Feeding and Powerheads

[gcgrad]

Just a few quick questions for the experienced hobbyists. How often do you feed? Do you run your powerheads all the time? Also, do you run your powerheads while you feed? Just curious! Thanks

[papagimp]

for me, it depended on what i was feeding at the time as to how I handled the powerhead situation. my return pump from the sump always got shut off to keep food from going down their during feeding but usually kept the powerheads on. Should have enough flow going to keep it in circulation until it's eaten anyways. Sometimes though when target feeding certain livestock I may turn them off temporarily. Such as 1 fish always getting left out of the loop and scared to join the frenzy, I'd stop the powerheads and make sure he got his share too. How often kinda depended on the species we're talking bout. I always tended to overfeed and knew I did, not a good practice to get into. Some species I'd feed every day, others ever other day, some once a week, ect. ect. I know that's not a very definetive answer.

[b0bab0ey]

I feed once a day and sadly, mostly flake. I alternate between Formula 1 & 2 flake. When I'm not so busy, I feed mysis, brine, raw shrimp and reef crack (a homemade blend of everything). This is when I shutdown all the pumps and target feed my lps. I also like to let the seafood settle to the bottom so all my inverts have a shot at it. Well fed hermits are well behaved hermits. ;)

[EllieSuz]

When you have a controller, it's so easy to shut down the powerheads for a pre-determined time while you feed. I feed up to three times daily; pellets in the morning, nori in the afternoon and frozen at night. I only shut down the pumps at night so I can target feed corals, such as Duncan, Frogspawn, Hammer, Candy Cane, etc.

[gcgrad]

Thanks for the info everyone! I'm just starting so I don't have any corals that I have to target feed. I take it y'all leave your powerheads runnning overnight then.

[briankmarsh1980]

My powerheads run all the time. Feeding depends on the fish you have I feed twice a day but only what they will eat. I feed pacific plankton (Rods Food) I melt it in RO water rinse it in a net and put it in a cup of tank water and feed with a medicine dropper.

[papagimp]

I take it y'all leave your powerheads runnning overnight then.

24/7, need to have flow in the tank for the live rock and/or other filters to actually work. Stagnant water = dead tank