Feeding Question - 2 Clowns and Cleanup Crew

[Vanphyre]

I was wondering how much to feed these guys. From what I read you want to feed every other day. I'm guessing that depends how much food you put in the tank during the feeding session. Right now I am feeding them flake food and they love it. One large flake seems to be a lot of food after I break it up into small pieces. I'm using Prime Reef Formula flakes (with MPAX, low phosphours, low ash, stabalized vitamin C and other immune boosters).

Is one of these flakes enough if I feed every other day? They seem to attack this stuff every day I put it in. All my test readings (nitrite, nitrate, ammonia are Zero). I'm guessing I can continue feeding every day like this, or do I need to feed more at once and go every other day?

Also, do you guys recommend any other foods to mix in once in awhile? Or will they stay healthy just eating these flakes?

P.S. Something really cool I found. I can take like half a flake, and handfeed my Peppermint Shrimp. He kind of rolls it into a ball, and works hard to trap stray pieces from floating away. Kinda neat. hehe.

 

[tecwzrd]

Flake is notorious for adding po4 to your tank which will lead to algae problems quickly if even slightly overfed. Prime Reef Flake is better then most with it’s low po4 content.

I’d use frozen foods the majority of the time using flakes very sparingly.

Personally I like Marine Cuisine Frozen the most but I also feed bio-aquatics, Ocean Nutrition Prime Reef Frozen, and a small strip of nori daily to my Yellow Tang, & minimal flake once a week. This provides a good balanced diet and is vitamin supplemented. Your lfs should stock it in their freezer.

I’d thaw the frozen in a small cup of tank water, and then drain the liquid that is packaged with it to keep po4 down. (You can use a sieve or a paper towel)

I use Kent Garlic Extreme, Selcon, & Zoe to help boost their immune. (I soak all my frozen in this for 30+ minutes)

Feeding every other day is best and only what fish consume in less then 5 minutes. If it not consumed in 5 minutes then reduce feedings slightly. If consumed in less then 30 seconds increase slightly with a second feeding the same day a couple of hours later.

Alternately you can make your own fish food by buying raw shrimp, clams, crab, saltwater fish, oysters, lobster, ect…

Dump all in a blender with a cup of ro/di or distilled water and the recommended dose of vitamins. Mix on the middle setting (not purée) for a minute or two until finely chopped.

With a small funnel slowly pour the mixture into mini ice cube trays and freeze for 2 days.

Then break them up and layer in a Ziploc bag or freezer safe container separating them with saran wrap.

I wouldn’t make more then you can feed in a month (to keep from getting freezer burnt) and you can usually buy a months worth of food in small quantities from the seafood counter in most local grocery stores for around $10-$15

 

[tecwzrd]

cmor1701d goes into a TON of more detail on the actual process of making your own.

 

[Vanphyre]

Thanks for the very descriptive post Tecwzrd! I am going to purchase those supplements online and grab some Frozen food from my LFS.

Now let's say I cut up half of a frozen cube. I would prob put 1 drop of garlic, and a few drops of the Zoe and Selcon? Or how do you recommend soaking the food? Put it in a small amount of RO/DI water and then adding the drops?

Thanks again, I want to make sure these guys are as healthy as I can.

p.s. Made up a little recipe card from your Homemade food post here. hehe. I may try that later when I'm more adventurous!

 

[tecwzrd]

I use small disposable GladWare® Containers (about 1/2 cup sized) and fill 2/3rds with tank water (because it’s warm, ro/di will work fine as well).
I put about 3-5 drops of each and let it sit for a couple of minutes till the frozen breaks up. Then I hand mix it and let it sit again for about an hour or two in the fridge.

I drain it all through a fine meshed sieve and remove into another disposable cup and place the cup in the water feeding on both sides of the tank.

When finished just rinse the cup out and dry with a paper towel and keep the top on for use next time.

 

[roka64]

Two things...
1. Do you remove the shells for the shtimp or clams?
2. Freezer burn happens when there is air in the bag, and that part can be removed....just a little something I learned...

 

[tecwzrd]

I would remove all shells. (I can just see clam/oyster shells banging around in the blender) The link to cmor1701d post covers this topic well.

You are right, freezer burn mostly happens because of air. However there are other factors as well.

Sucking out all the air is next to impossible but it does help. I think making a monthly batch isn’t too difficult personally but you probably could get away with 2-3 months at the most and still avoid freezer burn.

 

[john0087]

Now let's say I cut up half of a frozen cube

If you are using the Ocean Nutrition Frozen, 1/2 a cube at one time may still be too much for 2 clowns and a cleanup crew. While 2 fish cuold probably consume 1/2 a cube, The stuff has a tendancy to sink to the bottom pretty quickly and not get eaten.

Maybe do 1/4 cube in the morning and 1/4 cube in the evening.

 

[tecwzrd]

Maybe do 1/4 cube in the morning and 1/4 cube in the evening.

This would be a great start depending on how many other mobile inverts you have in the tank. Cube size does vary from each manufacture but only feeding enough that they eat in 5 minutes or less will dictate it more. If they scarf the ¼ cube in less then 30 seconds then slightly increase it till it takes about 1-3 minutes on average to consume.

It’s a fine balance between starving them and providing enough but once you figure it out it’s pretty easy.

A decent clean up crew will quickly eat anything that falls to the bottom.

The key thing is to have as little food collecting in the tank as possible.

 

[john0087]

Agreed

 

[Vanphyre]

Awesome, thanks guys! I love hanging out in this forum! Spend more time reading than looking at my tank some days.

Cleanup crew does a nice job. Have about 9 Nassarius, 2 Emeralds, 1 Peppermint, lots of Astraea, and about 7 hermits.

 

[ckmn101]

Hey I got a ? on how you are feeding with the frozen food. When you put it in the tank water doesent it all fall apart and break up? Then if it does how do you actually feed- I'm confused on the cup- putting it in the water?
Thanks,
Mike

 

[tecwzrd]

Breaking up and thawing is the point of using ro/di or tank water in the cup. You don’t put the cup in the tank with the food in it, just to add some water to the cup.

Once your frozen breaks up and if you choose to soak in the vitamins for 30+ minutes then you strain the water using a sieve (to limit adding any po4 in the water) and then place the thawed frozen in the tank.

If you have overly aggressive fish then I would feed partial amounts on each end of the tank for the less aggressive fish to get their share.