Feeding...

[marting83]

I'm planning to get my fish sometime this weekend. Here's what I'm starting out with: Percula Clownfish, Firefish, Green Damsels(Not Agressive, right? ), and 1 Royal Gramma. One question though, what am I supposed to feed them? I have Tetra's Marine Flakes, but I read that some fish like brine, algae, and meaty foods(explain this one). I found the algae and the brine which come in little square cubes. Am I suposed to crumble these cubes?
Undoubtly someone will respond questioning whether or not I am ready to add fish. My tank has been cycling for 6 weeks via pure ammonia. After which, I conducted a 30% water change using store bought RO/DI water. My readings are now Ammonia = 0, Nitrite = 0, Nitrate < 5ppm, PH = 8.2, and Temperture = 80F.
ntvflgirl: I was under the impression that distilled water was the same as RO/DI. Obviosly not. The water I am using specifically says on the bottle Filtered using Reverse Osmosis, Deionization, UV Sterilization, and a couple more which I am not familiar with.

 

[tenecor]

If you are talking about a grren chromis damsel, they are a good choice for a damsel, they never get too agressive. I have been keeping saltwater fish for over three years, much of the time working for a saltwater aquarium maintence business in TX. Feeding or not feeding in some cases can make or break your sucess in fish keeping. Feeding depends on the stability of your tank and your fish load. If I had the fish you have, I would feed frozen brine and flakes, they will get along fine with that, also once your tank is more esablished you can probably get by with feeding every other day just be sure they dont get too agressive. Remember the more you feed the more the fish poop, which plays a huge role in water quality. Get a good test kit they are about $50 for a basic kit (PH, nitrate, nitrite, amonia). Later you may also want a calcium ans phosphate tester. Hope I helped and didnt confuse you further.

 

[oceanjumper]

Martin,
I have two clowns & three green damels. I feed them all of the above in your poll, plus other frozen food like blood worms, mysis shrimp & what-is-called Marine Cuisine. Variety is great, my fish eat eveything. I feed them for two consecutive days (1-2 a day), skip a day, feed two days etc.
I cut the cubes into half so reduce the amount. I feel it might even still be too much.
I have my tank in my office. As soon as I walk in, the gang swims up to the surface and to the front. It's hilareous though I rather have them just roaming around the rocks all the time. I read feeding them very irregular might help in this.
Just a note. You say "I'm starting out with". I realize I might have misunderstood you but STOP! Don't buy all these fish at one time.
I advise you to start with the green damsels (3?). Wait three/four weeks (at least), add the next fish (I would do the (a mated pair of) clown(s)), wait three/four weeks (add the firefish), wait....
My tank is three months old. I am dying to add a fish but told myself to wait until Christmas. I know, being patient is so hard in the beginning....

 

[richard rendos]

I feed a combination of all of those and more. Variety is the spice of my fishes' life. Keeps 'em fat and happy.

 

[flamehawk]

Go slow. Adding too many fish at the same time can cause your tank to crash. Add 1-2 fish every week or so and watch your readings. Variety of food is important. Pellets, frozen, flakes, live , are all great foods. You should also use selcon vitamin supplement. Good luck.

 

[nacl-h2o]

I'm with Richard R, variety, variety, variety. Sometimes I think my fish/corals/inverts get a better vareity of foods than me and the kids. And I'll mix most of it up and blended it and freeze it to use every other day. I use shrimp, scallops, oysters, brine, golden pearls, fish, sea weed selects, baby brine, squid, flake food, pytoplankton, zooplankton, and use garlic juice and/or selcon on it. Some is used separate to just feed fishon the odd days, but it all goes in the blender for to make the tank feeding stuff, minus anything I may be temporarorly out of.

 

[marting83]

Obviously it's unanimous... feed a variety of foods! I will also take everyone’s advice and add fish slowly.
I'm getting the strong impression that the biological filter in saltwater aquariums is insanely weak when compared to freshwater aquariums. Is this true? I guess it would make since. The salt does deplete oxygen levels which are required by nitrifying bacteria.
I'm glad most (except one) of you like the green damsel. It's unfortunate that the other damsels are so aggressive. They are very pretty fish. I had the fortune of seeing just how aggressive the yellowtail blue damsel can be. At my lfs, there was a yellowtail blue and two blue damsels in the same aquarium. The yellowtail blue was frantically guarding a red ingenious rock. He was trying so hard to watch every direction that it looked like he was chasing his own tail. Every time the blue damsels got within six inches, he was off on a rampage.

 

[jcsurfn]

Are most of the foods you guys use frozen? If so can you name some of the stuff that you feed so I can ask or look for it at my lfs and get a good veriety.
Thank You

 

[slick]

I feed my kids (I mean fish) a variety of frozen foods. I like to use Brine shrimp and squid. I will throw in some flake food now and then and add some seaweed selects for the tang.