How much should I feed them

G

Guppy

I have 2 fish (clown and a green chromis), 2 star fish, 12 hermits, 6 snails and 1 anemone. I have been buying the frozen brine shrimp that comes in the ice cube tray looking package. I cut the cube into 4 pieces. I feed a quarter cube to them in the morning and a quarter cube in the afternoon. Once a week I drop a krill in their, once it finally hits the bottom the hermits dog-pile it. Does this sound suffice? Should I add more variety to their diet or is everyone happy with brine shrimp? I just got the anemone, does he require any special feeding technique?
 
Guppy,

While brine shrimp are easily eaten and loved by our fish, brine is referred to as the cotton candy of fish food. It has very little nutritional value. The krill on the other hand does have plenty but they are not readily eaten by the chromis.

What I would advise you to do is purchase a combo spirlina/mysis frozen food that comes in the cubes. This will contain plenty of veggie and meats for a well balanced diet for your fish. Feed about the same amount you are now, maybe a bit more.

You can also purchase a good mix blend flake food, like Formula One or something like that. Just a very small pinch one or twice a day will do fine. When doing flake, just put in as much as they eat in about a minute. Anymore is really wasteful.

Your nem should be fed a piece of krill every week or so if its a LTA or BTA or Carpet.... your hermits/stars can feed off whats residue or leftovers from the fish.
 
Regarding the anemone, if it's brightly colored (not white) and fully extended, in other words healthy, then the suggested feeding should work. If, however, the anemone appears very light colored and/or transluscent, it may be stressed from shipping or poor conditions before you acquired it, and will need some TLC. Feed a very little bit every other day until it recovers. It may take awhile, so be patient.
 
@Guppy wrote:
I have 2 fish (clown and a green chromis) said:
As Dave said, you should feed the Sprirulina Brine Shrimp/Mysis cubes (I use H20 Life brand). When I bought my first small clown and skunk cleaner from Frank at Frank's Tanks he told me to mix up an entire cube with some water from my tank. He told me 1 cube should be enough for 4 days (8 feedings)

Now, I have 2 Clowns (1.5" and 2"), 1 Starry Blenny (3"), and 1 Yashia Shrimp Goby (1.5") and 1 cube lasts me 2 days (4 feedings).

Now, I know they aren't starving, but I have a nano and want to make sure my params are kept in check. My tank thread in my sig has my feeding schedule and info if you want to check it out.

On top of that I want my Starry Blenny to continue to eat algae off the Rocks and Glass and not just wait on my food cause I feed him too much. He needs exercise and has a job to do!!

@Guppy wrote:
I just got the anemone said:
I was told to feed mine (Red BTA) a Silverside every 5-7 days. You might try looking at the stickied posts in the Anemone section of the forums here. Lots of great info there.
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Feeding them twice daily is too much. I would break that cube in quarters and feed 2 quarters every 3 days. And yes, definitely get some mysis.
 
@FranktheTank wrote:
Feeding them twice daily is too much. I would break that cube in quarters and feed 2 quarters every 3 days. And yes said:
This really confuses me. Not you, but the advice in general. I hear people all the time say you should only feed every 2-3 days.

But then I look at all the requirements for the fish I have and all suggestions state I should feed twice daily. Additionally, the people who I have spoken with (Both Hobbyists and LFS Owners I trust) who have immaculate tanks and healthy fish feed twice per day.

I was under the impression that feeding every 2-3 days was a remedy for Amonia build-up or for people who are having Amonia problems.

Maybe I'm wrong/misinformed.
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I have always fed my fish every 3 days. With good liverock your fish will feed off of the reef itself inbetween.

I'm not sure what fish you speak of that require heavier feedings... but I haven't owned any that did. I've had 4 or 5 tanks during my time in the hobby and the only one that starved was a scooter blenny because I introduced him too early to the tank. It was completely my fault.

Every 3 days should be more than adequate.
 
Let me add...

I didn't mean this is a rule. If you feed twice daily and it works for you for the longterm, then by all means feed twice daily.

There are no rules in this hobby, only experience.
 
Yeah, I've noticed my 2 clows start to stare at the rock waiting for a pod to come out or something, lol.

The requirements for my Yashia Shrimp Goby state it should be fed twice daily. However, it's so small and petite it could probably get enough to last.

Yeah, I understand it's not a rule since so many feed differently, just wanted to get clarification on 2-3 days as a routine vs. problem solver.

I should add that another reason I feed twice daily and make it last 2 days is because I mix the food with 2 caps of Cheryl's Phytoplankton and the recommended dose for a tank my size, from Cheryl herself, is 2 caps every 2-3 days.
 
Anthias etc have special feeding requirements, twice a day or sometimes more often. Feeding depends on several things, from the fish you keep, to your preference to the schedule you keep. Your fish will adapt their schedules to yours to a degree but there is no RIGHT or WRONG way to feed unless its extemes. You feed what your fish and tank can handle. A larger tank you can feed more, one with a skimmer and DSB, you can feed more. A barebottom with heavy skimming, you can feed more.... a nano, you would feed less etc.

Just use common sense and realize that your fish will always be looking for food when you walk up to the tank, they look hungry, but are not. Keep the feeding reasonable and check your nitrates/nitrites. If either of those rise, you are feeding too much.
 
I would like to add that the nem should not be fed krill or silversides whole...it does not digest "big" pieces easily. It is much easier to use a turkey baster and feed a mix of brine, mysis, and other small food. If you do wish to use krill or silversides, chop them up in very small pieces. The anemone will appreciate it. I think if you ask Serk or others with lots of experience with them, they will agree.
 
Thanks guys, that was great advice. I bought the formula one like DaveJ recommended and the clowns came to life!!!! I was shocked to say the least. Thanks.
 
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