Fresh, Frozen or Flake?
- Thread starter BradB
- Start date
I honestly believe that feeding a marine aquarium, expecialy a reef requires more of a plan, or program. Than simply one type or food.
For example, for my filter feeders I dose DT's. For my clownfish and and assorted polyps as well as my two tangs, I feed both live brine shrimp, and Emerald Entree, as well as Formula II for a little variety. All thawed and sometimes soaked in Selcon. I also usually feed assorted flakes for midday feedings and try feed my two serpent stars Silversides (little fish). Although its pretty funny. Since the F II has a gel binder the serpent star shoots out and grabs it since it also has krill and brine.
So, I think its best to tailor the food you give to the inhabitants of your tank. A little variety doesn't hurt either. So don't feel that all you can feed is one or the other. First think about the nutritional req. then decide how they might benefit from a change here and there.
Ohh, as far as nutrition. I have found my animals usually respond best to live, as well as frozen. However the tangs require a near constant supply of macro algea. Of which I use Sea Veggies. They work well and sink to the bottom. Flakes are good but can rarely fill the fishers nutritional requirements. So, I would have to agree with Jerry. Frozen usuall works out well in any situation.
Good luck.
For example, for my filter feeders I dose DT's. For my clownfish and and assorted polyps as well as my two tangs, I feed both live brine shrimp, and Emerald Entree, as well as Formula II for a little variety. All thawed and sometimes soaked in Selcon. I also usually feed assorted flakes for midday feedings and try feed my two serpent stars Silversides (little fish). Although its pretty funny. Since the F II has a gel binder the serpent star shoots out and grabs it since it also has krill and brine.
So, I think its best to tailor the food you give to the inhabitants of your tank. A little variety doesn't hurt either. So don't feel that all you can feed is one or the other. First think about the nutritional req. then decide how they might benefit from a change here and there.
Ohh, as far as nutrition. I have found my animals usually respond best to live, as well as frozen. However the tangs require a near constant supply of macro algea. Of which I use Sea Veggies. They work well and sink to the bottom. Flakes are good but can rarely fill the fishers nutritional requirements. So, I would have to agree with Jerry. Frozen usuall works out well in any situation.
Good luck.
I do a nutrient additive to my frozen, I think the fish have really liked it (except for my fish that prefer nori and peas). I would think flakes are more universal, so some of those go in here and there. The first time I went to a LFS, the owner told me that putting fish (like Lions, for example) on frozen makes them more tank-appropriate. The thought that if they aren't used to catching fish, then they aren't as likely to.. now if its rational or not? I don't think my clown is going to start chasing around the other fish, if I was feeding it live brine. There are some fish I would feed a live fish to (I have fed a molly to a shorse), as to the recommendations of experts. I do everything on a schedule & as appropriate for the tank. I don't feed my dog variety, I think his stomach prefers to have something consistant, so go figure.
Everyone is right BradB variety is best. And dont forget your feeding more then just corals and fish....dont forget about your sand bed if you have one and the miriod of filter feeders and other bugs and such in your tank.
Bob
[ July 26, 2001: Message edited by: Bobzarry ]
Bob
[ July 26, 2001: Message edited by: Bobzarry ]
The main meal of the day for my gilled friends consists of frozen food. Just about everything from Ocean Nutrition. (I love the convenience of the cubes!) I add Selcon or Vita-chem as a suppliment. The tangs also get their daily Ocean Selects. (I know, I sound like an advertisement for Ocean Nutrition. I have no affiliation with them, however.)
As a treat, the gilled-ones get a serving of live brine shrimp every now and then.
To add variety to their diet, they also get some terrestrial foods - like blanched broccoli and blanched green beans. Once a month, I give them a slice of orange. Yes it is true. They eat down to the rind in less than 10 minutes. They don't have HLLD either!!
As for flakes, well, I am the flake.
I feed flake a couple of times a week. It is sure convenient.
My $.02 worth and I HTH.
[ July 26, 2001: Message edited by: JohnD ]
As a treat, the gilled-ones get a serving of live brine shrimp every now and then.
To add variety to their diet, they also get some terrestrial foods - like blanched broccoli and blanched green beans. Once a month, I give them a slice of orange. Yes it is true. They eat down to the rind in less than 10 minutes. They don't have HLLD either!!
As for flakes, well, I am the flake.
My $.02 worth and I HTH.
[ July 26, 2001: Message edited by: JohnD ]
JohnD,
You're certainly looking after your fish with the variety you supply. I've got to admit, what with learning that Moorish idols can be fed freeze dried banana (on another thread) and now you've got fish taking to oranges, that the scope of potential foods is way wider than popularly thought. I have 2 questions on the oranges:
What led you to trying it in the first place? and which fish in your tank/s go for it ?. I've assumed no obvious ill effects.
You're certainly looking after your fish with the variety you supply. I've got to admit, what with learning that Moorish idols can be fed freeze dried banana (on another thread) and now you've got fish taking to oranges, that the scope of potential foods is way wider than popularly thought. I have 2 questions on the oranges:
What led you to trying it in the first place? and which fish in your tank/s go for it ?. I've assumed no obvious ill effects.
gazpep,
I put a slice of orange in a feeder clip. The hippo tang and the damsels go right after it. They get so excited that the tomato clown gets excited too. The clown, however, does not eat the orange.
I read about tangs getting HLLD and I saw many tangs in LFSs with HLLD. I likened it to people getting scurvy - the lack of vitamin C in a diet. I figured, what has lots of vitamin C? - oranges. So I began feeding oranges when I got the tang - 10 years ago.
I remove the rind right after the fish are done. About 10 minutes at most. I have always had a bad feeling about leaving the rind in the tank.
I have tried feeding then apples and grapefruit, but with no success. Oranges, on the other hand, are always consummed with gusto.
I know that is a crazy answer and I hope that helps.
[ July 27, 2001: Message edited by: JohnD ]
I put a slice of orange in a feeder clip. The hippo tang and the damsels go right after it. They get so excited that the tomato clown gets excited too. The clown, however, does not eat the orange.
I read about tangs getting HLLD and I saw many tangs in LFSs with HLLD. I likened it to people getting scurvy - the lack of vitamin C in a diet. I figured, what has lots of vitamin C? - oranges. So I began feeding oranges when I got the tang - 10 years ago.
I remove the rind right after the fish are done. About 10 minutes at most. I have always had a bad feeling about leaving the rind in the tank.
I have tried feeding then apples and grapefruit, but with no success. Oranges, on the other hand, are always consummed with gusto.
I know that is a crazy answer and I hope that helps.
[ July 27, 2001: Message edited by: JohnD ]
I alternate. I use fresh shrimp and scallops as a treat and feed regularly with frozen and flake. I also clip seaweed to the tank for the tang as well as feed it fresh macros.
When I had FW, I used to throw the leftover cooked hamburgers in my tank. The oscars loved them and I never wasted any food. They also loved cheese but it had to be the Kraft individually packaged slices. They didn't care for the Land O Lakes from the deli. I had a buddy who fed his oscar strips of Oscar Mayer bologna for 7 years. Oscars are great garbage disposal units. I tried live mice one time to feed my Jardini arrowana on the advice of a LFS. Never again. It ate it but talk about having to do major water changes and what a mess.
Sometimes it seems my fish eat better than I do.
When I had FW, I used to throw the leftover cooked hamburgers in my tank. The oscars loved them and I never wasted any food. They also loved cheese but it had to be the Kraft individually packaged slices. They didn't care for the Land O Lakes from the deli. I had a buddy who fed his oscar strips of Oscar Mayer bologna for 7 years. Oscars are great garbage disposal units. I tried live mice one time to feed my Jardini arrowana on the advice of a LFS. Never again. It ate it but talk about having to do major water changes and what a mess.
Sometimes it seems my fish eat better than I do.
I fry my brine shrimp in butter with a bit of parsley.
I like to wrap the Nori sheets around thin sliced ham and swiss with a touch of brown mustard. Then I cut the rolls into small sections and be sure not let anything spill before dropping into the tank. The tang enjoys this but the Singapore removes the cheese before eating the rest.
Flake food is best when allowed to soak in warm milk for at least 30 minutes. This ensures that the fish get plenty of calcium and of course vitamin D. I have a friend who once tried Carnation Powdered thinking he could save some money. His fish didn't do as well as mine.
I like to wrap the Nori sheets around thin sliced ham and swiss with a touch of brown mustard. Then I cut the rolls into small sections and be sure not let anything spill before dropping into the tank. The tang enjoys this but the Singapore removes the cheese before eating the rest.
Flake food is best when allowed to soak in warm milk for at least 30 minutes. This ensures that the fish get plenty of calcium and of course vitamin D. I have a friend who once tried Carnation Powdered thinking he could save some money. His fish didn't do as well as mine.
I bought one of those huge jars of Flintstone vitamins for my kids at Costco. The kids wouldn't eat them and I didn't want $40 to go to waste, so I took one of each – a Fred, Barney, Wilma, Betty, Bam Bam, Pebbles and one Dino. I put them all in my mouth and chewed them until they became a smooth paste. I then put on my scuba mask and stuck my head in the tank and started to target feed my corals. Things were going fine until the fish started attacking my face. I quickly pulled my head out and saltwater and vitamins went everywhere. My wife was screaming, the kids were crying and the 20 plus bits on my face were killing me.
The next morning I was amazed to see my corals! I had never seen them expand this way. They were huge!
I’m trying to find some kind of face protection so I can do this again.
Any ideas?
The next morning I was amazed to see my corals! I had never seen them expand this way. They were huge!
I’m trying to find some kind of face protection so I can do this again.
Any ideas?
I also feed my guys a variety of things. The main food is usually Brine Shrimp. Every now and then I add in some krill for the puffer...the Cinnamon Clown usually eats more than the puffer. And a gold fish or two for the eels. I have not tried any flake food in my tank. I have also been trying to get some squid for my eels but I live in a smaller town and it's not so easy to come by.
Diane
Diane
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