What is the most optimal placement for your 'feeding hole' for a screen mesh top? Mistakes to avoid?

[Pepper Reefer]

Thank you in advance for your input and wisdom!

From people who have screen mesh tops, where do you have your 'feeding hole' located in relation to the rest of your tank?

For example, is it advantageous to have certain corals that feed on mysis / other food that you feed your fish located below the feeding hole?
That way some of the mysis that manages to sink to the bottom also will feed your coral?
Or is this a bad idea, as you'll end up with too much detritus landing on the coral if you're feeding 2x a day?

Is it okay to have a feeding hole located above a euphyllia garden?
(Very long term, if the euphyllia got very large, they could impede the feeding area - I am worried also longterm that acro growth could impede the feeding area in another section of the tank)

How much room would you try to leave in your tank for feeding (with fish no larger than 5 inches)?

Any advice / mistakes you made / pros / cons to your feeding hole placement in your screen mesh top would be very much appreciated!

 

[Oldreefer44]

IMO, doesn't really matter especially assuming you have good flow. Only caution would be if you are using floating food. If so you want to avoid dispersing it near an overflow so that a lot of it doesn't end up in your sump.

 

[Bucs20fan]

I think this is a flow question more than the top. You could put the feed hole just about anywhere and it wouldnt matter, the direction and intensity of flow would be the issue.

 

[Pepper Reefer]

I think this is a flow question more than the top. You could put the feed hole just about anywhere and it wouldnt matter, the direction and intensity of flow would be the issue.

I was under the impression that people cut all flow for 10-15 minutes during feeding
Do you turn off your powerheads, but still leave the main pump from the sump on?
I thought people paused both!

 

[Gtinnel]

I put mine as far away from the overflows as possible, which for me was the front center. I don’t pause any pumps when I feed.

 

[Bucs20fan]

I only turn off my largest powerhead for feeding, the current gets a really cool feeding response and distributes the food to corals as well. Just my take.

 

[Indymann99]

I would put the feeding ring where it’s easy for you to add food and mount an auto feeder (vacations).

 

[shakacuz]

i have mine at the front right corner of my mesh lid. the overflow is at the back left of the tank.

 

[Pepper Reefer]

Thank you for the input everyone!
Based on your advice, I will place mine in the front right corner, as it's furthest distance from my overflow, also with good spatial room for the fish to feed

 

[homer1475]

In my autofeeder the pellets are small enough to go through the mesh top, and it is in the front right corner of my tank. When I feed frozen in the afternoon, I just "knead" the frozen block between my fingers under the screen in the water. After the block is gone, I will turn off my PH's(but leave the return running) for 10 minutes that way my corals can pick up the scraps floating around.

I do not "target feed" anything in my tank, but rather feed the entire tank by flooding it with food once a day.

 

[bushdoc]

Mine is in front corner. I set my powerheads on max flow for 1 min to disperse food and then slow down to 15%, same return pump, for 10 min.
This way I am avoiding spilling food into the sump.