Feeding

[Serafin]

One of my LFS has said I should be feeding my tank once a day twice if I have a tang. Then another has said twice a week is fine. Does anyone have any info into which one i should be listening to?

 

[AquaRick]

To be honest it really depends on your set up and livestock. I feed a couple times a day, but very small amounts. I'm pretty heavily stocked but have an oversized skimmer, gfo, biopellets, and a five with chaeto.

It's really up to you. You can try feeding smaller portions everyday and see how your water parameters change. Adjust as necessary

 

[melosu58]

I feed my tank every other day and on the off days I feed my tangs some dried seaweed. Been doing that for 15+ yrs now.

 

[Serafin]

I feed my tank every other day and on the off days I feed my tangs some dried seaweed. Been doing that for 15+ yrs now.

Thanks guys and mel that's what I've been doing myself and if its worked for you for 15 years seems like the way ill continue too. Cheers.

 

[twoodrough]

I have found you have to research, ask questions, sort out the opposing positions, then decide what sounds right to you. It is hard because there are few clear answers to anything having to do with this hobby.

I personally ended up feeding every other day. When I do more than that I get antsy about too much waste in the water. Some people would feel like they are starving their fish if they do that, but maybe they do more water changes to clear the water.

 

[Tategrant]

I have found you have to research, ask questions, sort out the opposing positions, then decide what sounds right to you. It is hard because there are few clear answers to anything having to do with this hobby.

I personally ended up feeding every other day. When I do more than that I get antsy about too much waste in the water. Some people would feel like they are starving their fish if they do that, but maybe they do more water changes to clear the water.

Would it matter if I fed once a day rather than once every other day?

 

[mr_X]

It depends how much you are feeding. Most of the people in this hobby grossly overfeed their tanks. You'll see most of them posting threads about nuisance algae and other problems as a result.
Tangs do not need to be fed twice a day. I fed a tank I maintained with multiple tangs and foxface twice a week for a couple years and the fish showed no signs of malnutrition or aggression. As a matter of fact, the sailfin had HLLE and it has since been arrested. This would not happen if I was depriving it.

 

[Tategrant]

It depends how much you are feeding. Most of the people in this hobby grossly overfeed their tanks. You'll see most of them posting threads about nuisance algae and other problems as a result.
Tangs do not need to be fed twice a day. I fed a tank I maintained with multiple tangs and foxface twice a week for a couple years and the fish showed no signs of malnutrition or aggression. As a matter of fact, the sailfin had HLLE and it has since been arrested. This would not happen if I was depriving it.

How much food every other day? And what do you recommend me feeding them

 

[mr_X]

I recommend a varied diet. A mixture of meaty foods( fresh fish and shrimp from the supermarket or frozen from the LFS), flake, nori...
As far as how much, it depends on the amount and size of the fish. When I add some food to the tank, it takes the fish 20-30 seconds to eat it, except for the nori of course. That's attached to a clip on the glass and they tug on that for about a minute or so. I also give nori about every other day to my home system.
I also do large, weekly, water changes plus skim and have a refugium.

The tank I spoke of that I fed twice a week also had all of this going for it as well, but I could only get there 2 times a week so nori was added then too.

 

[Tategrant]

I recommend a varied diet. A mixture of meaty foods( fresh fish and shrimp from the supermarket or frozen from the LFS), flake, nori...
As far as how much, it depends on the amount and size of the fish. When I add some food to the tank, it takes the fish 20-30 seconds to eat it, except for the nori of course. That's attached to a clip on the glass and they tug on that for about a minute or so. I also give nori about every other day to my home system.
I also do large, weekly, water changes plus skim and have a refugium.

The tank I spoke of that I fed twice a week also had all of this going for it as well, but I could only get there 2 times a week so nori was added then too.

I was thinking to get freeze dried brine... Do most fish eat that?

 

[mr_X]

Brine shrimp is not very nutritious. Freeze dried food will just float around or break apart in very small particles, and much of it will be missed by your fish anyway IMO. You don't have access to frozen food?

 

[twoodrough]

I feed frozen food one time, then next time flakes. 25% weekly water changes.

If you add flake food you will see them go crazy at first, then add a small amount more after they finish that, they will slow down. Keep adding small amounts for just a couple minutes. That is all they need. I use a feeding ring to keep the food all in one place. Easier to make sure they are eating what you are putting in. They are cheap and suction to the side of the tank.

Frozen food is tougher. I usually thaw it in tank water first, then strain the water out. They have itty bitty strainers that I found about 3-4 inches across. Great for this. Then I put the strainer in the tank and swish it around. Hard to control what comes out. It all floats around. Can't be helped. I usually come back 10 minutes later and can't find a spot of any food left. They find it. I find it fun to see their fat little bellies after having frozen stuff.

The more food you put in, the more comes out, the more ends up as nitrates in the end. I feed light to keep the trates down.

 

[Tategrant]

Brine shrimp is not very nutritious. Freeze dried food will just float around or break apart in very small particles, and much of it will be missed by your fish anyway IMO. You don't have access to frozen food?

Do they have them at petco or anything? If so who chic kind should I get?

 

[mr_X]

I'm not sure about petco. No specialized pet/fish stores in your area?

 

[TheTodd]

I think Petco has frozen foods. I know the one that I go into sometimes has a little freezer. I've never looked to see exactly what they have though.

 

[mr_X]

you can get whatever you need at the supermarket. No need to pay LFS prices.

 

[Tategrant]

I'm not sure about petco. No specialized pet/fish stores in your area?

I do but petco is really close. If I chose to get frozen shrimp what kind Should I get?

 

[Airgoose2222]

Uncooked, still in shell shrimp. I also buy raw oysters that are uncooked. My fish love it!!

 

[Tategrant]

Uncooked, still in shell shrimp. I also buy raw oysters that are uncooked. My fish love it!!

Do you chop the shrimp up?

 

[Airgoose2222]

The shrimp I cut into sections and leave the shell on for my puffer to gnaw on. The other fish love it too and will let the puffer rip it apart and eat the scraps. Pretty cool to watch. If you don't have a puffer, you can just peel the shell and cut it up.