How much to feed fish? Do we tend to overfeed our pets? Easy to feed a lot, difficult to feed the right amount

[Bruce Spiegelman]

So many factors. For my current tanks, I feed once a day. The mixed reef gets three cubes of frozen mysis. The Nem and clown tank gets a thimble-sized amount of TDO. When I kept mostly wrasse tanks, I fed 2-3 times a day. I don't know how that info helps others, though, as every tank is different.

Sometimes even different fish need different feedings. My Marine Betta needs a half to a full cube of mysis, but I have to get it into the tank in the right place after the others are already eating. React to what your fish need.

Feed enough to keep them a little fat and healthy.

 

[clownvan]

So many factors. For my current tanks, I feed once a day. The mixed reef gets three cubes of frozen mysis. The Nem and clown tank gets a thimble-sized amount of TDO. When I kept mostly wrasse tanks, I fed 2-3 times a day. I don't know how that info helps others, though, as every tank is different.

Sometimes even different fish need different feedings. My Marine Betta needs a half to a full cube of mysis, but I have to get it into the tank in the right place after the others are already eating. React to what your fish need.

Feed enough to keep them a little fat and healthy.

TDO?

 

[Bruce Spiegelman]

TDO?

Reef Nutrition TDO Pellets.

 

[grizfyrfyter]

Going into the office for work is a 12+hr day so I auto feed once a day but when I WFH, I feed the mixed reef 4 sheets of nori and another feeding of pellets or frozen food.

The FunnyFarm clowns get fed at least 4 times a day, because it right next to my desk and I can feed them during meetings. They get one or two pellets at a time until they stop eating.

 

[Kensington Reefer]

I feed only once a day and sometimes skip a feeding day.

Your fish hate you!
You eat every day, and only spend a fraction of the energy they spend in a high flow environment
Every being still requires them to swim in place
Booooo…feed your fish

 

[PjFish]

I feed twice a day mix of pellets, flakes, plus sheet of nori. Frozen mixed seafoof chunks 2 or 3 times week from ranch 99..And whatevers left over on my plate after dinner!

 

[rygh]

PLEASE FEED YOUR FISH

Another big problem: Some fish are quick to over eat, and the timid ones will not have enough food.
This is especially true when fish are under-fed.

If you have a big nitrate problem, reduce the number of fish, especially large ones.
Those big tangs pollute a lot. Terrible digestive system.
Honestly, it is VERY hard to have a tank with both difficult coral and lots of fish. You really need to pick.

Reminder: As time goes on, your fish grow substantially, and you don't always notice right away.

 

[clownvan]

Your fish hate you!
You eat every day, and only spend a fraction of the energy they spend in a high flow environment
Every being still requires them to swim in place
Booooo…feed your fish

I do not eat everyday =)

 

[clownvan]

I feed twice a day mix of pellets, flakes, plus sheet of nori. Frozen mixed seafoof chunks 2 or 3 times week from ranch 99..And whatevers left over on my plate after dinner!
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My nem gets a chunk of salmon once a week. The rest of the critters get some salmon bits once a week but not as big as the nem. Have to keep the cleaner shrimp from stealing it =)

 

[VacavilleFC]

my tank(40b) is pretty lightly stocked with a ywg,chalk bass, 3 banggai. I feed them 1/2 cube of mysis daily and a pinch of nls pellets. ywg and chalk will eat anything but banggai still only mysis

 

[gmdcdvm]

It is my understanding that this is the approach from professional fish farms translated to our hobby and I assume fish farms want their fish well fed and healthy too.

I am not sure if it is impractical really. Seems rather easy to weigh food. The auto feeder can be calibrated once to consistently feed the amount I want. Weighing frozen food is easy too.

 

[Bruce Spiegelman]

Now the follow-up question (based on responses) is do Nems need to be fed and how much?

 

[BAYMAC]

TDO?

TDO™ CHROMA BOOST MEDIUM (EP1)

Several different size granules or pellets, and packages sizes are available for TDO Chroma Boost ™, excellent food for creating healthy animals and eye-popping color in a wide range of animals.

reefnutrition.com

 

[Patio]

TDO- After world peace of course, I wish there was a size between medium and small. My fish really like the pellets (and ROE for desert)!

 

[Bruce Spiegelman]

TDO- After world peace of course, I wish there was a size between medium and small. My fish really like the pellets (and ROE for desert)!

I've had better luck with TDO for finicky eaters than anything else over the years.

 

[Patio]

I've had better luck with TDO for finicky eaters than anything else over the years.

Me too. and it floats through the water very nicely. I also add the Real Oceanic Eggs to the tdo mix when introducing new fish

 

[grizfyrfyter]

Now the follow-up question (based on responses) is do Nems need to be fed and how much?

I have 30+ bublletips and half of them had never been fed. This many are great at catching pellets and they spit the Medium sized Formula 2 pellets out undigested, in a clump.

the smaller pellets seem to get consumed though. not so much an answer on if they need to be fed but circumstantial evidence that they dont need much food when they do eat.

 

[Bruce Spiegelman]

I have 30+ bublletips and half of them had never been fed. This many are great at catching pellets and they spit the Medium sized Formula 2 pellets out undigested, in a clump.

the smaller pellets seem to get consumed though. not so much an answer on if they need to be fed but circumstantial evidence that they dont need much food when they do eat.

That's always been my ( I hope well -researched) position when I had over 100 Nems (various.) Nems get more than 90% of their nutrition (sugars, carbs,etc) from good-quality lighting. The rest is mainly for a little protein and trace minerals and they can get that from small pieces of leftover food in the water column. And yes -- they don't do well with large pieces of food. It's why people had such a hard time when the prevailing wisdom was feeding nems silversides.

 

[MolaMola]

That's always been my ( I hope well -researched) position when I had over 100 Nems (various.) Nems get more than 90% of their nutrition (sugars, carbs,etc) from good-quality lighting. The rest is mainly for a little protein and trace minerals and they can get that from small pieces of leftover food in the water column. And yes -- they don't do well with large pieces of food. It's why people had such a hard time when the prevailing wisdom was feeding nems silversides.

I still thought they should be fed fish chunks for the proteins and such. Where have I been? I should inform my largest clown who force feeds nems by shoving food at them at fast speed.

 

[Darkxerox]

That's always been my ( I hope well -researched) position when I had over 100 Nems (various.) Nems get more than 90% of their nutrition (sugars, carbs,etc) from good-quality lighting. The rest is mainly for a little protein and trace minerals and they can get that from small pieces of leftover food in the water column. And yes -- they don't do well with large pieces of food. It's why people had such a hard time when the prevailing wisdom was feeding nems silversides.

Carpets like yours likely have different requirements than a BTA. I never feed my BTAs.