Rod's Reef Food

[Arrgh Matey]

Anybody use this? I heard great things so picked some up at the LFS today. For those that do use it, how much do you feed? I saw on the website:

"We believe that when you pay for food, you should receive food! No unnecessary gels or food binders are added to Rod's Food. And our foods are not water packed!. Most users are amazed by how a small amount of Rod's Food can feed an entire reef."

Of course, it doens't really say what a "small ammount" is. Any advice?

[juniorjose]

let me now how ur tank likes it. i also heard a lot of good things about this food, and that it even feeds corals?...

[JeF4y]

I've been using it for a year. Everything in the tank loves it. I weaned my Mandarin to frozen on this stuff in 2 days.

I take a piece about the size of a dime and thaw it in tank water and then feed from that a couple of times a week. I don't use all of the food that I thaw either.

That's to feed 2 medium sized clowns, 1 mandarin, 1 flame angel and a lawnmower blenny that eats anything that comes near the tank.

I have fed it to the corals and they like it but recently I've gone back to feeding the corals vitamin soaked mysis as they hold onto the mysis better.

It is EASY to overfeed with Rods because there is a LOT of food in each little frozen bit. But my experience has been excellent with it and I'll continue to use it..

[cabrego]

As I recall, there are at least two types of Rods 1)a general feed feed for corals and fish and 2) a coral only feed.

I believe I used the general feed and I experimented with different portion sizes. Ultimately it depends on how much you fish/corals will eat it up in the first few minutes and how well your tank can export nutrients. In my case, my tank has done very well at exporting nutrients thus I found .5" square was a pretty good chunk. I rarely (if ever went larger than a 1" square. I feed a few times a week.

[uofimed08]

I have used this stuff for several years. Works like advertised, there is something in there for everything in the tank. A little goes a long way, just depends on what is in your tank and how big the tank is. I would just experiement and see what gets eaten without much leftovers.
There are actually several different varieties now. I have used the original and still do. I have also used the coral only. There is a herbivore blend, predator blend, and recently he has been sending some stores samples of fish eggs and it looks like he has his own brand of Nori. I have used the fish eggs and everything in the tank goes crazy and everything opens up for it.

[zooty]

Actually 6 kinds
http://www.rodsfood.com/

We use it as well in our rotation (with flake). A little does go a long way but everything seems to like it and there is even stuff in it for corals

[Shane Hoffman]

Rods reef is very nutrient rich. I would guess to say up to 80 or 90 percent of people just need the standard rods food. When I feed it I feed enough so that it disappears in 4 minutes or less. Also you will find there are at times some big chunks of krill and other fish, if you dont have any animals that can eat those big chunks you may want to use a different brand or chop it up. I am fortunate, Rods reef is manufactured at what was once an old pet store about 40 minutes from my house.

[luther1200]

I just got some for the first time a few days ago, and I will never use anything else again. My fish go nuts for it. I got Rod's food and PE Mysis because everyone said they were good. All of my fish totally ignore the PE Mysis (which everyine told me is a great food), and love the Rod's. I am really disapointed in the PE Mysis. But overly impressed with the Rod's food, so I guess it balanced out,lol.



BTW, I have been feeding the Herbivore blend which has a good amount of meat, but it also has a lot of grean/red algae. Its perfect I think, even my corals show a feeding response.

[juniorjose]

how much is this food?

[luther1200]

I got mine here

http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=Rodsfood

[gtfourmn]

Rod's reef food is a little more expensive than your typical frozen but well worth it. I also use it to feed a pair of clown and a pair of spotted dragonets. My only complaint is that some pieces are too big for the dragonets but the clowns slurp those right up.

[juniorjose]

wow, thats expensive!!!!!!!! $20.00.

[Shane Hoffman]

wow, thats expensive!!!!!!!! $20.00.

I am pretty sure you can find it for 14 to 18 dollars if you look around, In actuallity you will come to find its not a lot different pricewise because it takes less to feed. IMO there is more food packed into a 1/2 inch cube of rods reef than there is in a 1/2 in cube of any other food.

[zoohoot]

I have also recently tried Rod's Food for the first time. Right now I am using it on a FOWLR, and everyone in there loves it. I am a believer!

[juniorjose]

is he a member here in rc?

[Mel-E-Mel]

I use rods food and love it! My fish go crazy for it. I also feed 1 half inch square and everyfish gets to eats. The larger pieces of krill are picked up by my clowns and brought to there bubble tip. A large pack usually last me 2 months, longer if i rotate with mysis. Well worth $25. I even got my CBB to start eating with rods.

[JeF4y]

$20 isn't expensive really because it REALLY goes a long way. Unless you have a huge tank, you're looking at $20 every 4-5 months.

[fufu]

I thought the price was absurd when I notice how small the package was at my lfs, but now I think it is not so bad if it last longer than the typical frozen cubes.

[luther1200]

And thats for 6 oz. flat pack, not the typical 3.5 oz. cube trays. So its almost twice as much food as those, and there is more in each cube I break off. So its really a good amount. Still a little more than other food, but not as much as it looks like.

[GreshamH]

is he a member here in rc?

Yes

[joesfiddy]

rods food is awesome stuff !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Lateralus]

I love the stuff and it lasts a long time. Gotta be careful because what you think may be a little bit alot of times turns out to be alot.

[Arrgh Matey]

Well, thanks for the advice everyone! I tried it out last night and put about a 1/2" square chunk in some tank water, then dumped it in.

It's official. Rod should change the name from Rod's Reef Food to Rod's Fish Crack.

I've never seen such a reaction. about 10 seconds after I dumped it in, all corals had polyps fully extended, and the fish were acting like they hadn't been fed in a month. Hermit crabs hauled a** out of hiding, Nasssarius snails erupted out of the sand like their shells were on fire. And believe it or not, my Goby (who almost never comes out of his den), was swimming around out with the other fish eating food out of the water column as fast as he could!

Simply amazing. I'm sold.