Am I overfeeding?

[bioteacher]

HEy folks, looking for some experienced opinions here. I have had my 125g reef tank since March and I am not sure if I am overfeeding. No real issues yet but I dont want to promote fatty liver, and I have heard that most newbies overfeed. Here are my current residents:

Maroon clown ~ 5 inch
Blonde naso tang ~ 5 inch
Fox face lo ~ 5 inch
Perc clown ~ 3 inch
Perc clown ~ 2 inch

Arrow crab
Reef lobster
2 purple pin urchin
Cleaner shrimp
Lots of hermits (scarlet and blue-legs)
Various snails

1 maximini
1 Kenya tree
1 ricordia
1 monipora
3 large Zoa patches

I also have 4 green chromis in quarantine and will add those in a week.

Here is what I feed daily:

Spectrum 1mm pellet, twice daily, about 1 teaspoon sprinkled throughout tank
Hikari frozen mysis shrimp, one cube, once daily
1/4 sheet (3 inch x 3 inch) nori, rubber banded to rock, once daily
Oyster feast target feeding of corals with baster once daily
Large mysis once a week for the maximini

Please let me know what you think. They always seem to eat it all, but I know that is not a good indicator that I am not overfeeding.

 

[Gboy66]

That is a great variety of food you have goin there, props to you

For the overfeeding question, i would say slightly, yes. I think that you will be better if you just sprinkle in a bit less than a teaspoon twice daily. 2 teaspoons on top of the mysis, and oyster (fish are bound to get some) is a bit much per day IMO

 

[melosu58]

I feed every other day. Have been for 14+ yrs now. Saying that it really depends on how much you are feeding. From what I see I would say that you need to cut back at least to once a day. I feed a variety of foods every other day and feed dried seaweed on the off days for my tangs. My tangs recently died last summer during a hurricane when I was without power but they were over 13 yrs old so they did not suffer from the eating arena. Not only will your fish be OK but your tank will have less excessive nutrients in it causing nuisance algea.

 

[bioteacher]

Great. Thanks guys! I will cut back a bit. It is kinda hard to tell. They always look hungry, and eat voraciously every time I feed, so it is hard to resist the urge. Are there any indicators to look for if they are underfed? Might they become more aggressive, or could I physically tell if a fish is not getting enough food?