Feeding time, how often?

[KreativJustin]

How often do you feed your tank??

I have this live stock:

1 True Percula Clownfish (very small - under 1")
1 Scooter Blenny (small)
1 Sally Light Foot Crab
2 Astrea Snails

Obviously I don't feed the snails, but they might take effect on how much food I need to put in..

Anyways, I've been feeding half a frozen cube a day.. is that too much? I just got my clown 2 days ago, and he is eating VERY VERY well. He is still swimming oddly as I've heard new clowns do, but he doesn't seem to have hard breathing or non-eating habits.

Anyways, I've seen that people do it every 2 days, and some that do it once a day.. since I have small fish, should I keep feeding daily until they get larger?
I feed them San Francisco Bay Frozen Saltwater Multi-Pack, and Piscine Energetics MYSIS

I also have Marine Snow for my frags, and dose 1 time a week.

 

[Bectan01]

That is probably too much to feed everyday. I'd do a quarter. I used to feed every two days and now I feed daily, smaller amounts. As long as you are keeping up with water changes that should be fine...

 

[KreativJustin]

I'll try to do lower doses.. should I cut the cube then? Normally I just let it 'melt' into a small food safe tiny Tupperware bowl that I keep for the fish, and fridge until the next day.

 

[BigRedsReefs10]

I feed 3x a week

 

[boym8087]

For what it's worth, I fed three times a day when I had a community tank.. A pinch of flakes in the middle of the day, a quarter of a cube of frozen in the morning and at night.. I did have more fish though..

 

[Dav3]

I feed daily one frozen cube across both my 90 and 14 gal tanks. 10 fish in total.

Bottom line... Feed as much and as often as you can without causing algae issues. Part of this is dependent on filtration, water changes, and other cleaning maintenance.

Also, only put in as much food as your fish will consume. You don't want un-eaten food floating around.

 

[boym8087]

dav3 brings up a great point. If you do regular weekly water changes, you could get away with more food or feedings.. If you do bi-monthly or monthly, you would feed less.. Same with a skimmer.. Bigger skimmer, maybe a bit more food.. Smaller skimmer, less..

 

[KreativJustin]

I do 2x water changes for now a week due to algae issues. I would say I probably change about 15 to 20 gallons a week (out of a 55gal tank)

 

[PB_Smith]

I'll admit I've been rather puzzled over how infrequently some folks feed their finned friends.
In the wild fish graze and feed CONSTANTLY as food makes itself available. My Fire goby is a shining example of this, he just hangs in the current outside his "cave" waiting for tasty morsels to come floating by.
Unless you are housing eels, lionfish and groupers, feeding your fish any less than at least once a day is more or less controlled starvation.
The trick is finding the balance that allows about 4 feedings a day with little uneaten food left over.
If your system is so precariously balanced that actually feeding your fish a good diet rather than minimal subsistence, than maybe you should rethink your set-up.

Personally I think some folks worry more about the numbers of their water quality rather than the actual health of the tank inhabitants.
(know I'm gonna get flamed for that)


Frequent water changes, good clean-up crew, feeding the right foods, will allow you to feed more frequently like they actually eat in the wild.
The ultimate is getting it balanced to the point where of lots of pods and other little critters and macro algae are also available for a constant snacking source.

I currently feed one cube a day, but it takes about 3-4 hours to complete it. I just give them little bits every 30 minutes or so. Luckily I often work from home and am right next to the tank.
An automatic feeder would work.

 

[BigRedsReefs10]

I'll admit I've been rather puzzled over how infrequently some folks feed their finned friends.
In the wild fish graze and feed CONSTANTLY as food makes itself available. My Fire goby is a shining example of this, he just hangs in the current outside his "cave" waiting for tasty morsels to come floating by.
Unless you are housing eels, lionfish and groupers, feeding your fish any less than at least once a day is more or less controlled starvation.
The trick is finding the balance that allows about 4 feedings a day with little uneaten food left over.
If your system is so precariously balanced that actually feeding your fish a good diet rather than minimal subsistence, than maybe you should rethink your set-up.

Personally I think some folks worry more about the numbers of their water quality rather than the actual health of the tank inhabitants.
(know I'm gonna get flamed for that)


Frequent water changes, good clean-up crew, feeding the right foods, will allow you to feed more frequently like they actually eat in the wild.
The ultimate is getting it balanced to the point where of lots of pods and other little critters and macro algae are also available for a constant snacking source.

I currently feed one cube a day, but it takes about 3-4 hours to complete it. I just give them little bits every 30 minutes or so. Luckily I often work from home and am right next to the tank.
An automatic feeder would work.

Most people that feed 3x a week keep coral which require stable params. Feeding 4x a day would raise nitrates to dangerous levels for these corals and other inverts on our systems, even if all the food is consumed it is still converted to waste which eventually turns into nitrates.

 

[PB_Smith]

I'm fully aware of that and the difference with a reef set-up, but my point still holds regardless, even more so when water parameters can be so precarious with corals.
Luckily in a reef set-up the "snacks" have a better chance of being maintained.

 

[PB_Smith]

Oh, and good water flow/circulation helps. When I feed the food stays suspended and moves around the tank for a good 30 minutes.
If your water movement isn't good, then it falls and collects in the nooks and cranny's.