Feed three times a day! How?

[rosshind]

I have read varying reports of how often to feed some marine fish. Some say up to 3 times per day. Being new to the hobby I'd like to know how you guys manage to do that and have a full time job.

How, for example would the average 3.5 inch yellow tang do being fed once or twice a day instead of three?

In short. Do any of you feed your piscine pals 3 or more times a day?.. and are there any work arounds if you can't do this, like for example slowly disolving tablets etc?


thanks in advance all,

Ross.

[mwwhite]

We have no experience with those types of fish but we do know they sell auto-feeders that dispense food to the tank.

[cristhiam]

IMO antias need to be fed several times a day. I have 14 fish and I feed every other day. Once. It can be a big problem if you overfeed with your water. You can put nori daily in a clip for the tang to eat.

[papagimp]

I have bangaii's that I'm raising and the little tykes need to be fed often, at least I prefer to keep em stuffed. I use a auto-feeder to keep food in their tank every few hours. They probably get fed about 5-6 times per day. My larger tank (55g) gets fed once in the morning and I continuously feed em while home in the afternoon. Just little bits at a time to ensure everyone gets a bit.

[WaterKeeper]

That's why I retired, so I could feed the fish. It is also why they have welfare for you younger reefers. :D

About the only fish that require multiple feedings are seahorses and pipefish who have a crude digestive tract. Other fish can get by on a once a day schedule. The advantage of three times or more a day feeding is you can feed smaller portions and less food ends up on the bottom of the tank. Twice a day is better than once and even those that haven't found out about food stamps can usually pull that off. ;)

[WaterKeeper]

I'm sorry, you're a New Brit so I don't know if you qualify for welfare or food stamps on the other side of the pond. :D

<img src="/images/welcome.gif" width="500" height="62"><br><b><i><big><big>To Reef Central</b></i></big></big>

[cristhiam]

lol

[k87staff]

Hey waterkeeper, I like your humor.

[Amphiprion]

Most fish, as others have said, don't need to be fed that often. What type of fish you have will dictate how often you will need to feed.

[WaterKeeper]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9124636#post9124636 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by k87staff
Hey waterkeeper, I like your humor.

For that nice comment you get a---
<img src="/images/welcome.gif" width="500" height="62"><br><b><i><big><big>To Reef Central</b></i></big></big>

However, it is probably a bad start in your first post as anyone who compliments me on my crude wit (or at least half of it) is probably never going to go anywhere in the hobby. :D

[rosshind]

That sounds reasuring... I will keep some algae on one of the tank serfices and give my tang nori to munch on using a clip. Other than that, i'll feed him once or twice a day...


Thanks for your advice. Don't get food stamps on this side of the pond.. lol . I might need them soon though... The set up will cost me the equivilent of around 2100 dollars all in all..

Ross.

[WaterKeeper]

Wow Ross that is a lot for a 60 L (about 16 U.S. gallons for the metrically challenged). Why so much?

[Rungeg]

I would not ffed too much in a 16gallon tank also I would watch out for larger fish like the tangs.

[WaterKeeper]

I don't know if I'd spend 1070£ for such a small tank. :eek2:

[rosshind]

Ops.. Did I say 60L.... I meant 250 - 300 litres... I'll have to change that typo... Just did a rough calculation in my head on that one. but my budget says around £900 . I think there is about 1.95dollars to the uk pound... so ... I got it wrong. The figure is more like:

1,800 dollars.

To give you a rough idea, this includes live rock, testing kits / tank its self, live sand, buckets / syphons. 2 fish to start 20 dollars on some food to get started ... errm protien skimmer external filter 3 lights (not metal halide) and hood, 2 heaters, a power head. thermometer / hygrometer, starter salt mix etc. etc. I know I must have left some stuff out.. but it's all in my budget..

I suspect things are much more expensive here in the uk... We call it Rip-off Britain.

Ross

[blufyre3]

I have 5 yellow tangs, a blue regal, a naso, 2 blue chromis, a mandarine goby, 2 sand sifting goby's, a lawnmower blenny and a dogfaced puffer. I feed Danichi pellet food every other day, nori on the clip every day, and a shake (mysis, formula 2, squid, ect.) once a week. Feeding them every ohter day encourages them to pick at rocks and look for natural foods in the tank.