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Pablo Tepoot's Spectrum Food Hello all. 1st time writing in, but a long time lurking and learning on the site. I am just curious if the "Spectrum" food by Pablo Tepoot that you constantly mention is the same as the New Life "Spectrum" food that is on the market? <Yes. The same> I am looking to get some for a juvenile Pomacanthus imperator, but want to make sure it is the correct food that you rave about. Thank you kindly. <Amazing stuff... Have been friends with Pablo for years... and he IS a character... nonetheless this/his food IS amazing in its apparent palatability, nutritional value> Sincerely, Mehran J. Marashian Jr. P.S. If you could respond directly to this e-mail, I'd greatly appreciate it. Sometimes I have the darndest time navigating the site. <Ah, we respond directly to all. If you have suggestions re improving the navigation, layout of WWM, please send these on. Bob Fenner> Looking for Spectrum fish food in the UK Hi Bob, I have tried all the aqua shops in Edinburgh and nobody sells the pellets, could you please let me know where I can get them. Thanks again Jim. <I'd try finding a distributor of "New Life Enterprises" products in the UK... contact them directly and ask who distributes their products there... or there are a few yank ebusinesses that would likely ship... One: http://www.customaquatic.com/ Bob Fenner> New Life Spectrum Food Greetings Mr. Fenner and crew. I wrote you about a week ago asking if New Life Spectrum was the same food as Pablo Tepoot's Spectrum food that you rave about. This was for the juvenile Pomacanthus Imperator. Well, she now has a 2 1/2" Flame Hawk that shares her tank, and they get along great. What characters! After 18 years in the freshwater hobby, this was my first foray into Marine Aquatics. A MUCH simpler transition than I expected. Sorry for the babble, but here is my question: I am looking at Spectrum Thera-A formula (Anti-Parasitic) and Spectrum Marine Fish Formula. I am hoping to quell any parasite outbreaks before they occur, as well as prevent HLLE on the Imperator. <The anti-parasitic food will do nothing for HLLE> Is one better than the other? Will they both do what I am looking for, or should I get both types of food? <Mehran, For better results I would suggest soaking some Sea Veggies or similar dried algae product with Garlic Elixir, Selcon or VitaChem. Use one or better yet, alternate between two or all three of them. This will boost their immune system, improve color and often prevent or even cure ich problems. I will suggest you email Johnny at Premium Aquatics for questions on the Spectrum food. They are very knowledgeable in this regard as they spare no expenses on their fishes diet.> Again, your expert advice is always appreciated, and from a new marine hobbyist, I offer a big THANK YOU for sharing your wealth of knowledge with the masses. <You're most welcome. James (Salty Dog)>
- Fish and Food Selection - Hi Aaron here. First off I would like to congratulate you on THE best fish website I have ever come across. I have a 29 gallon FOWLR with one Firefish goby (These fish are awesome!), a few hermit crabs and about 25 lbs of live and base rock (Rock that will eventually turn "live"). I traded in my domino damsel and yellow tang after reading of the firefish's passiveness and seeing my fish chase him. Unfortunately part of his tail fin is missing. Will this grow back? <Yes, in time.> In another e-mail question to your site someone gave possible tankmate suggestions that I really liked. I wish to get two or three neon gobies (What amount would be better?), an algae or bicolor blenny and a mated pair of clownfish; ocellaris or sebae, still deciding. <For the neon gobies, two in a pair or just a single individual. I've seen same sex neon gobies seek each other out for battle in a 180 gallon tank. If you can get a pair, great. As for the rest of the fish, I'd limit your picks to one clownfish and the blenny or just the clownfish pair. With a 29 gallon tank, you don't want to push the limits too far.> Also, not too far down the road I plan to get some PC lighting and a protein skimmer so I can add coral. The main question is what types of foods should I purchase for these above fish to have a healthy diet? I currently have frozen krill, freeze-dried brine shrimp (I know this food is HORRIBLE for a fish's diet), and those sheets of dried seaweed you can get. Any info would be greatly appreciated. <All the fish you list will do well with a meaty diet - I'd stock up on some Mysis shrimp, and if your krill is whole, run it through a food processor to reduce the particle size. You might also try some of the New Life Spectrum pellets as these are very well made and an excellent food.> Thanks for all your help in the past and I'm certain in the future. <Cheers, J -- > New Boyd Enterprises products now! Your samples of the fish food and are (our) [sic] new formula of the VitaChem fresh and salt are on their way. As soon as are (our) [sic] Koi food and are (our) [sic] new carbon is finished then I will send you some of those as well. We also have coral food that's truly darn good. Well, hope to see you at the shows, till next time, take care and have a great weekend. Russell Boyd <Thank you Russell. Bob Fenner> <<Have tried the samples... the fishes take these pellets readily... and they don't foul the water.. RMF>> Re: unidentified Algae, BGA Thank you for your reply Bob. I spoke with Boyd Enterprises regarding their product Chemi-Clean. <Very nice boys... I knew their father, Dick Boyd... a real innovator> Would you recommend I try this product in my reef to rid the Cyano that is very present as "red slime" in my fuge and as the "blue-green Cyano" you recently identified from the reef pics I sent you? They claim this product will have no adverse effects on the reef nor will it create any phosphate problems. Do you agree and is it worth a try? <Mmm, not entirely. Try as I might, I have not been able to find what this product is... other than that it does not contain Erythromycin...> By the way, Boyd himself (son) also made a few recommendations to me. He suggested I switch from Oceanic Salt mix to Tropic Marin. <A good idea> My Calcium is high 500 and has been as high as 550+ with no addition of Calcium. He claims that when testing Oceanic, many batches contained very high Calcium levels 700+. <Yikes!> I am going to test the calcium on the batch I am currently using. He also recommended that I stray away from feeding my reef the delicious frozen concoction 3X per week made basically of Eric H. Borneman's recipe and try "Phycopure" made by AlgaGen and perhaps some "Cyclops Eeze". <Another worthy suggestion> It was also recommended to continue to feed my fish pellets/Nori as I have been on alternate days. He felt my frozen cube recipe was just blowing too many nutrients around the reef. Your thoughts would be appreciated. <All sound good. Bob Fenner> Thanks again. Paul Maresca - Jar O'Zooplankton - I've tried to find a definitive answer on the web chat forum search venue but I am still confused. How long does Sweetwater Zooplankton stay in the refrigerator after being opened? <A pretty long time... have sat on jars for as long as a year.> I have one male Betta to feed, so I don't use a lot. Is this stuff "alive"? <No.> I hear that it will start to smell really funky when spoiled, but how close to "spoilage" can you continue to use it to feed your fish? <The stuff is pretty stinky from the time you first open the jar... wouldn't be to concerned until stuff starts growing in it.> Thanks-Also heard that Sweetwater sold out to another company and that anything labeled Sweetwater is old to begin with...any clue? <I don't have any information about that one way or the other. Cheers, J -- > Feeding at night HI Guys <Hi Jeff, MacL here with you.> And a Happy New Year to you all.<Why thank you so much.> Something I have been meaning to ask for quite sometime now. I have gotten into the habit of feeding my Angel Fish at night just before I go to bed and just before I turn out all the lights. I was wondering if this is a good thing?? I use to feed them at night and wait for awhile before I turned out the lights as I thought that the fish may need the light so "see" the flakes floating through the water. Then my wife thought that I was crazy .. thinking that I'd rather spend time with my fish than go to bed with her ;-) So tell me am I crazy?? Do I need to keep the light on for awhile for the fish to feed or is it ok to drop the food in the tank and turn out the lights and go to bed?? <Judging by my fish they could find food regardless but don't you like watching them eat? That's one of my favorite parts of the tank.> cheers Jeff Brisbane. Australia - Regal Tang Follow-up - Regarding vegetable greens for food (for algae blenny and regal tang)... See, I told you I'm a dummy. <Why do you think so? You may be closer to the correct answer than you think.> I'm by no means a cook... please spell it out for me. You're reply to my question below... > "Second question, when your website suggests adding vegetable > greens as supplemental food... are we talking simply shred up some > broccoli head and drop into the tank? Is it that easy? > <Read on... some terrestrial greens can be blanched/steamed, used>" What does that mean? Steam cook some broccoli and just drop it in my tank? <Yes... steamed is fine... blanched means just barely cooked, once the broccoli turns bright green.> Use an algae clip? <Makes more sense than just dropping it in the tank, sure.> What? <You tell me... you had it right.> Me dumb. <I think not. Please do avail yourself to the many articles and related FAQs... you'll find many of these questions have been asked/answered before.> Thanks, Dave <Cheers, J -- > Marine Fish Eye Problem 12/22/04 I have a Volitans Lion Fish and a Harlequin Tusk and it seem as if they can't see the food they are trying to eat. They go after the food I put in the tank (freeze dried Krill, Frozen Krill, plankton, algae flakes, etc) however it seems as if they are biting at the food but missing it. I have checked there eyes and there doesn't seem to be signs of cloudiness or any pop eye, or anything for that matter. <This is a classic situation. Predators, especially lions are known to go blind when fed exclusively of or high in krill. It is hypothesized that this is because of a missing nutritional element. To the best of my knowledge, this is not reversible.> The water is changed once every week and half. levels are ok except for Nitrate, little high. It happened to the Lion fish first not 2 weeks later it seems the tusk has it . I noticed the tusk having a problem yesterday. What can I give them that will help? Thank you. <In the future, feed your predators a variety of meaty foods of marine origin, including silver sides, squid, fish meat, Mysid shrimp, etc. and go easy on the krill. Best Regards. AdamC.> A question regarding a lookdown Hello Crew, Big Fan! <Me too!> I had a question regarding a lookdown. I bought him a week ago. He is approx 6 inches and only eats live foods. At the store as well as in my tank he will not touch anything but live Rosies. Is it possible to get him eating frozen? <Yes... Jacks/carangids in general are VERY eager eaters of most all (familiar) foodstuffs...> If so how does one go about getting the fish to convert? <Best just to grade into novel foods... mix some in with those currently being used...> Lastly, he is getting mildly harassed (just being chased not nipped) by my passer angelfish who is approx 6-7 inches. Do you think this harassment will continue in the long-term? Thanks, Dan Vollenweider <If the system is large enough, no... a few hundred gallons should allow both specimens to coexist. Bob Fenner> Cyclop-Eeze fish food Could you please tell me who manufactures 'Cyclops Ease' and there web address if possible or an e-mail contact. regards, Norman. S. Hampson <Mmm, well, Argent Chemical produces the "raw product" (Cyclops is wild-collected in Canada) and a few people (including them) make same into products... Randy Reed, Liquid Life... you can use your search tools for finding their URL's, email addresses. Bob Fenner> Nanoplankton and other food stuffs Thanks for all the
info you all have provided me with, I have followed all instructions
and my tanks are thriving, 2yrs. now. I think I've been searching
and reading this site for 4 hours now and have to call it
quits for the day. I have a couple of questions that I was unable to
find an answer to, I'm sure it is here some where but I need to
give my eyes a rest. So, here they are: What are some sites you can
recommend that will explain what nanoplankton, <Small... in
practical terms, smaller than you can see with the naked eye... there
are actual size/descriptions, and a bunch of other terminology as you
might assume... "macro", "zoo",
"phyto"... plankton> epiphytic material, <epi= upon,
phytic= plant (or algae)... organisms or even abiotic material found on
algae and vascular plants.> floc, <light mass and density
material, biological and not, found floating, eventually sinking in an
aqueous solution like the sea... this material is generally attracted
to each other by a central charged mass... not tightly bound> and
colloidal material <are ionically charged solutions with relative
consistency... like your blood and intracellular matter... that
eventually "settle out"... in making products (beer,
ice-cream et al.) colloidal emulsifiers are often employed.> are,
and if they are found in certain salt water food products such as
liquid life, DT's, etc.. SHAUNA TOLLER <Indeed they are. My
understanding of DT's is that this is a mix of cultures of small
(Nano) phytoplankton... like Nanochloropsis... and Liquid Life's
product line includes phytoplankton and zoo-plankton mixes. Bob
Fenner> Cooked foods Hi WWM crew! <Hi Jonathan> I feed my porcupine puffer a variety of meaty foods (krill, shelled shrimp, octopus, squid, scallops, mussels and clams) and would like to feed him some crab legs to ensure his teeth are getting a good grinding. My grocery store only sells pre-cooked crab legs and I was wondering if this is ok to feed him, or if I should go to an Asian market and get live crabs. I also noticed in the FAQs that some people were feeding their puffers canned seafood. Aren't canned foods cooked? <The biggest problem is what they are cooked with. So you need to check the ingredients closely, I don't think they need things like butter etc.> My main concern is if feeding cooked foods can cause health problems. <Just check for what they are cooked with and make sure they are pretty much clean. Rinse them if necessary. Good luck, MacL> Thanks, Jonathan Feeding Questions <Hi, MikeD here> Thanks for all your help in the past, but of course the questions keep coming!<THAT'S often what keeps us hooked on the hobby for decades as it's an ongoing learning process that's always a challenge to improve.> In reading your PufferFaqs, it says we should freeze shrimp, clams, etc for 1 week to get rid of any bacteria.<There is a huge danger in generalizing, but basically this is correct, and often freezing can kill things far more detrimental than bacteria, such as true parasitic worms, flukes, etc.> You also state that Puffers, mine is a dogface puffer, love live crawfish. Is there any danger of bacteria if I feed Scooby Doo (my puffer) the live crawfish?<Here the answer is close to a definitive no. By being a freshwater crustacean, the odds of harboring a parasitic organism that can make the switch is almost nil, thus actually safer. With many marine fish there is a real danger in feeding them freshwater foods due to a difference at the molecular level in fats, lipids and proteins, but this doesn't appear to be anywhere as severe in crustaceans as in fish. An added benefit is that a puffer's teeth grow non-stop, like those of a rat, hamster or other rodent and actually NEED to be constantly worn to prevent them from overgrowing and causing eventual starvation. In short, a good basic diet of frozen marine shrimp, crab, squid and mollusks with live treats such as the crayfish will keep the animal healthier and probably even happier.> Also, our Naso Tang will only eat seaweed and we've been giving her Seaweed Selects (adding additional Selcon). You have mentioned using Nori Seaweed and I was wondering if one was better than the other.<Actually, this is a yes and a no. As much variety as possible is usually the key to the greatest success as in nature these fish browse on literally hundreds of different foodstuffs and we, as hobbyists, are trying to provided a suitable substitute. A good flake would likely also be in order and I'd suggest trying so angel formula cubes w/sponge occasionally as well. In general tangs belonging to the genus Naso seem to include a much higher percentage of plankton than some of the others, thus need additional protein.> Also, just as an FYI, when I originally started giving our Naso the seaweed, I was not putting Selcon on it. She seemed to start losing some color and was developing white blotches. It did not look like any illness and she was eating fine. I think these were different than the spots Nasos get when stressed, since they were always there. However, once I started adding the Selcon, her color came back and I believe the little white she has is just part of her coloring.<All of the Nasos are capable of some rather startling color changes, and in the wild it's been noticed that they often turn white or at least drastically lighten when approaching a "cleaning station" to be serviced by parasite removing animals like cleaner wrasses, gobies and shrimp. It's also just possible that you were seeing early warning signs of HLLE or "hole in the head/lateral line erosion" which is a condition resulting from improper diet rather than a true disease and you "nipped it in the bud"> Thanks for all your help. I think I've become a WetWebMedia addict.<It also sounds like you're becoming an accomplished fish keeper and developing very nice powers of observation as well. Something many never learn is that there is a HUGE difference between looking at your charges and actually "seeing" them. While it may sound corny, I feel that fish communicate through both body language and coloration and once you start "listening" with your eyes they'll have quite a lot to tell you.> Carol Feeding? Hi Bob, <Charles> I wish to know what food is suitable for marine fish with small mouths? Very hard to rear Artemia and I tried blood worm and they still refuse to eat. However some eat lettuce while most butterflies don't eat. Help. Thanks Charles <Foods for small Butterflyfishes? Or marine fishes in general perhaps. These can be more/less species/situation specific. Having a goodly amount of healthy live rock present, a deep/er live sand bed might be of most help here, though there are cultures (put the names Frank Hoff, Indo-Pacific Sea Farm, Inland Aquatics in your search tools) that are useful. Are you intending to culture (breed, rear) a particular species or family of marine fishes? Bob Fenner> Insect foreign material in tank Hi dumb question to follow! Have had a cockroach problem of late that has been resolved with gel rather than spray but anyway found one of my little starfish self collected 5cm diameter muck eater sucking the guts (nicely put) out of a small cockroach 5mm length that must have ventured in too close to the water removed cockroach. Is this likely to be a problem for the tank or starfish? << Wow, I don't know. I've never heard of starfish eating cockroaches. I'll bet it won't hurt them, as most animals know what is food and what isn't. >> I do have covers on the tank but with openings for tubing etc. these pests can still get in. This is the first time this has happened. It is possible the cockroach had eaten the gel that kills them. Could my tank be contaminated/polluted? Suggestions? What hope for the starfish? << Well it is possible that he was poisoned first, but I wouldn't worry about it. I think a simple water change is always a good idea. Otherwise no worries. >> Don't want it to crawl away and hide and die where I cant find it. << Adam Blundell >> Serving A Butterfly Buffet (A WWM Reader Shares His Technique) Hi gang: <Hi there! Scott F. with you today!> I'm a big fan of copper banded butterflies. . . but lost one several years ago when first setting up my system due to its 'shy' nature at feeding time. <An all to common occurrence, unfortunately> Essentially, it got out-competed for food by pretty much everything in my tank. A few months back I acquired another one. . . determined to find a way to see this one through. While he was in quarantine, I bought one of those plastic 'worm feeder' cones with a suction cup mount commonly used to feed Blackworms to discus. Since the as-acquired-from LFS form has tiny slits allowing the tips of the worms to poke through (allowing any fish to feed and giving no particular advantage to a butterfly) I cut/opened a small 'vertical' slot big enough for him to get his 'nose' through just above the bottom of the cone. . . and no more than 1/4" high. By feeding him only in this feeding station, he was trained to it by the time I put him into my community tank. . . and now I can feed him worms, Mysis. . . whatever. . . in a way that doesn't allow the other fish to muscle him away from his dinner plate. Over time, he's even become (constructively) territorial about his feeding rights with respect to this setup. A final do-it-yourself note: If your tank (like my acrylic 60 gal.) has wide internal top-braces that ring the top and preclude suction-cupping the ring to the tank's side walls. . .then cement the top edge of the ring-the-cone-gets-suspended-from to the underside of the acrylic lip/top of the tank (allowing room to insert/extract the feeding cone for cleaning) along the edge of the top brace. With the hood in place, the whole rig is barely visible. Chuck <Well, Chuck, on behalf of WWM readers everywhere, I thank you for sharing your innovative solution! I'm sure that other Butterfly enthusiasts will benefit from this tip! Your unselfish sharing is what this site is all about! Regards, Scott F.> - Freeze Dried Foods and Nutrition - A quick question -- I purchased can of freeze dried Krill for the quality of the product, but upon opening can, realized they were way too big for my tank guys and gals. I decided to finely chop them up with a little water in a blender, then froze the emulsified batch. Finally the question: Did I lose any appreciable protein or quality of product by doing this?? <Probably not.> Thanks... Barry <Cheers, J -- > Feeding a reef tank 6/8/04 Hi Anthony this is Genaro. <cheers my friend> first off all I want to thank you for your great help - I have a question? what do I feed my reef corals since I only have a leather, mushrooms, cup coral, hammer ,xenia a Maroon clown fish, and a purple tang. <the cup coral and the hammer coral can be fed fine minced meaty foods of marine origin (Mysid shrimp, Pacifica plankton, etc) several times weekly. The mushrooms too perhaps. But eh leather, Xenia and feather duster cannot be target fed... they need microplankton. A refugium would help here> I feed brine shrimp to this two fish. <please be very careful with feeding brine shrimp... it is one of the worst foods nutritionally speaking, on the market. I almost never recommend it as a staple. Pick other more nutritious meats instead like those mentioned above> and what is the best time to feed morning or evening? thank you. <for most corals, its best to feed at night... for fishes, feed small amounts early during daylight hours (2-4 times daily in very tiny amounts). Anthony> Banquet For A Banggai? (Feeding Competition) Guys, <Scott F. your guy tonight!> My Banggai is healthy again! His eyes are crystal clear -knock on wood. Thanks for your advice and support. Also the false percula clown is doing fine in spite of the abbreviated 2 week quarantine -I need my QT for an Orchid Dottyback that needed some TLC. The Dottyback's fins have grown back in a mere 5 days!!!! The new growth is clear now... hopefully the color will return soon. Three more weeks before I tear down my unsightly QT!!! Can't wait! <I'm thrilled to hear that things a re going well...And, how cool it is to hear that your quarantine system is working well! Congrats!> My only problem is feeding. Currently the fish get Sweetwater Plankton and Mysis shrimp as their staple. <Two fine foods...> With the Mysis, I am unable to prevent the Banggai from eating too much and at the same time, the clown doesn't seem to get more than just one Mysis shrimp before they are all gone! <Go figure- an aggressive Cardinal!> They are on a more even footing with the daphnia. The Banggai has been in the display for about 4 weeks, and the clown for 6 days. Will the clown be able to compete with time? <I think that eventually, the clown will become more assertive, and he'll compete more effectively once he settles in.> My observation is that while the 3" Banggai swallows everything whole, the 2" clown prefers to bite little chunks off. It amazes me that with this strategy, the clown would actually aim for the largest piece of Mysis near him, rather than all the bite size pieces floating by him. The cardinal does not discriminate... <Interesting observations!> Based on observing the Dottyback in QT, his feeding style is more like the clowns. Target feeding isn't always an option, because I feed the fish 3 or 4 days a week and an automatic feeder is used for the rest -I travel a lot. I use freeze dried Mysis and plankton with the feeder. <As long as the food is dispersed well, then everyone should get a crack at it!> Thank You, Narayan <Well, Narayan, I'd just keep doing what you're doing...The clown will eventually get his share of food. Of course, in the mean time, be sure to continue to observe carefully, and get a little extra food in there if you can. Good luck! Regards, Scott F.> Competition for food II Thanks Scott! <Adam here today. Scotter is in Chicago for the IMAC conference. I will pass along your good news!> I realize now that my email was rather premature. Over the weekend, the clown decided he wasn't going to give up his share easily. Now he goes after the bite size pieces! Smart guy. He even steals food from the cardinal. If both of them go after the same morsel of food, the cardinal is the first one to back down -now I know what WWM means by "non aggressive feeder." Narayan <This is definitely what I would expect! Clowns are rarely bashful about getting their fair share of food. FWIW, varying the spot to which you introduce food, or introducing food in multiple places in the tank often benefits shy feeders like cardinals by occupying more aggressive fish and keeping them spread about the tank rather than crowded around one cloud of food. Best regards. Adam.> Re: Fish dr.? attention Bob: for posting on dailies Thank you for the info. I'll try the long beach aquarium and see who they use. Do you know how long a previously healthy fat fish can go without eating? Thanks, Yvonne <Some species, incidents for months. Most at least a week or two. Bob Fenner> Feeding... 5/24/04 HI! I had some questions on feeding a yellow tang, percula and maroon clown. I've been feeding my tang Formula two frozen algae tabs, sheets of dried seaweed, romaine lettuce and red top lettuce. He seems to like the red top lettuce. He will eat the romaine (although not as well as the red top). I have hardly seen him eat the frozen algae tabs or pieces of dried seaweed sheets. Should he be eating this stuff? I've had him for about 2 weeks. It took him a while to start eating anything other than what was on my live rock. <I personally prefer foods of marine origin, so I would try to withhold the lettuces in favor of the dried seaweed (try other varieties if the one you are using isn't greedily taken). Also, I like formula foods very much, but prefer pygmy angel formula over formula two since formula two uses terrestrial vegetables.> And for my percula and maroon clown. Yes, I know. I probably shouldn't have them in the same tank. :-) But, they were in the same tank at the store for about a week. The maroon is tank bred. As for the percula I'm not sure. The percula seems to like being around the maroon. He stays in the same area as the maroon (even slept side by side one night). And the maroon seems to care less. <Don't expect this to last. As Maroons get larger, they get very aggressive.> What is good to feed these clowns? I put some flake food in but, they don't seem to run to the top of the water to eat. When it starts to sink sometimes they'll eat it or put it in their mouth and spit it back out. Sometimes, they'll eat the brine shrimp. I've had them in my tank for 2 days. I guess they'll start eating better as time passes? <Fish generally don't feed aggressively for a couple of days after introduction, but if the foods you are feeding don't seem to be well accepted, try others. In general, brine shrimp is a poor choice since it has very little nutritional value. Mysis is a much better choice. Clowns should get a pretty even mix of meaty foods and vegetable foods.> In my 55 gal tank I have 1 yellow tang, 1 maroon clown, 1 percula clown, 1 Condylactis anemone, 2 peppermint shrimp, 1 emerald crab, 1 turbo snail, 1 starfish along with some live rock and other rocks (5 rocks altogether). Is this Ok or too many to put in a 55 gal? <You are OK stocking wise, but your yellow tang will outgrow this tank fairly quickly.> Thanks! JB<Surely! Adam> Overfeeding Results Hi, <Hello, Ryan with you> I have a 55 gal, hang on refugium, AquaC remora skimmer, Penguin 330 filter, LR, Sal 22.5, Nitrates 5, Nitrites .05, DKH 9, PH 8.3 with 2 gobies, 2 dragonets, 2 damsels, 1 filefish, 2 green Chromis, many crabs, a few margarita snails. I did have a problem with Cyano, but I am fighting it. I feed them two cubes a day, 1 brine shrimp with Spirulina, and one marine cuisine. <You could certainly benefit from a day off every week- There is no reason to have nitrites in your marine system.> Anyways, I noted the fish (especially the gobies) either hid, or went near the top in the morning when the lights first came on, they also are scraping themselves against the gravel and rocks often. <Are they recent additions?> I also noted that if I turn off the flow from the Penguin 330 that everyone is much happier. <Perhaps for a moment- but turning the filters off isn't a great idea. You're lowering the levels of dissolved oxygen in your system, and therefore increasing the stress on your livestock.> It is clean.<OK> Apparently, the return water is churning up something. I am assuming that I have a major copepod problem. <Never heard of a problem with these guys- what leads you to this conclusion?> I originally started the refugium to create the beasties for the dragonets, but I think it worked to well. <A population is only as strong as it's food source. Cut back on the feeding, you'll cut back on the population.> As long as I keep the penguin filter off, it seems to help, but I can't since it has the BioWheels. The fish definitely come out of hiding when I turn it off. Not that it is important, but the skimmer is really kicking out some produce lately. <It should produce always.> Do you think my ideas are correct? If so, how do I balance out the problem? <I think you need to do a little more research about copepods in aquaria- and feed a little lighter. I hope I helped a bit, Ryan> Use of a fresh clam for Marine fish Would it be advisable to use a clam every time bringing home a fish? Specifically, a Butterfly, Tang, or Angel? <You could if you wanted> Or do I run the risk of spoiling the fish with this treat from the get-go? <Not likely, but depends on the species> Also, after freezing the clam for a day, do I then let it thaw in salt water before dropping it in the tank? <Countertop, microwave, however :) Just be aware of the biological concerns when handling raw meat, as always> Thanks again, Michael! <No problem> Daniel Clam Questions (4/8/2004) Hello everyone, <Hi, Michael here this morning> thank you so much for your site, and your time for questions! <You're welcome> With regards to using a fresh clam to entice finicky eaters, are you guys talking about going to the local market, <yep> and buying a clam from their seafood section? Any clam? <Any clan fit for human consumption. Make sure you freeze it for a day or so to help kill off any pathogens> Thank you very much! <Anytime> Daniel <M. Maddox> Trick to dicing Squid/meaty fish foods 3/28/04 Hello Crew! <whassup> Thanks again for a wonderful site full of great information! I am wondering if the crew knows of a trick or technique to help me out. Per your recommendations, I have added fresh squid to the feeding routine for my minireef. I rotate through Formula one, Brine shrimp, Mysis shrimp (both soaked in Vita-chem), and Bio-Blend. <please do reconsider using brine shrimp even soaked... it really is a hollow food (very poor nutritionally). Use most any other ocean meats instead: Pacifica plankton, diced krill, fish roe, etc... or Cyclops-Eeze (frozen or freeze-dried)> OK, what is the best way to cut/grind the rubbery squid up so it is in small enough pieces for my fish (Perculas, damsel, gobies) to eat without me having to do a fishy Heimlich on?? It currently takes me 10 minutes with a razor blade trying to cut it up and it is frustrating! ARRRRGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!! There HAS to be a better way! <yes... a very simple/easy trick: cut ocean meats while frozen or nearly so (food processor or cutting by hand with knife). A breeze> Thanks and guys rule! <rock on my salty brother. Anthony> Live food for puffers? (03/10/04) Hi, <Hi! Ananda here tonight...> Is there any risk of passing on disease to my puffer if I feed him scallops, shrimp, etc. purchased still alive from my local supermarket? <Unfortunately, yes. Kelly the Puffer Queen once mentioned she'd traced a puffer death to something transmitted via freshwater mussels she'd fed to the fish. You can't assume that any wild-caught food is safe for your puffer. If you do choose to buy the live food, I would suggest quarantining it for a month or so before you feed it to the puffer. Otherwise, freezing the food for a few days to a week should take care of most pathogens, Protozoans, etc. that the critters might carry.> Thank you. <Thanks for asking -- I'm always glad to help prevent puffer illness! --Ananda> Anthias squamipinnis (Lyretail) Hey guys. <Howdy> I
ordered 1 male and 2 female Lyretail Anthias and received them right
before Thanksgiving about 3 months ago. They arrived beautiful and the
male was almost 4''. I had never seen any males that large at
the LFS. I was not expecting them to be this big and only had them in a
10 gal QT about 3 weeks, not long enough but was worried about the size
of the tank. They were all eating well and looked good. They have been
in the 55 FOWLR for over 2 months. A couple weeks ago I noticed one of
the females looked very skinny. <Very common... a fifty five gallon
chock a block with live rock isn't enough culture material to keep
this trio going... w/o very frequent offerings from outside the system
by you... Do look into adding a live sump/refugium that will/can
provide nearly continuous live food fodder> I have been watching and
all 3 are eating. The second female looks a little thin but not bad.
They are in with a Purple Tang, Coral Beauty, False Perc, royal Gramma
and a damsel. I am feeding Mysis, Brine, formula 1 and 2, angel
formula, Nori, Spirulina, Sweetwater Zooplankton and reef complete
flakes. After rereading CMA I noticed a little excerpt about some fish
eating but wasting away. Tangs and Anthias as examples. <Yes... too
familiar> I also read the WWM article on Anthias and they showed a
doomed female. All other fish look well nourished (maybe even a little
round). So I reduced the feeding amount a month ago. The
male is the largest fish in the tank. About 5-6 times as large as the
females and for sure gets his share of food. My question is how should
I feed the Anthias? 2, 3 times a day? <Or more often... your tank is
crowded livestock wise... and will require more maintenance as a
countervailing strategy to keep up water quality as a consequence of
trying to feed the zooplanktivorous Pseudanthias> I have typically
fed once a day but may have to change after doing more research. Should
I remove the skinniest female or both to the extra tank to better
monitor the feeding? <Oh! Yes... actually better, best to remove the
trio to less crowded, more specialized settings> I am not sure if it
best to put both females together if one is really weak or leave only 1
female with the male. He does not harass either of them now. Is she
truly doomed if she is already pretty skinny and low on the totem pole?
And if she goes will the male kill the other? <Not doomed. I would
move all three. Can recover with frequent feedings of nutritionally
boosted (e.g. Selcon soaked) foods.> Any help would be greatly
appreciated. Thank you. Walt <Thank you for writing. Bob Fenner>
Picky feeders and Ich 2/13/04 What is the FW Sweetwater plankton? Where can I mail order it from? I have not heard of this before. <a keyword search if you'll try it on any search engine (Google, Yahoo, etc) will turn up hits from various mail order companies like Custom Aquatic and Marine Depot: http://www.customaquatic.com/customaquatic/listcatbrand.asp?CatID=fo&brandID=SW http://www.marinedepot.com/a_food_swz.asp?CartId= > Is it a liquid? <a suspension... rather like a slurry. Do order some Selcon too while you are at it.. excellent HUFA rich supplement for fishes and inverts> Also, my LFS doesn't have any FW clams...any idea where I may order or get one of these? <if they are fresh, you can also use live FW food clams from the grocery store. Just make sure they truly are fresh (iced and not gaping) and rinse them well> I'm in Riverside, CA. Lots of stores around by you see the advise I have been getting. Thanks for your help. <very welcome my friend... we sincerely want to see all participants succeed. Hobbyists, retailers, etc> Could you expand on the siphoning idea for Ich? <its as easy as it sounds... decades ago it was proven/demonstrated that fishes in bare bottomed tanks could be cured of ich without medications with a daily water change from the bottom of the tank which siphons larval/waiting parasites. Must be done strictly for 8 consecutive days to break the cycle though. I have repeated this myself and learned of the technique from a Fish Pathology course at the U. Of Georgia, Athens by the world renowned Gratzek and Blasiola> I have Ich in the main tank for sure. It has to go fallow for 6 weeks right? <at least 4 weeks> But you said I could get rid of the Ich in the QT in 2 weeks by siphoning the bottom? <correct... or rather... it can be kicked in 8 days... but the fish cannot be freed until an additional 2 weeks of disease free symptoms have been logged>> Should the bottom be bare glass only? <always and without exception in QT tanks> Do you recommend the Formalin? <yes.. I use it in preference to copper most always. But like copper, it can never be used in tanks with substrates (else it will pollute the substrate)> I want to stop dosing the tank with anything if I can. I can't see any Ich flying or floating around like I could in the main tank. <Ich cannot be seen floating my friend... that was something else surely. And if the main tank has been dosed with copper, it was A) ineffective as absorbed by the calcareous rocks, ornaments and/or decorations... and B) has polluted the substrates from ever being used with invertebrates like anemones, some starfish, snails, etc. It has also killed a lot of desirable microscopic life forms. Hence the need for dosing in QT always (and better... running all new fishes through QT before adding them to the display). Alas, you have learned this the hard way like most of us. With a 250 gallon tank investment... I pray that you never repeat the mistake> How long should I run the poly filter? <a day or 2 is enough> It's completely blue now. <yikes!> Been running it for about 12 hours I guess. <another PolyFilter may be needed... wait another day, do a water change, and then add a new PolyFilter> You and your site are incredible and I'm overwhelmingly thankful. You can come have dinner on me anytime you are in my neighborhood. <Ahhh, kind thanks indeed! Your success will be as satisfying as your company over a shared meal. kindly, Anthony> Cyclop-eeze distributors? 2/13/04 Anthony, Were can I buy Cyclops-Eeze at? Have been looking everywhere. Thanks Charlie <It is really an outstanding product... a great contribution to mariculture of fishes and invertebrates. It is dense and nutritious food and tiny enough for many coral polyps (unlike baby brine). Produced by Argent, it may be best to contact them for a larger list of distributors. But a keyword search on Google turns up fine mail order companies like Premium Aquatics: http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=PA&Product_Code=CYCLOP-FR2OZ&Category_Code=Mysis note that it can be purchased in frozen, freeze dried or flakes... each has merits and disadvantages. For SPS corals and inverts, seek the frozen... for LPS corals and small fishes... FD... and for the biggest mouths, the flakes. best regards, Anthony> Feeding Habits 2/5/04 How often should I feed my inverts/corals? I don't have many. 1 - Rose Anemone, 1 Flame Scallop, Pumping Xenia, Brain, Bubble, Green Star Polyps. That is I also have a blue tang and cleaner shrimp, some hermits and two huge snails, and a sand sifting star. That's it at this point. I only feed the fish, shrimp, anemone every other day. <The fish should probably be fed daily. The anemone, open brain and bubble probably should be fed at least once a week. More is fine, but probably not necessary. Generally, shrimp will get by on missed fish food if you feed every day.> During this time I am also feeding the corals and inverts two teaspoons of marine snow or a pinch of Cyclop-eeze. I alternate between the two to give them a variety. <None of your corals is likely benefiting directly from the addition of Marine Snow or Cyclop-eeze. None of what you listed has the type of polyps to capture such food. The flame scallop may be getting some benefit from the small amount of phyto plankton in marine snow, but unfortunately it is probably not enough. Most flame scallops perish of starvation within a few weeks-months.> I have a 40 gallon breeder and have a slime problem. Trying to get to the root of it and overfeeding is a concern. Do you think I am feeding the corals/inverts too often? How often should I feed them and how much based on my current livestock. I would consider all to be small to medium sizes. Thanks, Rob <See above for feeding recommendations. Slime algae is often caused by lack of water movement and low alkalinity as much as high nutrients. Water movement equal to 10x the tank volume is a good rule of thumb. Alkalinity of 3-4.5 mEq or 9-12 dKH along with good water movement will help prevent the slime from growing and favor the growth of coralline algae. Do directly address the issue of nutrients, you will have to write back and describe your filtration and water change routine as well as provide the results for as many of the following tests as you can: Salinity, temp, pH, Alkalinity, ammonia, nitrate and phosphate. Best Regards. Adam Feeding and stocking questions 2/2/04 Have a few questions for you. I have a 105 gal. reef tank with the following 14 fish: Kole tang, yellow tang, hippo tang, (3) antheis, cardinal, Clarkii clown, golden head goby, scissor tail goby, (2) green Chromis, yellow tail damsel, bi-color Pseudo, (2) cleaner shrimp, (2) peppermint shrimp and a fire shrimp. I feed them only once a day in the evening with 3 frozen cubes mixing them up daily with different food types and also throw in some dry food a few times a week. Most of my fish are medium in size. My question: Am I feeding them enough food? and is once a day enough? My fish buddies think I should feed them twice a day using 2 cubes at each feeding. I am starting to feel bad for my fish; I am beginning to think I am not feeding them enough and not frequent enough. What would you suggest? <Two small feedings a day is probably better than one large on, but once a day is fine for most fish. The exception is certain highly active fish that only feed from the water column like Anthias, which do much better on multiple feedings, but even hardier Anthias like P. squamipinnis can get by on one. The ultimate judge of weather your feedings are adequate is how the fish look. If they aren't getting thin (look head on particularly along the back and the head just in front of the eyes), they are fine.> Also, I would like to get a few more (colorful) fish for the tank. However, each time I visit a fish store, they tell me I have capped out my supply of more fish because anything left is either not reef safe or not compatible with my other fish. Any suggestions of what I can buy that has color and compatibility? I want a fairy wrasse, would this be okay? Some tell me the dwarf red angel would be okay, what do you think in a reef tank? <From that list, you have certainly indulged your addiction! With aggressive feeders like tangs and clowns, you will have to be careful that some of the other fish are getting their share of the food, particularly the cardinal and Anthias. Fairy wrasses are notoriously shy and would probably starve or rarely be seen in your tank if it wasn't outright beat to death. There are certainly plenty of other fish you could add, but I wouldn't recommend doing so in addition to your current fish. If you find other fish you really like, please consider giving up some of you current ones, paying special attention to choose fish that will hold their own at feeding time.> Thanks!!!!!!!! Rob <Best regards. Adam> |
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