Life Spectrum Algae Max
• Nyos Sweet Aloe, Wild Goji and True Algae (I alternate every month or so)

This feeds four angels, a hungry sailfin tang, a quoy's parrotfish and anything else fast enough to catch it (usually anthias and chromis). And the fish absolutely love (love, love) the Nyos food - particularly the Wild Goji. I'd use Nyos exclusively except it's very hard to source in Canada - so I mix in the other readily-available brands to bring my costs down a bit. The Marine Fish is great for all the smaller fish, ie: dottyback, gramma, goby, etc.

KentuckyKobra · May 18, 2022

I went ahead and ordered all 3 of the NYOS foods to try them out. Thanks!

Timfish · May 18, 2022

I've had what I'd call excellent succes with New Life SPectrum pellets. I've had dwarf angels outlive their wild counterparts and have tangs in their 2nd and 3rd decade. FWIW, don't think you need to feed your large fish large pellets. It's sometimes easier to keep healthy body wieghts on all the fish by feeding small pellets. Small pellets will spread farther during the time it takes for large fish to eat them increasing the odds of small fish getting what they want and making the large fish work harder reducing the odds of them getting overwieght.

KentuckyKobra · May 18, 2022

Timfish said:
I've had what I'd call excellent succes with New Life SPectrum pellets. I've had dwarf angels outlive their wild counterparts and have tangs in their 2nd and 3rd decade. FWIW, don't think you need to feed your large fish large pellets. It's sometimes easier to keep healthy body wieghts on all the fish by feeding small pellets. Small pellets will spread farther during the time it takes for large fish to eat them increasing the odds of small fish getting what they want and making the large fish work harder reducing the odds of them getting overwieght.

That’s a really good point! As far as the tangs you’ve had for so long, what else do you supplement for their feeding, and how often?

Reef Nutrition · May 18, 2022

KentuckyKobra said:
What's up reefers!

I'm in need of some opinions on what to put in my auto feeder. A little info; I have 3 tangs, a Rabbitfish, 6 Damsels, 4 Chromis, and a couple of clowns. There's a good variety of fish size within this tank. Lately, I've been feeding the medium sized TDO Chromaboost - which all but the damsels eat - and I'm just about out. I think the pellets are a tad too large for the Damsels, so, I try to feed frozen every chance I can to make up for it. I travel quite a bit, so I need to make sure ALL of the fish are able to eat while I'm gone.

I have one of the Eheim feeders which aren't great for mixing multiple sized foods in my experience. So, I would like to get either one food, or multiple similar sized foods. If I go the TDO route again, will the tangs and rabbit eat the small C2 pellets if that's all I feed?

I've been looking at trying the NYOS True Algae and Goji food as well. Anyone with experience feed either of these to their tank with similar fish and found that everything eats it?

Lastly, fish food is expensive, and I try hard not to be wasteful by buying food that goes uneaten.

Thanks for any help!

Yes, the tangs and everything else will eat the C2 pellets. That should simplify things nicely for you.

Feel free to reach out to us, directly, in the future so we can give you guidance. Hope you stick with our TDO as it is an excellent dry food for your fish.

Best,
Chad

KentuckyKobra · May 18, 2022

Hey Chad, I appreciate it. The only reason I initially went with the medium sized was based on the fish sizing chart, the small C2 said for fish 1-2 inches.

gbroadbridge · May 18, 2022

KentuckyKobra said:
What's up reefers!

I'm in need of some opinions on what to put in my auto feeder. A little info; I have 3 tangs, a Rabbitfish, 6 Damsels, 4 Chromis, and a couple of clowns. There's a good variety of fish size within this tank. Lately, I've been feeding the medium sized TDO Chromaboost - which all but the damsels eat - and I'm just about out. I think the pellets are a tad too large for the Damsels, so, I try to feed frozen every chance I can to make up for it. I travel quite a bit, so I need to make sure ALL of the fish are able to eat while I'm gone.

I have one of the Eheim feeders which aren't great for mixing multiple sized foods in my experience. So, I would like to get either one food, or multiple similar sized foods. If I go the TDO route again, will the tangs and rabbit eat the small C2 pellets if that's all I feed?

I've been looking at trying the NYOS True Algae and Goji food as well. Anyone with experience feed either of these to their tank with similar fish and found that everything eats it?

Lastly, fish food is expensive, and I try hard not to be wasteful by buying food that goes uneaten.

Thanks for any help!

I run multiple auto feeders so each size pellet gets fed separately and on separate schedules.
Also provides redundancy in case one blocks or stops working.

bnord · May 18, 2022

find the the Fauna Marin Soft Spirulina do well in not glumping up

Reef Nutrition · May 18, 2022

KentuckyKobra said:
Hey Chad, I appreciate it. The only reason I initially went with the medium sized was based on the fish sizing chart, the small C2 said for fish 1-2 inches.

We try our best to come close with the feeding recommendations, but sometimes they just don't work for certain fish no matter how big they are. I appreciate your response.

Chad

Timfish · May 19, 2022

KentuckyKobra said:
That’s a really good point! As far as the tangs you’ve had for so long, what else do you supplement for their feeding, and how often?

Not much else really. I have no objection against feeding nori or frozen foods just I realized a long time ago feeding good quality pellets in an auto feeder or feeders was the simplest way to consitantly feed everyone.