How often do you feed fish in your reef?

[Jorgens]

Ok. I was chatting with a pretty popular live good dealer. I'm looking at expanding my clean up crew as I'm have 1 helluva battle with hair alge.

She said I should only feed my fish every 3 days? I'm over feeding? What ya'll think of that?


For the hair alge issue it's basic....180g since 9/06
55g sump/fuge/cheato/ASMG-3/800gph
2 hydor + 1 500gph head
3x250w 14k 6 hrs on 2 4 hrs on 1 actinics 10hrs
mixed tank softies/stonies
2 tangs/blue throat trigger/2 clowns/firefish/6-line/mandarian/scooter blennin/diamond goby
50ish dwarf hermits/100's of ceriths/20ish asteria/nassarius couple serpent stars

Ro/DI water/ 1/4 cup phyto every other day/2 part
0 trAtes 0 Po3/4

Only feed every 3 days>? I can't believe that....I do have a decent pod population so I suppose ....

[marie]

I have a 175g bowfront that I feed 3 times a day and I try to keep the nori clip full all the time, I use anywhere from 1/2 a sheet to 2 sheets of nori everyday.
There is an achilles tang, a regal angel, a foxface, 2 orchid dottybacks, 4 glass cardinals, 2 mandarins, 1 bangaii cardinal and 5 green chromis

Its an sps dominant reef that has been set up since march 06

[Big Ying]

There is no doubt that tactic can help prevent a Hair Algae outbreak (if your fish can survive on those rations - depends on available food in the tank). However, once the hair algae has started, it's not going to go away by cutting back rations, although it might slow it down. The only cure I've found is a toothbrush, a bucket, and a lot of time, plus better tank maintenance afterwards.

[LobsterOfJustice]

I feed 2-4 times every day.

[Hop]

2 days a week I feed once, 2 days I feed twice, 2 days a week I feed three times and one day I don't feed at all. There is always a mix between formula I, II, mysis, brine and nori, often mixed with garlic and/or selcon...

[lecher]

Usually twice a day. Sometimes once a day.

[Big Ying]

By the way, except for seahorses, I never feed more than once a day.

[edwing206]

I feed once a day.

[kwaters]

Good topic...I started feed very small amounts twice a day. The fish are new though, and still learning the layout of their new "sea".

Kris

[engine]

sorry, newb question here but is it best to turn off the powerheads when you feed them?

[AquaReeferMan]

I feed live brine and a nori sheet around 10:30am, and then frozen mysis/formula 1 and a nori sheet around 8:00pm. I leave my powerheads on. Its not about how much you feed, its how much can your filtration handle.

[bgiles11]

Originally posted by engine
sorry, newb question here but is it best to turn off the powerheads when you feed them?

I dont turn off powerheads when I am feeding FISH. I do turn off overflow. When I am feeding corals I turn off everything other then lights. Because I do not want the powerheads to blow the food away from its target.(some corals such as my LPS) I spot feed when lights are off.

[Europa13]

That "live goods dealer" should be starved for three days... You should feed your fish 3 times a day. Hair algae is caused by excess nutrients, usually phosphates. Even though your phosphates are testing at zero, they are present, they are just being used up by the hair algae faster than you can test for them. You probably need to bump up the frequency and amount of water changes you are doing. Also, I would consider getting a phosban reactor and running GFO.

[chefrt]

I have 10 fish in my tank and I feed them on every 2 days, I feed my fish with very small fresh shrimp that I buy from market. I never feed my fish with formula food. So far the fish happy with that.

[turnburn]

I work a 4 on 4 off schedule.

My fish get fed once a day on work days and twice a day on my days off.

[bixbe]

I feed mine once a day, but in the wild reef, food is very hard to find. have gone 2 days not feeding them. man is that hard to do.

[TarheelFrag]

2-3 times per day for me.

[Jorgens]

Thanks for the input guys....i was feeding once, sometimes twice a day.

You think the phosphates present in the formula 2 pellet food is enough to feed all the alge? I only feed a few, like 12 of the small pellets, every other day.

the lable says .9% or .09% phosphates. should I just discontinue and stick with frozen ?

[reefing102]

i usually feed 1 time a week except at the end of the month they get 2 times the last week because i add meaty foods

[Snook65]

Once a day, but occasionally I will forget a day and not worry about it as there is food in the tank that the fish can graze on.

[Pmolan]

Originally posted by bgiles11
I dont turn off powerheads when I am feeding FISH. I do turn off overflow. When I am feeding corals I turn off everything other then lights. Because I do not want the powerheads to blow the food away from its target.(some corals such as my LPS) I spot feed when lights are off.

Hmm. I have to think about that. I turn off the ovrflow just for the fact that I dont want the food to get skimmed right back out. However I do leave the power heads on so the food doesnt settle in one spot. I may try turning them off tonight to see how the corals feed.
I usually taget feed, the cloud stays over the coral but slowly gets dispersed throughout the tank. I find that by doing it this way, in an hour there is no more food in the water. Then I turn on the overflow. It will be interesting to see how the coral will feed when it doesnt have to chase its food.

[nyvp]

2x/day

[carman9941]

Originally posted by Europa13
That "live goods dealer" should be starved for three days... You should feed your fish 3 times a day. Hair algae is caused by excess nutrients, usually phosphates. Even though your phosphates are testing at zero, they are present, they are just being used up by the hair algae faster than you can test for them. You probably need to bump up the frequency and amount of water changes you are doing. Also, I would consider getting a phosban reactor and running GFO.

I agree starve the algae not your fish, a reacto and gfo

[Jebo]

I cut down when my tests go a little awry, but generally I feed my fish twice a day

[customcolor]

2xweek 4 1 yr now