How often and how much?

[zatchyvsalt]

Hey reefers,

I would like to get a general consensus of how much I should feed my fish and how often. I have recently had a nitrite outbreak and a diatom bloom and I would guess it’s over feeding because the rest of my parameters are quite nice.

I have a 180 gallon reef tank, filled with 1 Gem Tang, 1 Hippo Tang, 1 Blue Throat Trigger, 4 fire gobbies, 4 cardinals, 2 clowns, 1 social wrasse and 1 lawnmower.

For food I have frozen mysis, frozen brine, frozen mysis&algae mixed, frozen blood worms, and some seaweed doused with garlic. I also use Vitachem and Selcon for their supplements.

What would be your recommendations on a feed schedule and how much to feed.

Thank you.

 

[SnazzyUrchin792]

Did you mean nitrite or nitrate?

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

I feed my fish twice a day, sometimes 3 times. I personally do not like holding food back, there are other ways to control nitrate.

 

[Rmckoy]

Heavy in , heavy out.
I have always fed a little on the heavier side but beefed up filtration to maintain stable parameters.

 

[Paul B]

You don't have too many fish but remember a fishes stomach as about as large as it's eye and you don't have to fill it at every meal. Fish are also cold blooded and use very little calories every day.
They can also go without food for weeks or months. (but don't do that)

You also can't over feed fish as they will keep eating no matter what and will just push food out of themselves to eat more. Don't worry to much on how much you feed as long as each fish gets a mouthful or two at every meal. I feed once a day and some of my still spawning fish are over 30 years old.
I also never lose fish and they mostly die from old age. I also never have a sick fish and don't have to quarantine.

Also, I wouldn't use the brine, blood worms, garlic doused seaweed, Vitachem or Selcon. You can if you like and it won't hurt anything but not needed.

The mysis is fine but I would get frozen foods with mostly clams, fish and things from the sea.
I use mostly LRS food and frozen mysis. I also use a couple of times a week live blackworms and clams that I buy live and freeze them myself.

Yes, even tangs don't need seaweed and my tangs normally live over 10 years with no suppliments
and all my fish that can spawn are spawning.




This guy and his mate are 32 years old.