Feeding each fish different foods... ARGH!!

[gksipps]

How do you manage to feed so many different fish when they all eat different foods? My tang, for instance, is SUPPOSED to eat only veggies, yet do you think he listens when I feed the clown some tasty shrimp and tell the tang "stop eating the shrimp!" Of course not. Now I have thrown my puffer in the mix, and he won't eat the flakes, pellets or shrimp even though lfs said shrimp would be good...
How do you handle feeding your fish all at the same time? Do I just drop it all in at once and let them fend for themselves? Do I try to feed each at a seperate time?
I think this hobby is like childbirth - you can read all the books you want about "how to" but not every kid wil be the Doctor Spock poster child., and not every fish will turn out like the species description says it will.

 

[gksipps]

1 tang, 1 clown, 1 little puffer that is probably slowly starving to death because he won't eat shrimp like lfs said he would... sigh... 90 gallons, no reef stuff, fish only, some petrified corals, caves built out of rocks, 20 lbs LR mostly for grazing... little by little, we'll add more/do more to improve their environment based on their likes, but right now, we just want to master taking care of the fish and keeping an eye on them and their personalities. As you can see, I can't hardly handle feeding, let alone anything else - lol!

 

[kimkissyfish]

GKSIPPS,
LOL.. I hear ya.... well in answer to your question and problem..
I would mix it all together and drop it in... it cant hurt any of the fish to get a VARIED diet.....
I have
yellow tang, 6 line, juv emporer,pink anthias, tomato and blennie
I feed them a mixture of frozen mysis enriched with vibrance, marine cuisine, veggie pellets, krill and plankton...they all get it at the same time.. then I have a clip of lettuce and dried seaweed sheets to graze on...... I dont see a problem with them getting a full meal of everything also this way everyone is bound to get what they need.... they LOVE it..
Hope this helps...Kim

 

[elan]

i have started doing the same thing. what i do is take a cup, and mix everything into it. dry food, freeze dryed food, frozen food and dump it into my sump to let it make the food go all over the tank.. everyone gets a chance to get some food..
i do plan on getting a variety at the fresh fish market... fish, clams, shrimp, and basically as much of a variety as i can find.. mix in some of Kent's Zoe, and some dry food to increase the vitamines and minerals. and then freeze it in ice cubes....
i then want to find some type of holder so i can just hold them in the tank and have them melt away, slowly releasing food.
got the idea from another thread with my own variations