Feeding Seaweed

martinmcnally · #1 09-03-2008, 10:38 PM

I have a yellow tang and foxface rabbit fish that I am feeding seaweed too. They also graze on algae in the tank.

I am wondering how much I am supposed to be feeding them? Yesterday and today they have consumed all of the seaweed that I added to the tank. Yesterday was probibly about a 4inch x 1inch peice.

Should I just keep adding it as long as they are eating it or only ration it?

It doesnt usually last more than a few hours on the lettuce clip.

Martin

untamed · #2 09-03-2008, 11:37 PM

I'm sure you'll get differing opinions on this one....Many people would subscribe to feeding as little as possible in order to maintain the health of the fish. It is easier on your tank filtration.

I believe in feeding as much as possible and let my filtration tell me what is too much.

The difference between those two opinions is huge.

If it takes them a few hours to eat a 4" x 1" piece then they must be pretty small, or not very hungry...I have a couple of Tangs that would eat a piece that size in a single swallow.

When they can eat that size piece in less than 1 hour, I would say it is time to give them at least a 2nd piece every day.

marie · #3 09-03-2008, 11:48 PM

I agree with untamed and follow the same guide of feeding as much as possible. I have a full grown achilles, a full grown foxface and a regal angel who all snack on nori. They get approx a full sheet and a half a day, sometimes more, sometimes less

michika · #4 09-04-2008, 03:35 AM

I have 6 med-large size tangs and I feed a 1"x4" strip every day. It doesn't last very long, maybe 10 minutes. If you feed too much the nori will degrade in your water and can impact its quality. You can try cutting down the amount, and going to alternate feeding days.

Try a few different options and see what works best for you. It can take a little while to get it right, but it worth it.

marie · #5 09-04-2008, 03:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by michika

I have 6 med-large size tangs and I feed a 1"x4" strip every day. It doesn't last very long, maybe 10 minutes.

I'm not trying to start a debate about how much to feed fish but I'm curious, that works out to less then a square inch per fish, providing they all share equally. Why bother feeding nori at all?

Marlin65 · #6 09-04-2008, 04:52 AM

I have no tangs my tank is too small.

Would really like a purple one. Interesting info on the feeding. Should they mostly be fed Nori I thought they ate brine shrimp etc as well?

naesco · #7 09-04-2008, 05:30 AM

I agree with most of the posters.
Feed as often as you can.
Another excellent source is spirulina discs.
They easily absorb garlic and selcon. They are hard and fall the bottom and algae eaters like tangs can feed on them all day.

Chin_Lee · #8 09-04-2008, 03:09 PM

I feed a whole sheet a day (about a 8x10" sheet) in a tank with a 4" achilles, 6" naso, two yellow tangs (4/3 inches), and a 3" bellus angel. All the other fishes that participate in the nori frenzy are the yellow wrasse, mystery wrasse and cleaner wrasse.

I don't mind the nori that gets degraded and float around because they get eaten by the 4 firefishes and 2 gobies.The only fish that doesn't eat nori in the tank is the bangaii.

michika · #9 09-04-2008, 06:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by marie

I'm not trying to start a debate about how much to feed fish but I'm curious, that works out to less then a square inch per fish, providing they all share equally. Why bother feeding nori at all?

Maybe 1"x4" isn't a good description, its like one "strip" from a nori sheet. So maybe that is more then 4"...this measuring thing is hard! I also roll the strip in with a bit of shredded nori as well. I suppliment every day with frozen foods, and pellets as well. All the tangs graze quite a bit though, and while they are aren't as plump as Doofus, they are getting there. I used to feed about 1 sheet a day with the shredded stuff mixed in, but it would sit there for hours before it got all eaten, and it would break down and get caught in my overflow. I went to half a sheet, and it was just as bad. Then it was 1/4 sheet, and now its a strip plus shreded and other goodies.

I feed it to make sure that they get a little more variety in their diet then what they are picking off the rocks alone. Also the Vlamingi is a super huge grazer, and only likes to pick at one corner on one panel.

naesco · #10 09-04-2008, 06:38 PM

Catherine try the spirulina discs made by Wardley and others in addition to the nori.
Make sure to check to see that spirulina is not the lowest ingredient on the package. Unike nori which can breakup and float around and get hidden in the rock, the discs stay firm for a day or two and the tangs eat them all day.
The discs are also available in very large containers which are cheaper.