Feeding Question

[pensky]

I have 2 clowns, 1 yellow tang, 1 pink tip enemone, 1 chocolate chip starfish. I have only been feeding them frozen brine shrimp for 2 months now should have be feeding them a variety of foods or always feed them the same thing? If i need a variety what do you suggest? everything seems to be doing fine and everthing will eat with a turkey baster.

 

[tizzo]

For the fish!! This variety is the best I have found thus far!! If you can think of a food, it's prolly in there somewhere!! As far as the anemone, he can eat the squid or if you wanna get silversides or krill or even shrimp. HTH

 

[dogstar]

The tang needs vegetable type foods ( nori, seaweed, algea ) primarily and the others need a variaty of meaty foods. The brine is like potato chips, they cant eat just one but that can not be all they eat. Mysid shrimp is 100 % better than brine as far as a single food source.

 

[guineawhop]

if you want your fish to be healthy variety of foods is the key along with proper water conditions and right size tank of course.

 

[pensky]

how often should I be feeding them?

 

[guineawhop]

feed them 3 times a day but in small amounts so there is no excess

 

[ophiura]

Do you have live rock?
What are your water parameters, especially nitrates?
I agree with the above that diversity is critical. Brine, alone, is pretty nutritionally devoid. At the very least it should be fortified with some vitamin supplements. But there are lots of foods to mix in there. You can add frozen foods, some marine flake/pellets (more for the clowns), seafood from the store...
BTW, you should be spot feeding both your chocolate chip star and anemone as mentioned. Your chocolate chip star does pose a risk to the anemone. Furthermore, your anemone needs better lighting than the standard tank package provides.

 

[pensky]

I have 15 to 20# LR and 40# LS. Ph 8.2 Ammonia 0 Nitrite 0 Nitrate 20. I have only been feeding them 3 times a week should I increase the feeding times and I am just useing a very small pinch at a time. As far as the enomone I am looking in to investing in the Lighting for when I convert to the 55 gal.

 

[tizzo]

I feed once a day skipping a day every now and again. In nature they pretty much eat little bits all day long, but they will adapt to whatever schedule you wanna put them on as long as they stay nourished.

 

[guineawhop]

you should be feeding 3 times a day, a variety of food. small amounts each time. these fish especially the tang are grazers.

 

[ophiura]

Considering you are not "packed" with LR, I would consider feeding a bit more often...it is the tang I am more concerned about. However, I don't see that you have to feed three times a day. Some fish, yes (seahorses for example).
In your case, I would invest in additional LR - a bit at a time- to provide natural grazing opportunities. I would consider adding algae sheets for grazing. And I would diversify the diet.
FWIW, I had a damsel in a 15g tank with LOADS of LR and rarely fed it at all....depending on your LR to fish ratio, and the type of fish, this can be done. I don't feed every day usually, but definitely more than three times a week. If I had predatory fish however, I might be on that schedule.