How often do you feed your fish?

[Delphinus]

I'll pipe in here with that I think it probably depends on your fish whether you can get away with feeding every other day. I used to do this too. But I noticed with some of my fish they appear a bit stressed when they get too hungry (my tang and rabbitfish in particular). It manifests itself as aggression, which leads to fin nips and other artifacts of fighting (missing scales, bruising, that sort of thing).

Also some fish simply don't have the digestive systems to carry them over that long between feedings. Essentially they are pigging out, then starving, then pigging out, then starving. .. And their lifespans will likely be truncated as a result. Again, this just applies to some fish though, for others it may not be a big deal.

So basically in general I think feeding "less, more often", is better than feeding "more, less often." But ultimately, by observing your fish's behaviours you will notice if a particular schedule is "working" or "could be better."

Just my $0.02..

[Joe Reefer]

Originally Posted by Delphinus

But ultimately, by observing your fish's behaviours you will notice if a particular schedule is "working" or "could be better."

Well said, I couldn't agree more. I think you can tell alot about how the tank is doing by just standing back and watching before you do anything to the tank.

[mseepman]

This might be a stupid question, but when you rinse your frozen food, how do you then soak it?

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

I defrost the frzn foods, then rinse in a small net under the tap, then add water (often RODI) back into the container & release most of the food back into the container. I then add 3 drops of Selcon to that food but use the net for the first feeding. Really, it sounds more complicated then it is.

Essentially:

defrost
rinse
drop back into container
add drops
swish rinse net in tank to feed fish

[mark]

Also with full bellies those corals and clams won't be looking as attractive.

Mseepan, for thawing mysis, I usually just put in a small cup (shot glass size) with tank water for a few minutes, then just pour into a tea strainer discarding the water and rinse the strainer back in the tank to free the mysis. If using Selcon, once thawed, just put the mysis back in the cup and add the Selcon to them to soak for a bit.

[supersmile]

So do you think I should be adding another air pump to eliminate the algae as well as rinsing the mysis shrimp? I keep trying to syphon the algae off the rocks and sand but it seems it just comes back the next day. I don't want this stuff to start taking over my tank. I LOVE MY TANK. Can the lack of flow cause my sand to be dirty as well? Thank you everyone for your input. I greatly appreciate it!

[skylord]

I with Delphinus on this...less, more often for feeding. There are a bunch of good ideas mentioned in this thread, but I am wondering about your water. What kind of filtration are you using? It sounds like you are describing a cyano problem, if so that can be a nasty battle.

Scott

[mark]

The increased flow helps the sand in that detritus is suspended until your filter/skimmer deals with it.

[supersmile]

I Have an external filter Resun AE-806 as well as a coralife skimmer. Is this filter system not good? What is a good filter to buy? I have been running this filter for a year but maybe it is time to get a new one? Should I try running another powerhead? I just tested my water last night and everything was fine.
Does anyone recommend a really good external filter that I could perhaps order from J & L because I am sure they are way more money at Big Al's

[dsaundry]

As for a good filter, Rena, Fluval etc. But check with a few places..sometimes you might be surprised. I have found a few things cheaper at Big Al's than J+L
and visa versa