Feeding, Overfeeding, Etc.

[sandy]

Please see signature for critters, etc. & Tank Size.
I have Marine Flakes, Formula One (cubes), Formula Two (cubes), Brine Shrimp (frozen), Myosis Shrimp (frozen), and Seaweed (for the Tang). (And I bought the Kolic Garlic). Usually I give them a bit of all of this morning and night. (I let some of the cube pieces sink to the bottom for the hermits).
I'm certain that I've been overfeeding, being worried for the snails (little or no algae growth yet) -- give them some seaweed... for the starfish (who just sits in a hole in the rock... the hermits, etc. I keep a small strip of seaweed in there all day/evening for the Tang. What a royal mess that can make in the filters!
What would be your feeding recommendations (daily) for all these critters. Of COURSE they LOVE the frozen brine... but one cannot live on frozen brine alone...
I'm still QUITE NEW at all of this. I know the don't give more than they can eat in 2 minutes... without letting food hit the bottom... but does this apply when you have all these other guys in the tank?
Thanks All. My tank is coming along. No deaths (yeah!). I would like zero nitrites. Been steady at .25. Sandy in Tucson.

 

[sandy]

Clarification: I don't give the garlic everyday. Only did that once. <img src="graemlins//freak.gif" border="0" alt="[freak]" />

 

[cyn]

It sounds like you are over feeding to me, but I am relativly new to this too. I feed about 1/3 what you list with more fish and inverts.
Your trates may respond to more live rock or a dsb. You did not list what your substrate is, so I had to throw that out there. Oops, just saw the 40lbs. sand part... I would reccomend going for alot more sand to equal about 4 inches.
Also, how long have you been up and running?
HTH,
cyn

 

[sandy]

40 lbs Nature's Ocean Sand, 20 lbs Crushed Coral (Sand). I've only been up and running about ummmm 3 weeks? Apx. 25 lbs Live Rock. Fluval 304 Filtration plus a Skilter and whisper. 2 small powerheads... I KNOW not to cycle with critters... this was a previous topic... and I have been working REAL hard to prevent my error from killing anyone. So far -- so good. No one dead. Ammonia zero for about a week now. (Was .50). Nitrites at .25 (Darn it) and Nitrates hovering around 20 or less. I think I'm having a hard time due to overfeeding. What would the reccomendation be? I don't want any inverts to starve, but I don't want to keep feeding my fish too much and have them swim in poison. THANKS. Sandy

 

[marine fanatic]

I know for fact I was overfeeding my first set of fish. I would feed them a healthy pinch of Total Color Marine in the morning, a pinch of frozen brine at noonish and another rather large amount of Total Color Marine at night. I too was worried about my hermit crabs cuz the fish would eat most of the food before it ever got to the bottom. Being a complete novice, I listened to a Pet Co. staff girl and she "advised" me to buy 2 angels right off the bat after cycling for 3 weeks. Both angels perished and I read about salt tanks for 2 solid weeks without adding ANY new fish. Now I have 3 damsels and I feed them much less and things look much better. I bet that most beginners overfeed and I guess it just takes time to get the whole saltwater tank experience down. But the good side is, once you get everything perfect, or close to it, the amazing world of marine life awaits