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CafeReef
04/08/2015, 09:10 AM
Hello,

I currently have two OC Clowns. I am feeding them twice a day, once with Larry's reef frenzy, and the second time is a combo flake and pellet blend (Nutri Diet flakes and Omega One Marine Pellets). They dont overly seem much interested in the flakes and Pellets (especially the pellets), they will eat the smaller flakes and break apart some of the larger ones, but for the most part ignore them. My cleaner shrimp seems to love it all. Larry's Reef Frenzy is great, they go nuts for it, but I want to ensure they have a well balanced diet.

What would you recommend? What have you had success with?

Thanks!

laga77
04/08/2015, 10:26 AM
Lose the flakes and pellets. Best is fresh and live food. Cut up clams, live black worms and white worms. You can cut up the clams and freeze for later.

cloak
04/08/2015, 10:30 AM
The flakes and the pellets are fine, but definitely try to offer them as much variety as you can.

You might want to try soaking those flakes & pellets in a cup of water for a few minutes before you feed them though. This will soften them up a little and keep them from going over the falls. (overflow)

Dmorty217
04/08/2015, 11:41 AM
Flakes don't offer much nutritionally without enhancement of some sort. New Life Spectrum pellets are great

cloak
04/08/2015, 11:53 AM
Flakes don't offer much nutritionally without enhancement of some sort.

Can you elaborate a little more?

I probably feed flake food 7 out of 10 days to both my freshwater & saltwater fish and they all seem to stick around for awhile. The growth is good, the color is good and now they seem to be breeding. What gives?

Dmorty217
04/08/2015, 03:06 PM
Can you elaborate a little more?

I probably feed flake food 7 out of 10 days to both my freshwater & saltwater fish and they all seem to stick around for awhile. The growth is good, the color is good and now they seem to be breeding. What gives?

Im not suggesting not feeding flake. What Im saying is compared to frozen, or fresh fish ,flake is a distant third or fourth if pellets are included. I feed spirulina flake food and my fish also have great color and growth.

CafeReef
04/08/2015, 03:22 PM
So I am thinking keep them on Larrys Reef Frenzy and pick up some new life spectrum 1mm pellets (my clowns are medium to small sized) and continue with my twice per day feeding cycle and might mix in some flakes, my shrimp seem to like them.

Thanks for the help everyone, I'll report back how it is going.

Nano sapiens
04/08/2015, 03:37 PM
I also have a pair of Ocellaris Clowns and feed the same way; flakes/or pellets in the morning and a variety of frozen in the evening. Been doing this for 2-3 years and the fish are 'fat, dumb and happy' :)

edog45
04/08/2015, 07:56 PM
I feed LRS reef frenzy, Rods original and new life spectrum pellets. I feed pellets in the morning LRS or Rods, sometimes a bit of both in the afternoon and pellets again before lights out around 9. I also soak the pellets twice a week in selcon and all my fish go nuts eating them. I just bought LRS fish frenzy and herbivore blend to mix in for a variety. As you can probably tell I love feeding my fish and they are all fat and happy.

Peter Eichler
04/08/2015, 08:20 PM
Flakes don't offer much nutritionally without enhancement of some sort. New Life Spectrum pellets are great

This simply isn't true. Many flake foods on the market are high in protein and are pretty well rounded diets. The biggest negative might be some that have questionable fillers. However, overall you can have healthy vibrant fish that live for many years and are fed exclusively flake food.

Also, the make-up of most flake and pellet foods is very similar. So to say some pellet is fine but flakes don't offer much nutritionally doesn't make much sense.

smedlin
04/09/2015, 05:09 AM
My clown loves bloodworms and Mysis Shrimp. Actually, all my fish do.

I get them in little frozen cubes. I'll fill a small cup with nice warm tank water, drop a few cubes of each in the cup, wait a few minutes, then pour some of into the tank (usually in front of a power head). 10 minutes or so later, I'll pour the rest of it in there.

.

Paul B
04/09/2015, 05:30 AM
I totally agree with "Lose the flakes and pellets". But it's your tank so feed whatever you like :lol2:

Dmorty217
04/09/2015, 09:01 AM
This simply isn't true. Many flake foods on the market are high in protein and are pretty well rounded diets. The biggest negative might be some that have questionable fillers. However, overall you can have healthy vibrant fish that live for many years and are fed exclusively flake food.

Also, the make-up of most flake and pellet foods is very similar. So to say some pellet is fine but flakes don't offer much nutritionally doesn't make much sense.

Not all flake and pellet food are created equal so your argument doesn't hold true in all cases. Look at the ingredient list on flake food then compare that to new life spectrum pellet ingredient list... You will find many differences in them. "Protein percentages" don't mean all that much. Best thing about this country is you can do what you want and I will do what I want... Ask 1000 people this question and 950 of them will say flake is the least nutritional out of all possible fish foods. Also the last 1/4 or more of flake food will turn to dust rendering it useless as food

Peter Eichler
04/09/2015, 12:05 PM
Not all flake and pellet food are created equal so your argument doesn't hold true in all cases. Look at the ingredient list on flake food then compare that to new life spectrum pellet ingredient list... You will find many differences in them. "Protein percentages" don't mean all that much. Best thing about this country is you can do what you want and I will do what I want... Ask 1000 people this question and 950 of them will say flake is the least nutritional out of all possible fish foods. Also the last 1/4 or more of flake food will turn to dust rendering it useless as food

You're the one that made the sweeping statements, not me... At no point did I say all flake foods are good, nor did I say they're all the same. I said the contents of various like brand flake and pellet flake foods are the same, compare the ingredient list of NLS flakes vs. NLS pellets, do the same with Formula 1 flakes and pellets, unless this has changed since I last looked you'll find they're pretty similar.

Protein percentages can mean a lot and it can indicate the amount of fillers like flour or rice. This doesn't always hold true since foods with a higher percentage of algae and plant material will be lower in protein. Protein is very important for healthy fish in general, but it's not always that simple.

Yes, we have free will, and that means we can all express our opinions freely loudly on forums such as this regardless of how right or wrong they are.

Ask those same 1000 people if they think having a low phosphate content in a fish food is important, they'll say yes, they will be wrong. Also ask them if garlic is a good ingredient, most will say yes, IMO they're wrong. I would imagine they're the same people that vote Olive Garden as the best Italian food in various reader polls in various cities. Just because a majority of people think something does not make it correct. And perhaps they should think about their beliefs of dried foods the next time they're eating their farm raised tilapia or salmon at Olive Garden.

A good quality flake food is a better and more balanced diet than just feeding your fish brine shrimp or mysis shrimp, and it's also VERY similar to a same brand pellet food. My tank has been fed almost exclusively flake food for the last 10 years. It's not proof of anything, but my corals and fish seem pretty healthy, so flake food isn't the big no no that many in the hobby make it out to be. Flakes can be a good staple diet that promotes healthy fish and colors, at least outwardly. If you think otherwise your opinion is just flat out wrong.

And Olive Garden sucks! Though the salad and bread sticks... :p

Peter Eichler
04/09/2015, 12:25 PM
By the way, I'm not advocating to people to do what I do and feed almost exclusively flake. Due to what we don't know, your best bet is to feed a variety of foods. However, you could do worse than to have a quality flake or dried food as the main staple of what you feed.

Paul B
04/09/2015, 02:00 PM
I do not eat at Olive Garden, Burger King or Red Lobster, but I eat out a few times a week. I also don't eat Tilapia or any freshwater fish. I also don't eat farm raised anything except tomatoes. I also don't eat any seafood if it was not caught in American waters and I eat seafood almost every day as my family was in the seafood business. After saying that, I do not use flake food except to feed my worms although it will keep many fish alive. I don't care what is in it, how much protein, ash or phosphate because no matter what they initially added to it, it was then dried and 16 or 38 ingredients were added to it to keep it "fresh" so it can be kept without refrigeration. Can you name any healthy food for human consumption that can be kept "fresh" for practically forever without refrigeration except peanut butter?
Anyway although it will keep fish alive, are they spawning? I am not talking about damsels or clownfish as they can be fed soles of shoes and spawn. I am talking about most other fish. Virtually "All" of my paired fish are spawning. If your fish are not spawning all the time, they are not healthy as all healthy fish spawn all the time. The normal state of a female fish is pregnant and healthy ones always are. Just yesterday my ruby red dragonette spawned as did my blue stripe pipefish. Also spawning are my clown gobies, watchman gobies, bangai cardinals, threadfin cardinals, mandarins, 24 year old fireclowns and I think pistol shrimp. They are "all" spawning because they are in the shape they are supposed to be in and that state is pregnant. Food should have no more than one ingredient such as worms, Mysis, clams etc. So if "all" your paired fish are spawning all the time, your flakes are fantastic and I want some. :beer:

Pregnant ruby red
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh270/urchsearch/2015-04-08%2018.37.42_zpsy48dky5q.jpg (http://s258.photobucket.com/user/urchsearch/media/2015-04-08%2018.37.42_zpsy48dky5q.jpg.html)

Pregnant blue stripe.
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh270/urchsearch/2015-04-08%2018.33.17_zpsir5fdjcu.jpg (http://s258.photobucket.com/user/urchsearch/media/2015-04-08%2018.33.17_zpsir5fdjcu.jpg.html)

Clown gobi with eggs

http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh270/urchsearch/2014-04-02150638_zps37912997.jpg (http://s258.photobucket.com/user/urchsearch/media/2014-04-02150638_zps37912997.jpg.html)

Pregnant mandarin

http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh270/urchsearch/b9d33ff9-7593-4565-8706-d999c6132d71_zps011c8f96.jpg (http://s258.photobucket.com/user/urchsearch/media/b9d33ff9-7593-4565-8706-d999c6132d71_zps011c8f96.jpg.html)

Even my copperband laid an egg. :beer:

http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh270/urchsearch/2013-05-01140340_zps5f7fdc71.jpg (http://s258.photobucket.com/user/urchsearch/media/2013-05-01140340_zps5f7fdc71.jpg.html)

None of this is from pellets or flakes.

Peter Eichler
04/09/2015, 04:20 PM
I do not eat at Olive Garden, Burger King or Red Lobster, but I eat out a few times a week. I also don't eat Tilapia or any freshwater fish. I also don't eat farm raised anything except tomatoes. I also don't eat any seafood if it was not caught in American waters and I eat seafood almost every day as my family was in the seafood business. After saying that, I do not use flake food except to feed my worms although it will keep many fish alive. I don't care what is in it, how much protein, ash or phosphate because no matter what they initially added to it, it was then dried and 16 or 38 ingredients were added to it to keep it "fresh" so it can be kept without refrigeration. Can you name any healthy food for human consumption that can be kept "fresh" for practically forever without refrigeration except peanut butter?
Anyway although it will keep fish alive, are they spawning? I am not talking about damsels or clownfish as they can be fed soles of shoes and spawn. I am talking about most other fish. Virtually "All" of my paired fish are spawning. If your fish are not spawning all the time, they are not healthy as all healthy fish spawn all the time. The normal state of a female fish is pregnant and healthy ones always are. Just yesterday my ruby red dragonette spawned as did my blue stripe pipefish. Also spawning are my clown gobies, watchman gobies, bangai cardinals, threadfin cardinals, mandarins, 24 year old fireclowns and I think pistol shrimp. They are "all" spawning because they are in the shape they are supposed to be in and that state is pregnant. Food should have no more than one ingredient such as worms, Mysis, clams etc. So if "all" your paired fish are spawning all the time, your flakes are fantastic and I want some. :beer:

.

Dried fruits and vegetables, nuts, grains, cured and dried meats, dried fish, astronaut food :pThink of flake food as astronaut food for our fish... :bounce3:

Admit it Paul, you LOVE Olive Garden! What do you eat other than tomatoes? No chicken, beef or pork? No other vegetables at restaurants? How about anything with flour or corn in it?

Paul B
04/10/2015, 07:34 AM
Dried fruits and vegetables, nuts, grains, cured and dried meats, dried fish, astronaut food Think of flake food as astronaut food for our fish

You got me there. Now try to live on that and see if your wife throws you out or allows you to "spawn". :crazy1:

Admit it Paul, you LOVE Olive Garden! What do you eat other than tomatoes? No chicken, beef or pork? No other vegetables at restaurants? How about anything with flour or corn in it?

I used to drink Eichler beer but they went out of business because they tried to add dried meats and astronaut food to the mix.
We have an olive garden here, never been in there. We also have a red lobster but it is surrounded by real seafood restaurants, so I have never been in there. We do eat chicken and some pork and if you invite me over for a bar be cue and have hamburgers, I will eat two of them. But if you also have clams, oysters, squid, mussels, scungeel, octopus, fluke, flounder, cod or almost anything else that swims except for whales, I would rather eat that. I go to good restaurants every week and have never ordered a steak in my life. We live on seafood and vegetables. Here on Long Island I am with in walking distance from probably 15 good seafood restaurants. I can't swing a dead cat without hitting 2 or 3, but I am running out of cats so will try Emu's. :smokin:

I am glad you mentioned flour. Flour, specifically white flour is in a lot of foods. But you can't buy it as just white flour. It is always "fortified" with vitamins and minerals (just like flake food) Guess why? No, not because the people who sell white flour care about your health, but that is a good guess. They add those things because white flour is not a food and can't be sold as food. It is paste with no nutrition at all. The reason it has no nutrition is that it was processed out. Why, you ask? Because after they remove all the good stuff, it can be stored forever without refrigeration which is expensive. Does that remind you of something else that can be stored without refrigeration? Flour was good when they picked it off the stalk, but they need to refrigerate it as whole wheat and refrigeration is much more expensive than the original flour itself. The next time you buy a loaf of slice bread, look at the ingredients, see all the vitamins and minerals that were artificially added. You may also see preservatives which are added to keep some of those vitamins from rotting and losing their value. Now look at a cup of live blackworms or a clam and count the ingredients. :eek2:
I still stand by what I said about flakes. I posted pictures of spawning fish. I want to see pictures of real fish, not clowns or damsels spawning on flakes (Or Olive Garden food, or dried meats and nuts) :o
Peter, you should not read my book because although it does not mention Olive Garden, it does mention flakes and things you should feed to keep fish spawning and immune from everything except fish hooks and Olive Garden fishing boats. All my paired fish spawn all the time as healthy fish should. There is also a reason I do not have to quarantine and have not in over 35 years and the answer is not in Olive Garden's menu, but I wouldn't know because I don't go there. But if you come to visit me, I will gladly take you there because it is probably much cheaper than a good Italian restaurant, I know because I am Italian and an expert on Italian food and reverse undergravel filters. :beer:

Watchman gobi with her eggs

http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh270/urchsearch/Gobieggs026.jpg (http://s258.photobucket.com/user/urchsearch/media/Gobieggs026.jpg.html)

ViktorVaughn
04/10/2015, 07:41 AM
Paul if you're book will be written with the same prose and humor as your posts, sign me up for 2 copies. That line about the wife and spawning really got me going.

Paul B
04/10/2015, 07:58 AM
Well it's true. The book is the same and it is finished and at the editor's. I am not sure when it will be out.

Dmorty217
04/10/2015, 08:01 AM
Well it's true. The book is the same and it is finished and at the editor's. I am not sure when it will be out.

Please let us know when it's available, I want a few copies myself

Paul B
04/10/2015, 08:09 AM
So do I, I especially want a signed copy so I can read it and see if I still agree with myself. Then if I don't, I will cross out my signature and demand my money back.

laga77
04/10/2015, 08:36 AM
Astronaut food is not meant to be for long term consumption and sustainability. It is only a stop gap for extreme conditions. MOST people could eat it all the time and live but not be healthy. Just like McD`s. Same with processed food for both humans and fish. Good rule of thumb. If it comes in a box, don`t eat it. For the sake of this discussion, flakes and pellets come in a box.

Paul B
04/10/2015, 08:54 AM
If you have even seen pictures of those astronauts after they come back from the space station, they can't walk. I know they say it is from lack of gravity in space, but it is really because of astronaut food, and lack of WyFy

CafeReef
04/10/2015, 10:53 AM
I guess somewhat back to point. I bought some New Life Spectrum marine pellets 1mm yesterday, as well as some Formula 2 blocks. Everyone seems to love everything. The pellets are somewhat large for my clowns. they will grab one and kind of chew on it for a little bit, but seem to love it.

AirForceAquariu
04/10/2015, 11:49 AM
PAUL'S BOOK IS DONEE!! WHAT?!?! THIS IS GREAT NEWS!!

On topic, I feel flake and pellet only to make sure my fish will eat it since that is what they get from the auto feeder while I am on vacation!

Paul B
04/10/2015, 12:39 PM
While I am on vacation an assortment of retired Supermodels come over and take turns feeding my fish. My fish even paid for my last vacation.

reefgeezer
04/10/2015, 01:00 PM
While I am on vacation an assortment of retired Supermodels come over and take turns feeding my fish. My fish even paid for my last vacation.

I tell my wife they are feeding my fish also... :lol2:. I'll be on line @ your book signing just to see which supermodels are providing support.

I feed a DIY frozen mush consisting of a minimum of Clams, Oysters, Shrimp (shell & all), Frozen Mysis, Frozen Cyclops, and Frozen Baby Brine Shrimp once a day. I also feed dried Nori, freeze dried or live Blackworms, and Oyster Feast a couple of times a week. I probably feed too much, but the fish are fat & happy.

Dmorty217
04/10/2015, 03:55 PM
So do I, I especially want a signed copy so I can read it and see if I still agree with myself. Then if I don't, I will cross out my signature and demand my money back.

:ape:

laga77
04/10/2015, 05:09 PM
I probably feed too much, but the fish are fat & happy.

Isn`t it amazing the difference between the emaciated fish that are in the lFS, and a well feed fish at home. I think my Foxface is four times as thick now as he was when I bought him 6 months ago.

Paul B
04/10/2015, 07:09 PM
I am also thicker now than I was when I got married 41 years ago. I guess I am healthy

bambam918
04/10/2015, 08:16 PM
Paul I'm buying your book. Love the humor

Reef Frog
04/10/2015, 09:24 PM
The Reef Frenzy food has a large mix of marine sourced foods like shrimp, krill, mussels, clams, fish etc. I don't think you can go wrong with this for carnivores. Frozen fish & prawn eggs are excellent too - lots of fat and every nutrient and compound imaginable. Especially easy to eat for nano sized fish.