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Unread 09/21/2017, 10:15 AM   #1
PAXpress
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Feeding multiple times a day?

So I keep hearing feed more often less quantity, for multiple feedings a day... How is anyone able to sustain this? I barely get the time to feed every other day let alone daily or multiple times a day... I feed mainly frozen foods LRS herbivore mysis shrimp emerald diet etc and I do a fairly big feeding for my tanks. I feed manually and try to give my corals a good spot feeding by turning off some or most of the flow and manually feed them... I do have an apex so I could get an AFS and was thinking of doing this but then I worry about the pellet foods and how good they actually are for the fish compared to frozen, and if they will benefit the corals at all or even get to the corals? I was thinking of something like an AFS to do multiple daily feedings and then manually once a week do a good feeding and spot feed the corals then...? I guess I'm asking what you guys do what you recommend for me etc.
Stock list is a few tangs fox faced rabbit fish a chromi, clownfish bubble tip nems a cardinal starry blenny...


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Unread 09/21/2017, 10:40 AM   #2
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I have a modified mini fridge auto feeder that feeds 4 times daily and I manually feed 3 times once I'm home. I have my light cycle synced up to start about when I get home from work.

I feed the corals before the lights come on as I'm leaving to go to work.

With the auto feeder dosing mysis and R.O.E. throughout the day, even if I'm out all day, it still gets them a few feedings.

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Unread 09/21/2017, 11:13 AM   #3
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Ya I'm not so sure a mini fridge will work for me... space issues.


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Unread 09/21/2017, 11:57 AM   #4
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Think this comes more down to fish selection than anything else - I also feed once a day to every other day. That means no Anthias or other high metabolism low fat storage fish for me (or you)


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Unread 09/21/2017, 12:04 PM   #5
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IMO, there's no problems with what you are doing currently. If you're feeding every other day, that's perfectly fine for most fish (Including the ones you have listed.) The only reason I started doing once a day (From every other) is because my mandarin will eat mysis and I just like to keep him well fed. Even then, I still skip days here and there. Corals will get most of what they need from the light, so they're of even less worry than the fish.


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Unread 09/21/2017, 12:10 PM   #6
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IMO, there's no problems with what you are doing currently. If you're feeding every other day, that's perfectly fine for most fish (Including the ones you have listed.) The only reason I started doing once a day (From every other) is because my mandarin will eat mysis and I just like to keep him well fed. Even then, I still skip days here and there. Corals will get most of what they need from the light, so they're of even less worry than the fish.
I did however want to get some anthias...


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Unread 09/21/2017, 12:33 PM   #7
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I did however want to get some anthias...

Not all of them need frequent feedings. I have a bartlett that's been perfectly fine for about 4 years being fed once a day or every other day. I'd still have the other two if he wasn't such a bully.


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Unread 09/21/2017, 12:43 PM   #8
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I use Ehiem Auto Feeder and New Life Spectrum Pellets for 3x automated feedings. Most days, I add in some Mysis or other frozen.


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Unread 09/21/2017, 12:59 PM   #9
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I set up the Eheim auto feeder to do 2 incredibly small servings during the day. I've also mixed in some reef chili and another coral feeder just to broadcast. I also feed frozen every other day, mostly for the anemones. My nitrates are also at 25 so that's fun.


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Unread 09/21/2017, 01:30 PM   #10
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I use Ehiem Auto Feeder and New Life Spectrum Pellets for 3x automated feedings. Most days, I add in some Mysis or other frozen.
I do exactly the same thing


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Unread 09/21/2017, 01:36 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tuffyyyyy View Post
I set up the Eheim auto feeder to do 2 incredibly small servings during the day. I've also mixed in some reef chili and another coral feeder just to broadcast. I also feed frozen every other day, mostly for the anemones. My nitrates are also at 25 so that's fun.
What does "incredibly small servings" mean?

I'd love to get on a smaller/regular feeding schedule with the help of an auto feeder, but I've always worried about over feeding and the subsequent nutrient issues.


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Unread 09/21/2017, 02:47 PM   #12
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What does "incredibly small servings" mean?

I'd love to get on a smaller/regular feeding schedule with the help of an auto feeder, but I've always worried about over feeding and the subsequent nutrient issues.
This was kind of my worry... I feed what I feel like is a lot but its all at once every other day. I don't ever get the opportunity to feed daily and sometimes there is a multiple day gap where I don't have the chance to feed... Can auto feeders be relied on to keep the fish healthy?


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Unread 09/21/2017, 03:08 PM   #13
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For me small feedings are what they can get in about 30 seconds or less, and I also do an eheim auto feeder w/ NLS pellets.

I initially did this for anthia, but later I began to think this really is better for most all of my fish, and seems more natural to eat more than just one gutload a day.

While some people talk of their fish surviving, I still sometimes wonder if their fish are really all they can be health and color wise, I mean sure, your fish will survive being fed nothing but brine once a day, but will they be as colorful and disease resistant compared to a varied diet, and for me multiple feedings just seem best, just keep it to small doses.

The other cool thing for me is if I happen to stay away a night or two I don't even have to think about, they're fed.


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Unread 09/21/2017, 03:11 PM   #14
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For me small feedings are what they can get in about 30 seconds or less, and I also do an eheim auto feeder w/ NLS pellets.

I initially did this for anthia, but later I began to think this really is better for most all of my fish, and seems more natural to eat more than just one gutload a day.

While some people talk of their fish surviving, I still sometimes wonder if their fish are really all they can be health and color wise, I mean sure, your fish will survive being fed nothing but brine once a day, but will they be as colorful and disease resistant compared to a varied diet, and for me multiple feedings just seem best, just keep it to small doses.

The other cool thing for me is if I happen to stay away a night or two I don't even have to think about, they're fed.
Yes I really just wish there was a simple way to give them good food through an auto feeder... do you feel like with the pellets they are getting ample nutrition?


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Unread 09/21/2017, 03:56 PM   #15
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The problem with multiple very small feedings is some deliberate feeders would likely not get adequate food in tanks with big populations. It's nice that I can hand feed my CBB.


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Unread 09/21/2017, 05:35 PM   #16
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Yes I really just wish there was a simple way to give them good food through an auto feeder... do you feel like with the pellets they are getting ample nutrition?
Absolutely, NLS pellets are awesome, and I have some ocean nutrition formula one flakes crushed a little mixed in as well.

Auto feeder hits the surface, my vorts spread that stuff out pretty well, all get their share.

When I come home I have frozen that I give w/ a feeder tube as well, they'll get a couple feedings at night w/ that.


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Unread 09/22/2017, 04:27 PM   #17
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Regarding feeding. I used to be into field trialing English springer spaniels. Food and nutrition were very important for a working dog to stay in top body condition during hunting season and year round field training. My dogs could eat, but I didn't let them eat till their fill. If I left food out or fed too much they would overeat and get fat. When they gained too much weight they would lose their stamina, and similar results would happen if they were too skinny. I learned to feed based off of observing their body condition and I would up my feeding amount during periods of high activity and reduce during low activity times?

So why would fish be any different? They will eat more than they should just like humans and dogs. Why would fish be healthier if they ate 4 times a day but achieved the same body condition of a fish fed every other day. People don't gain health by having numerous frequent meals. If they did, the latest health craze would be to constantly graze without ever eating a meal.

I watch the body condition of my fish and increase or decrease feeding based on those observations. Do fish need daily or multiple feedings a day? Short answer is no. Can you feed frequently sure, but in my opinion the health of your fish is not going to get better unless you were undernourishing them to begin with. Also keep in mind that if you overdo feeding they also may get unhealthy and or your water will be high in nutrients. So in my opinion, the optimum recipe for when and how much to feed should be based off body condition of the fish and nothing more. Just my 2 cents.


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Unread 09/22/2017, 04:46 PM   #18
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I really don't care for the false equivalencies in fish and dogs. How about we compare them to Giraffes who eat all the time every day... or lions that might only eat ever week or two. None of this works.

I don't care how much anybody feeds their fish - they are yours. However, the vast majority don't do much more than graze and feed all day until they get large enough to spawn. Unless we are talking about the ambush predators, they are not periodic gorgers.

Did you all miss the Body for Life health craze from the 2000s? ...numerous, frequent, smaller meals in that one.


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Unread 09/22/2017, 04:56 PM   #19
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I really don't care for the false equivalencies in fish and dogs. How about we compare them to Giraffes who eat all the time every day... or lions that might only eat ever week or two. None of this works.




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Unread 09/22/2017, 05:15 PM   #20
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Analogy was with dogs. Body condition of the fish will tell you if you are feeding enough and if they are healthy, period. That was my point. OP mentioned about hearing that frequent feedings was recommended. Another poster eluded to the fish being healthier if you feed more frequent. I have experienced healthy fish without going to the trouble of multiple frequent feedings and they are thriving.

What do I care if people chase frequent feeding, but to suggest fish are healthier with more, than reference please.


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Unread 09/23/2017, 09:18 AM   #21
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All animals are different and metabolism may vary a great deal.
It's well known that anthia require multiple feedings, and most fish pretty much spend their time looking for food, so to me it's just a more natural feeding regimen.


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Unread 09/23/2017, 11:20 AM   #22
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I've always found this article - on the natural feeding habits of the fish we keep in the wild, contrasted with typical aquarium husbandry practices - to be quite interesting.
Quote:
"From this study, it is apparent that these fish are feeding continuously throughout the daylight hours. They are eating small items, but on the average they eat an item of food every three minutes all day during a twelve hour day. During that period they eat an average of two grams of food per day.

As a comparison, during my food and additive study (Shimek, 2001) Ocean Nutrition Products, such as Formula 1, had 70 cubes per 7 ounce package of food. That meant each cube weighed 2.8 g. On the average, if you wish your fish to have the same mass of food that they are likely to eat in nature, presuming the data of Hamner et al., 1988, is applicable to other fishes, you should feed each fish in your aquarium that is the average size of a damsel fish, the equivalent of about 70% of a cube of this food per day. Large fishes would get proportionally more."
I've also found copps' tank of the month profile interesting; he's a big believer (and has had great success) in keeping angels and other borderline reef-safe fish in reef settings, and feeding seems to be a big part of that.
Quote:
"Almost as important as what you feed is how often you feed. I cringe when I hear some reefers only feed their tank once every few days. I feed a varied assortment of all frozen foods twice a day on every one of my tanks. With this I’ve been able to keep every specimen you see happy. That second feeding really makes a difference, and will also keep your angelfish more satiated and less apt to pick on your reef.

One exception is in my quarantine tanks on newly acquired specimens. I will feed these sometimes five or six times a day to help recoup the body fat they’ve lost during the long chain of custody many of the fish in our hobby see, often with little to no feeding at all!"
There's also this quite cool experimental study on damselfish, where scientists fed damselfish pairs either once a day, two out of three days (low quantity diet), or every day twice a day (high quantity diet). Food used in this study was a combo of commercially available flakes & pellets.

They found that the low quantity diet was the minimum needed to reproduce, while the high quantity diet was the amount needed to enhance adult condition. Condition was measured by length & weight of the adult fish after six weeks on the diet. Parent fish fed a high quantity diet (twice a day every day) were bigger and longer than the fish fed once a day, two out of three days. They laid more eggs (and bigger eggs), and reproduced earlier and more often. Their babies were larger at hatching and more likely to survive. So yes, amount of feeding absolutely can make a difference to fish' health and condition.


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Unread 09/25/2017, 10:54 AM   #23
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I've always found this article - on the natural feeding habits of the fish we keep in the wild, contrasted with typical aquarium husbandry practices - to be quite interesting.


I've also found copps' tank of the month profile interesting; he's a big believer (and has had great success) in keeping angels and other borderline reef-safe fish in reef settings, and feeding seems to be a big part of that.


There's also this quite cool experimental study on damselfish, where scientists fed damselfish pairs either once a day, two out of three days (low quantity diet), or every day twice a day (high quantity diet). Food used in this study was a combo of commercially available flakes & pellets.

They found that the low quantity diet was the minimum needed to reproduce, while the high quantity diet was the amount needed to enhance adult condition. Condition was measured by length & weight of the adult fish after six weeks on the diet. Parent fish fed a high quantity diet (twice a day every day) were bigger and longer than the fish fed once a day, two out of three days. They laid more eggs (and bigger eggs), and reproduced earlier and more often. Their babies were larger at hatching and more likely to survive. So yes, amount of feeding absolutely can make a difference to fish' health and condition.
Very interesting. I wish I had the time and patience (mainly this) to feed 3 times a day. That's why I think I'll have to get an auto feeder.

I appreciate all the responses received. Think as a plan of action, continue feeding as often as I can muster, and add an auto feeder in the near future to not replace manual feeding but to supplement in between feedings.


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Unread 09/25/2017, 11:22 AM   #24
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Analogy was with dogs. Body condition of the fish will tell you if you are feeding enough and if they are healthy, period. That was my point. OP mentioned about hearing that frequent feedings was recommended. Another poster eluded to the fish being healthier if you feed more frequent. I have experienced healthy fish without going to the trouble of multiple frequent feedings and they are thriving.

What do I care if people chase frequent feeding, but to suggest fish are healthier with more, than reference please.
Funny, My experience with two farm dogs was exactly the opposite. They had food any time they wanted (set amount per day) and they ate as they were hungry. In the end, they trained me on the amount of food to set out for the day. Never got fat, or bored, but then they had many acres to wander and do dog stuff every day.

I would think your feeding strategy would depend entirely on they type of fish you have and their natural feeding behavior. You won't feed a lion fish multiple times per day. You would with seahorses (and anthias?) because that is the way their gut is designed (short path optimized for constant feeding).

I will agree that you should watch your fish for signs of malnutrition/health.


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