What is a balanced food for easy fish

Backreefing · Feb 28, 2021

I have a 90 gallon aquarium sumpless , no skimmer, just a canister filter. The fish are mostly demsels and some cromis. Maybe 20 fish . I’m feeding flake food . They seam happy. But this is also a SPS tank and I like my nutrients low . And they are low . Nitrates are usually 12-16 ppm and phosphate is usually between.040-.060 depending on how much I feed . I’m thinking about changing food because the montipora ain’t so great . The acropora are happy. Frogspawn and hammers are happy to. I’m thinking about things I can’t measure for like the food maybe has some type of phosphate in it that I can’t measure ( montipora turn brown, then die slowly) . Aim I the first to think about this . I know about inorganic and organic phosphates and I can only test for one , only pros. can test for the other. I’m thinking of changing food that is low in phosphate.
anyone got a food idea.

BranchingHammer · Feb 28, 2021

I don't think the presence of phosphate is killing your montis, maybe something else. How recently have you checked the TDS of your RODI water? There might be a contaminant in your water. Also, the absence of a skimmer may make some harmful compounds build up. I would make sure your parameters are stable, especially alk.

Backreefing · Feb 28, 2021

Thx for the reply. I have not checked my rodi filter. I just change the filters on a schedule. But the tap water here is awesome. I went for many years without a rodi filter.
The alkalinity is rock steady. Tested today at 8.7 dkh . High for my opinion. I backed off the kalk until it’s 8.1-8.4 . Tomorrow or the next day it will fall there. Acropora seam fine and doing well . I thought they are much more sensitive than montipora.

BranchingHammer · Feb 28, 2021

You might want to check for montipora eating nudibranchs at night with a flashlight. It may also be a lighting or flow issue.

Backreefing · Feb 28, 2021

I’m leaning toward inorganic phosphate, or to intense lighting. I can’t find a affordable par meter and soon I’m out of food . Thought to change the food . I’ve been changing the activated carbon ever few days. Without any affect.

Backreefing · Feb 28, 2021

Men are not present I checked time after time . Thx buddy

Backreefing · Feb 28, 2021

One thing about demsels is they don’t turn down a meal . They eat anything. I’m keeping Talbots, kupang, springers , two types of cromis. They are ok . Not the monsters we read about all the time .

CanuckReefer · Feb 28, 2021

I blend my own. Pulse shrimp, scallop, mussel, fish, clam (all wild caught exception the mussels rope grown, so no antibiotic crap in the mix), with dulse , nori and garlic in the blender to a fine consistency with a bit of RO. Then freeze, do it once every few months. Quite easy if making in bulk, and actually fairly inexpensive. I do feed a bit of sinking pellet or dulse, nori sheets to supplement as well....10 years plus with this method. Nitrates and phos remain low, but that also likely has to do with the fact I feed quite minimal and have an effective CUC. Also my skimmer runs minimal.... a few hours every other day. 90 gallon system .

Jekyl · Feb 28, 2021

Ditch flake and feed frozen like Rods or LRS

Backreefing · Feb 28, 2021

What is rods and lrs

CanuckReefer · Feb 28, 2021

Backreefing said:
What is rods and lrs

Fish or Reef Frenzy from LRS, Rods Original frozen mix. I've used Reef frenzy a few times, can't speak to how it affected parameters other than nothing really went out of whack.